Brake rotors and pads 1-9 | 10-18 | 19-27 | 28-33
Today's project is to replace my Sonett's brake rotors and pads. As far as I can, tell, the rotors had never been surfaced or replaced -- so I'm hoping for more consistent brake performance after the switch.
But I warn you: if these parts haven't been off your car in a long time, this is a tough, dirty job. Brake parts seem more likely than most to get seized or rusted into place, and you have to work at awkward angles in tight quarters. Here's a tip that can save you some potential injuries. Before you start straining to loosen a seized fastener, stop and think: "When this does come loose, where is my hand going to end up?" If it's going to slam into a suspension part, try a different approach!
These words of warning are based on plenty of -- ouch! -- experience. So with that out of the way, here we go...
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Ready to start! I've already pulled out the cotter pin that locks the center hub nut. I've also given the nut's threads a soak with penetrating oil. Removing the wheels is made easier by headless bolts threaded into two of the lug holes. The bolts support the wheels while the other lug bolts are removed; then you just slide the wheels off. I've left the bolts in the wheel because we'll be using them again in a moment. |
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To remove the rotor, the brake caliper has to come off first. The caliper is held by two bolts, which are kept from unscrewing by a bend-over tab behind them. So to remove the caliper, I first bent back the tabs, then unthreaded the bolts. This top view shows removal of the upper bolt. Even though I had had the caliper off a couple of years ago, the bolts were REALLY tight! |
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Once the caliper is off, I hang it by a wire to avoid straining the hydraulic hose. |
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Now you see why I left the headless bolts in the hub. When I try to turn the center nut, the hub is going to want to spin instead. So I've wedged a 2x4 between the headless bolts, with the other end resting on the floor. Torque applied to the center nut will be reacted through the 2x4, keeping the hub from turning. |
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The center nut is a 1-5/16", a somewhat unusual size. None of my wrench or socket sets included it, so I had to buy an impact socket in this size for about $20. |
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I can't imagine how I would have gotten the nut off without an impact wrench. I had to run the wrench about 30 seconds before the nut came loose. |
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With the nut removed, it's time to pull the hub off its splines. It's a REALLY tight fit! Time to deploy my secret weapon: a reproduction of the special puller SAAB used to make. West of Sweden SAAB commissioned a blacksmith to make these reproductions. Price was $120 -- steep, but this heavy-duty piece of blacksmithing should last a lifetime... most likely, several lifetimes. |
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The puller works by bolting the green frame onto the hub with lug bolts, then turning the center bolt until the hub pulls out. To keep the hub from rotating when I try to turn the bolt, I've put a jack handle through the frame. I'll press down the jack handle to resist the torque of the wrench. |
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Oops! Should have used something stronger! It takes a LOT of torque to turn the puller bolt. |