I'm in need of some help on replacing the front rotors on a 1998 K2500
4x4 Suburban.
I have removed the calipers.
I have removed the four retaining bolts on the back of the hub/rotor assembly.
I have pulled the hub/rotor assembly off of the splined shaft with a suitable puller, disconnected the wiring and removed the hub/rotor assembly from the vehicle.
My question is "how do I seperate the hub bearing assembly from the rotor?"
I don't have a press and I don't want to break it beating on it.
Just did this myself... but luckily i have access to a press.. Now really all the cheap presses are hydraulic jacks permanently mounted.
As far as the separation goes, if it's like mine, all you need to do is get those studs out, they and they alone(on my 89) were holding the two pieces together. The studs are only 2 bucks apiece, so replace em while you have em out(napa stocks em).
Two choices here:
1) take it to a machine shop and have them do it.
2) If you're like me stubborn as hell and insist on doing everything yourself... then you could try an offset C clamp to press them out. Or you could try fashioning a press out of a bottle jack. Just need something to press the rotor against above or below the jack. Or you could just hammer em out. First give em a liberal spray with pb blaster and let em soak. If you're replacing the rotors anyway don't worry too much about them, i mean try not to hit them but..... DO NOT HIT THE HUB IT IS REALLY REALLY EXPENSIVE. The hammer method is obviously a last resort and attempt at your own risk... would I do it to my truck.... well at midnight when the other two methods failed, yeah i probably would.
So when you go to put the studs back in just use a couple washers, a nut(no not you:)), and an impact wrench or some muscle and draw the new studs in, make sure and go slow and use the same sequence you would for tightening your lugs so you don't warp anything.
Good Luck!!
snipped-for-privacy@no> I'm in need of some help on replacing the front rotors on a 1998 K2500 > 4x4 Suburban.
I appreciate very much your words of wisdom. I am a lot like you and I do prefer to do it myself. I think after reading your comments that I really need to step back and do this right. So it's about time that I invested in a press. I found one from Harbor Freight that is easier on the pocket book than some of the others that I looked at. A 20 ton press for $200 and it will probably last me a lifetime using it once in a blue moon. Thanks again for helping me to decide on a course of action.
Glad I could help. That press is the EXACT one that my father has and I used to do this. He uses it every so often and no probs whatsoever with it as of yet. One more tip... I kept trying to find a way to get the rotor to stay flat while trying to press out each stud... after some monkeying around found that the easiest way was to put a piece of
1/4 steel plate on the studs and press them all out at once.
Good luck(and enjoy the press)
snipped-for-privacy@no> I appreciate very much your words of wisdom. I am a lot like you and I
That is an excellent tip. I searched my storage barn and my garage, today for a piece of 10"x12"x1/2 inch steel plate that I knew I had. Finally found it after about a half hour of searching. Pressing them out all at once is the way to do it. That small piece of steel will make quick work of it and in the future will have an honored resting place right next to my new press.
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