romoving front brake rotor...gotcha's?

p m

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If you have your tools handy, you can have the rotor out in about 20 min. Out of special tools, the 52mm socket will be cool - but not strictly necessary. An air impact wrench is nice to loosen the bolts that keep the rotor attached to the hub. Depending on how rusted your hub and rotor are, it may be easy or not too easy to bang the rotor off the hub.

I would not only turn one rotor - you'll regret it many times later. Moreover, the rotors are pretty thin - 13mm min thickness, so they will be prone to warping when turned. Atlantic British seems to have a sale on D1/RRC rotors - $34 a pop.
 
S

Sirfoss

Guest
NO Turn

You may find your rotors are below spec and can not be turned. They are real close to being at spec when they are new....so most likely time to replace.
Mike
 
S

Steve83

Guest
LR doesn't recommend turning them, and dealers aren't allowed to. Sirfoss is dead-on; there's not much extra metal to begin with.

rovrjnky
Click my signature & look in the LR D1 Hub photo album. It lists bolt head sizes for most of them.
 
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DiscoJen

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Aug 27, 2004
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The Lou!
Another helpful tool

I'd also recommend a 12 point 13mm socket to get the caliper bolts off without rounding them out. They are in there really good and the correct fitting socket for this was really a necessity for me cause I'm goofy & clumsy. Otherwise, it's pretty much cake. I totally agree about not turning your rotors - even if you had enough to turn, you'd end up so thin that you'll be needing to do the whole job again sooner than you would want to. And who wants to waste TWO saturdays?

This message was approved and paid for by the "Save The Weekend" campaign. ;)
 

DiscoJen

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Aug 27, 2004
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The Lou!
Oh yeah - almost forgot

Be careful to not pull your brake lines when you move the caliper out of the way. I used a wire coat hanger (zip ties are also great) to hang 'em up from the coil.

Much luck!
 
Occasionally, it can be difficult to separate the rotor from the hub. If you use a 1/2" "Connector" bolt and a mating bolt, place the bolt between the hub and the rotor, unscrew the bolt against the hub and the two pieces will separate without much effort. Using three of these setups makes it pretty much painless.

Also, if you can't get the bolts holding the rotor/hub together, turn one of your wheels outside down, place the hub into the bolt holes, you can now loosen the rotor retaining bolts so you can separate the two!

While the hub nut wrench was mentioned, a snap-ring plier was not. You'll need an external snap ring plier.

While you're in there, you may as well replace the bearings and hub seals.

Peace,
PT
 
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Rene M

Guest
DiscoJen said:
I'd also recommend a 12 point 13mm socket to get the caliper bolts off without rounding them out. They are in there really good and the correct fitting socket for this was really a necessity for me cause I'm goofy & clumsy. Otherwise, it's pretty much cake. I totally agree about not turning your rotors - even if you had enough to turn, you'd end up so thin that you'll be needing to do the whole job again sooner than you would want to. And who wants to waste TWO saturdays?

This message was approved and paid for by the "Save The Weekend" campaign. ;)

Keep in mind any thing you do no one side should be done on the other or you will create far more headaches that you will ever want to deal with. When a rotor warps from then on it will all ways want to go back to that state so i have never worked for a shop that condoned cutting rotors just replacing them along with a new set of pads. there are a huge amount of after market ones you can buy if you are strapped for cash. Hell you can get a set of Brembo off ebay for a good price. I have.. Make sure ( as Jen has stated) that you do not let the caliper hang by its line you will damage the line and pull your hair out trying to figure out why your truck pulls afterwards...
I hope this helps..
 
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Rene M

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--No, my Disco isn't lifted - I'm just really short!--

Sorry but, OMG thats funny.. ;)