K3500 4x4 rotor removal help needed

your first mistake was going to autozone, those idiots dont know their ass from a hole in the ground

Had nothing but good advice and help from our local AutoZone stores (besides saving big buck$$$ over the past 7-8 years). Almost as good from the local NAPA stores. Sorry your AutoZones aren't helping much, if at all.

Franko

dont know their ass

really good

it.

brakes. First

also have a,

are almost gone.

rotors and pads.

then I went back

purchase the

had 2 employees

need to be taken

not, for the

it's just a

press them back

truck?

no money to

have to do it

know nothing

drive vehicles

"" wrote: > Hi All- > > Ok, I have googled this subject and came up with about 4 > really good > responses, problem is, all have different ways on doing it. > > This is my first time in about 10 years doing my own brakes. > First > time ever on a 4x4. > > I have a K3500 crew cab 4x4 with single rear wheels. I also > have a, > gas guzzling, 454 big block. > > I need new rotors, the back sides of both front rotors are > almost gone. > Turning them would do no good. So, I purchased the rotors > and pads. > Then, I went back to town to purchase the big socket, then I > went back > to town for a puller kit. Then I stopped by Autozone to > purchase the > manual. It didn't really say anything about 4x4's. I had 2 > employees > helping me, they finally read in the manual that they need to > be taken > to a dealer and pressed off and on. > > I found the 4 bolts on the back of the rotors that I can not, > for the > life of me, remove. My air compressor must be too week, it's > just a > little pancake one. > > My boss has a press, will this work? Or will I need to press > them back > onto the truck, that is, if I ever get them off of the truck? > > I need help here, the less work the better. And we have no > money to > pay the big bucks to have some shop do it for us, so I have to > do it > myself or with help from friends. > > And what is this knuckle that everyone mentions? See, I know > nothing > about 4x4's. But, I have changed rotors on 2 wheel drive > vehicles > plenty of times, at least 10 years ago. > > Please help. I am in Michigan, Charlotte area. > > Thanks. > -Tim

What year truck is this??

These are not that difficult to replace. Obviously, you are going to remove the caliper assembly. Remove the large nut that holds the drive axle through the wheel bearing assembly. Unplug your wheel speed sensor, and remove it wherever necessary so that the harness is free and will come off with the rotor and wheel bearing assembly. Use a long swing handle and a good quality 6 point socket to remove those four bolts that hold the wheel bearing/hub/rotor to the knuckle. You can use the swing handle to loosen them, and then just ratchet them out by hand. At this point, the wheel bearing is probably fairly rusted into the knuckle. Just use some large pry bars and work the rotor and hub assembly back and forth...it will come out. You also need to remove the axle shaft from the wheel bearing as you are removing the hub and bearing....I'm assuming you got the puller for that, use it...or I just tap on it with a large hammer.

Once you have the assembly off the vehicle, the rotor is held to the wheel bearing flange by the wheel studs. Be very careful at this point, the wheel speed sensor is down inside there, and if you happen to pound out one of the wheel studs while the sensor is directly below it, you will be buying a new wheel speed sensor. So get a couple of

2x4's, support the rotor, make sure your sensor is out of the way, and begin to pound out the wheel studs. If you use a brass drift, you can remove the studs and re-use them again. Make sure as you pound them out that you are moving the wheel bearing and sensor so that you don't break the sensor, and you have clearance.

Once the rotor is off, make sure you religiously clean the mounting surfact of the flange for the new rotor. It might save you some grief too, if you remove the wheel speed sensor at this point and clean up it's mounting surface on the bearing hub. This will hopefully keep you from having the common "ABS activation at low speeds" problem.

Assemble in the reverse direction....make sure you really whale on the wheel studs when you are installing them. They need to be completely seated or you can end up with a rotor that rattles around. Often, even the wheel nut torque is not enough to pull them all the way in.

Hope that helps.

Ian

1996

Thanks Ian, I hope that helps also.

I won't be able to get to it know for a couple days, I will post after I give it a go.

Thanks to everyone.

-Tim

Around here (Dayton Ohio) you will find next to know one at AutoZone quilified to give advise. Pretty Much the same at Advanced. Heck at either one when their computers say "check paper catalogs" their answer is "that's a dealer or junk yard only part". 90% of the time when they say that a Non-discount style auto parts store has the parts, in stock as well.

Charles

The Knuckle is known as a Steering Knuckle. Commenly refered to as a Spindle. On 4x4's it's called a Knuckle. On 2WD cars and trucks with a removialble steering arm, the steering arm is known as a knuckle.

Most Impacts & Air Ratchets are made to run at 80 to 120 PSI Max. Your pancake style air compressior may not reach enough PSI to give your impact peak torque.

You can always call a repair shop and offer them a few dollars to remove the bolts for the bearings, and to do the studs for you. Charles

Thanks Charles, I think I will call a shop Tuesday. I have the parts, but I don't want to wreck anything.

With my luck, I would break them back bolts off.

Yeah, I noticed that with my compressor. Would a big 60 gallon one give it more torque?

-Tim

And I wouldn't trust Autozone or Advanced employees know-how either. I heard stories of how dumb they are. But, I have to say, there is one guy in the Autozone in Charlotte, MI that knows his stuff. At least he use to work there, he wasn't there when I went in. I don't know his name, but he can talk the talk.

It's not the size of the tank with a air compressior. It's the PSI it puts out. SPSI includes the the Sustained PSI it can run at constanty per hour.

a 60 gallion tank just means it will store air with out the compressior having to constaly run. Charles

Ok, that answers that.

I still don't get what the knuckle is though. Is the knuckle the elbow in the middle of the axle? or the part where the rotor bolts onto the thing with the 4 bolts?

Is there a site, with diagrams, that could help with this that you would know of?

Thanks.

-Tim

I checked Autozone.com repair section. Couldn't find anything in the free area, just an area where you have to pay to see the information.

Am I missing something?

Post a direct link, so maybe I can find it.

Thanks.

-Tim

the short easy answer is that on a 4 wheel drive truck the "knuckle" is the same as th e"spindle" on a 2 wheel drive truck.

for the "experts" out there I know there is a difference between these two items, but in the big picture its a good analogy to compare them.

You might choose to use google to find more information or a number of different sources (book store, web sites, manuals, etc......)

I'm fairly sure that just about any article thats on the web dealing with lift kits on newer vehicles will most likely have some reference to a knuckle and have pictures too.

Elbert

Autozone.com didn't help much. Didn't even mention the 4 bolts on the back.

K3-Series

1. Raise and support the front end on jackstands.

1. Remove the wheel.

2. Remove the hub nut and washer. Insert a long drift or dowel through the vanes in the brake rotor to hold the rotor while loosening the nut.

1. Using a puller, force the outer end of the axle shaft out of the hub. Remove the hub/rotor.

To install:

1. Position the shaft in the hub and install the washer and hub nut. Leave the drift in the rotor vanes and tighten the hub nut to 173 ft. lbs. (235 Nm).

1. Remove the drift.

2. Install the wheel and lower the vehicle.

-Tim

Just an update:

My brakes went out on me before I got to get them fixed.

Drivers side caliper broke apart. And the drivers side rotor had no back plate on it anymore, it was braking on the fins. Brake fluid everywhere. Pain in the ass to try to stop coming off of the freeway at 70 mph.

Anyway, I ended up paying someone to fix everything for me. I hope that they work, haven't driven it yet. Only cost $40 for his labor, so the price was right, and he is licensed.

-Tim