It's time to change the front hub assembly on my wife's XJ. I can't seem to get the brake rotor off. I got the BFH out and beat on it from the back side with no luck. I sprayed some PB blaster on it and figured I would tackle it on Thursday (next day off). Anybody have any suggestions? This guy says it should just "slide right off"... http://www.off-road.com/jeep/cherokee/2001/02_feb/bearing/ I WISH!!! By the way the truck is a 99 XJ with a Dana 30. Thanks in advance for any help.
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Front brake rotor removal
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Rev Den
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Plainfield, IL
Use a hammer and smack it BETWEEN the wheel studs. It will slide right off.
Rev
Rev
AZ Jeff
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gilbert, Arizona
Lay heat, and LOTS of it, on the area around/between the lug studs. It will break down the rust, and allow the rotor to come free of the hub flange.
anony91xj
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- North Jersey
That's the best bet. Don't waste your time with a rubber hammer, and you don't need heat (although heat will help).Rev Den said:
Don't use a claw hammer, get a big minisledge or dead blow. Smack the face of the hub between the studs, or just wail on the face of the rotor. It's really tough to dislodge a rotor by just smacking it from behind. You gotta whack it on the front real hard
langer1
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Mineral City,Ohio
New hubs old rotor= new wife.
anony91xj
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- North Jersey
Uhhh....huh?langer1 said:
dynamite44
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Northern Virginia
this is going to sound stupid, but you do indeed have the calipers off, right?
sometimes there are factory retainer clips on 2 maybe 3 of the wheel studs. they're sort of cheezy c clip type things. usually they don't get put back on when the brakes are replaced, but some mechanics put them back on. they're only there for assembly at the factory, so the rotors wouldn't fall off as the XJ was going down the assembly line.
make sure those are gone.
sometimes there are factory retainer clips on 2 maybe 3 of the wheel studs. they're sort of cheezy c clip type things. usually they don't get put back on when the brakes are replaced, but some mechanics put them back on. they're only there for assembly at the factory, so the rotors wouldn't fall off as the XJ was going down the assembly line.
make sure those are gone.
anony91xj
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- North Jersey
dynamite44 said:
Yeah in the industry they're referred to as "virgin clips". They serve the purpose of holding the rotor in place at the factory, yes. However, they also serve the purpose of letting a tech know whether the rotors have been off the vehicle before. It's generally accepted that a rotor with those clips in place has never been replaced or resurfaced. At 7 years old, I certainly hope those clips are gone.
Calipers are off and there are no clips. I have beat on the rotor front, back and between the studs. I have been placing a 2x4 on the surface and hitting it with a mini sledge. I have rotated the rotor between beatings with no success. Would some type of a gear puller help in this circumstance? I can assure you that I will be using a lot of anti-sieze when I put everything back together. I am not real crazy about heating things up as I have heard that this changes the metal reducing the strength but I am willing to try just about anything at this point.
langer1
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Mineral City,Ohio
If you going to replace the rotors just pull the hole thing off in one piece then you can lay the rotors on a couple of blocks and drive them off.
Rick Anderson
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Lusby, MD
There is a cylinder on the hub that extends thru a hole in the center of the rotor. The rotor can sieze to the hub there as well, as well, corrosion on that cylinder can keep the rotor from sliding off hub. Clean the corrosion off that center cylinder if it extends past the rotor, gets lots of PB Blaster down it, if you haven't already.
Use anti-sieze, but nots tons of it, it will flow out and get all over the brakes. Just a very thin layer, rubbed around on the hub with your finger, wipe off the excess, it will do fine at keeping the two from siezing together.
Chrysler is recommending absolutely nothing inbetween rotors and hubs for their NEW brakes, including anti-sieze, because the run-out specs are less than a human hair, they figure anything inbetween can throw the runout specs out, as well and thing like grease or anti-sieze could capture particles/dirt or even a human hair that could throw out run-out. IMHO thats foolish, most rotors and hubs develop enough rust on the surface that it exceeds the width of a human hair, thats going to throw out run-out as well. I burnish some anti-sieze into the hub and rotor, I rub it in and then wipe it off with a rag, there is the finest layer of residual anti-sieze left over. Just that light residual anti-sieze is more than enough, I've never had a rotor sieze to a hub with just that little bit.
Use anti-sieze, but nots tons of it, it will flow out and get all over the brakes. Just a very thin layer, rubbed around on the hub with your finger, wipe off the excess, it will do fine at keeping the two from siezing together.
Chrysler is recommending absolutely nothing inbetween rotors and hubs for their NEW brakes, including anti-sieze, because the run-out specs are less than a human hair, they figure anything inbetween can throw the runout specs out, as well and thing like grease or anti-sieze could capture particles/dirt or even a human hair that could throw out run-out. IMHO thats foolish, most rotors and hubs develop enough rust on the surface that it exceeds the width of a human hair, thats going to throw out run-out as well. I burnish some anti-sieze into the hub and rotor, I rub it in and then wipe it off with a rag, there is the finest layer of residual anti-sieze left over. Just that light residual anti-sieze is more than enough, I've never had a rotor sieze to a hub with just that little bit.
RichP
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Effort, Pa
I've had to beat a few off our TJ's when we got them, lesson learned, put a couple of lug nuts back on, saves your body parts when that puppy does come off. I generally beat one spot then move opposite side, whack it, move up, whack it, bottom whack it and keep doing that a few times. Normally takes about 20 or so good hits...first time w/o a couple of lug nuts it got my ankles and left a couple of good marks as I was sitting cross legged on the ground.
On reassembly I use copper based anti-seize after steel brushing the old crud/corrosion/rust off.
On reassembly I use copper based anti-seize after steel brushing the old crud/corrosion/rust off.
I had to do this on the wifes camry this weekend. Rich is right about putting the lug nuts back on, not only does it keep the rotor from flying off but it will protect the threads if you get a little happy with the BFH.
t took 20-30 HARD whacks on her car with a 10 LB sledge hammer. Just go around the face of the "hat" on the rotor. I had to do this with each side, those rotors had been on for about 50K miles. I was hitting the face of the rotor so hard I was worried about the bearings in the knuckle, but you do what you gotta do.
t took 20-30 HARD whacks on her car with a 10 LB sledge hammer. Just go around the face of the "hat" on the rotor. I had to do this with each side, those rotors had been on for about 50K miles. I was hitting the face of the rotor so hard I was worried about the bearings in the knuckle, but you do what you gotta do.
UPDATE:
I was able to use a hub puller to pull the hub assembly and rotor off in one piece. I then beat on the hub with a BFH to seperate it from the rotor. Got it all back together and all is well. I just ordered the hub for the drivers side as I think that one is trashed as well. How long is everyone's hubs lasting? Mine were growling like a bear!
I was able to use a hub puller to pull the hub assembly and rotor off in one piece. I then beat on the hub with a BFH to seperate it from the rotor. Got it all back together and all is well. I just ordered the hub for the drivers side as I think that one is trashed as well. How long is everyone's hubs lasting? Mine were growling like a bear!
2001XJeep
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Helena, AL
maps said:
I tried using a puller to pull the rotor off with the hub still attached to a Mazda Tribute. The friggin rotor literally BROKE!!! It split into thirds, but it was STILL stuck to the hub = one of the craziest things I have ever seen. A rubber mallet and about 2 dozen hard wacks from the backside and it just popped right off. Go figure...
