Brake Disc Removal

[kevin the chicken]

Not a robin hood problem but a problem anyway. I am in the process of replacing the front suspension airbags on my range rover and noticed that the brake discs are in a very worn state. So I ordered new pads and discs which should be here by the weekend. While I have the wheel off I thought I would loosen the discs ready for removal. They are only held one by a single cross head screw but I can't get them undone and the heads are already knackered from previous owners efforts. Any top tips from anybody?

[Big Jim]

Just tap them round with a hammer & centre punch, they'll go. Obviously fit new ones afterwards.

[Guest Ian & Carole]

If Jims idea doesn't work, which it should then drill the head off the retaining screw, if you happen to catch the disc in the proses it wont matter as you are changing them any way.

[nigelt]

Had this problem manya time... Just drill the heads off and replace them afterwards. The problem comes from the screw being stuck and so people use an impact driver. However, the screw is usually a crosshead or pozidrive (might have spelt that wrong) and the bit in the impact driver is a philips, ( a different shape altogther), and this is only good for one thing... rounding off the screwhead...:-)

 

 

Nige

[fry61]

The disc is also held by the 4 wheel studs -- so why worry -- just get rid by drilling.

[ivorbigun]

As above but on a range rover more likely to be torx head unless it's an early one make sure you use the biggest one that will fit,

I've always put the bit in the screw and given it a good clout before trying to undo just ratles the rust lose. HTH

[Guest 2b cruising]

Don't mess about wasting your time.

A quick and easy drill job until the head fall off.

Use a hammer on the knackered discs if they are tight on, then there is a big stub of the old screw sticking out to remove.

Usually loose enough to come out by fingers, if not mole grips.

Use copper slip on the new screws, to ease removal in future.

Do not use copper slip or any other lubricant on wheel studs or nuts, fit them dry.

If they are very tight through rust, use WD to clean them up running the nut on and off a few time, but clean them up before final fitting.

Screws do a couple of jobs.

You might find the discs can move a little on the studs, screw centralise them.

Screws save the discs coming off during wheel changes. Yes this can happen.

Ask yourselves this. Have you ever known a modern car manufacturer waste profit by fitting something that is not a necessity.

Even if they are only pence each, how many thousands do they go through. How much time is used up fitting them.

[Snapperpaul]

On my Mondeo I ended up heating the old disc with a butane torch and really hitting it with an 8 lb club

It was the corrosion on the hub face holding the disc bell on

The hardest disc removal I've ever done

[Guest 2b cruising]

I've actually part cut them through as far as you can go with mr angry, then cracked them the rest of the way across with a chisel as a wedge on commercial vehicles.

Luckily always got away with a soft face mallet on cars.

[kevin the chicken]

Thanks guys, I will try undoing the screws with a centre punch first and then progress on to more destructive methods if that doesn't work. I bet these will be a devil to get off, I had enough trouble with the wheel as that seemed to be stuck on with what looked like copper grease. I ended up clouting the wheel with hide hammer to break the seal.

[IanS]

copper grease normally prevents corrosion sticking the wheel on if it is over all mating surfaces.

An other way to break the wheel free is to loosen the wheel bolts about 1/2 turn and drive the car at low speed (10mph) whilst turning the stearing wheel lock to lock, breaks the wheel free very fast but do not drive very far or you will damage the wheel.

Clean the new disc to hub mateing surfaces (both of them) before fitting the new disc I have seen numerous problems caused by very small amounts of dirt trapped between disc and hub.

[Guest 2b cruising]

As you are renewing discs, it doesn't matter how big the hammer is as long as you hit the disc, not the hub by mistake.

[kevin the chicken]

Started to drill the head off and it came loose. Disc pulled straight off. Hope the other side is as easy.

[IanS]

left handed drills are very usefull for drilling bolts out as they often end up also removing the thredded bits as well.

Just wish that they were easier to obtain as just about every drill I have seen these days spins both ways.

[agent_zed]

Screws save the discs coming off during wheel changes. Yes this can happen.

Ask yourselves this. Have you ever known a modern car manufacturer waste profit by fitting something that is not a necessity.

Even if they are only pence each, how many thousands do they go through. How much time is used up fitting them.

 

Would generally agree but manufacturers also do things purely to help in manufacturing rather than in real world application. I wouldn't be surprised if the screw is mostly there to hold the discs on whilst on the production line, so it doesn't fall off before it gets to the chap with the calipers. i haven't had a car that the discs would come off without removing the caliper first, but i stand to be corrected.

 

copper grease is like backing up your computer.. you always wish you'd done it before the problem occurs