Brake disc removal

Apr 17, 2006 15 Replies

Anyone got any tips for getting brake discs off? They seem to have corroded themselves onto the hub in a big way. I've twatted away at them from the back with a hammer (bit difficult to get a good swing because of working under the wing, I don't have access to a ramp) but they refuse to move. I'm tempted to just saturate them with PlusGas from behind but haven't tried yet. Yes I have remembered to remove the brake disc screw. :-)


plus gas, blowtorch, angle grinder

Mondeo by anychance, or possibly a mitsubushi?

Two options. First is remove the complete hub, and press the disc off. Second involves careful application of an angle grinder.

your spot on with the mondeo disc's & having to press them off, you should'nt have to use the press, but ive had a few in the past where they just refused to shift with a hammer, heat or a large lump hammer !!!

No, Citroen AX diesel, 1995ish vintage.

Unusual for them to stick on. Normally mondeos that give the biggest amount of hassle

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How big a hammer? Anything less than a lump hammer is just pissing in the wind. Don't even bother using a claw hammer - you'll be there all day.

Did the wifes last week. Took calipers off and gave them a good smack with a lump hammer. Came straight off.

Just a claw hammer, it's all I've got. And as I said, I can't get much of a swing at them from behind because it's under the wing.

I think it's a case of try again with loads of PlusGas, a bit more oomph, and a bigger hammer.

This is probably a really stupid idea, but would it work to: jack up the front of the vehicle, wheels off, brake disc screws out, fully apply footbrake, start engine, then (with care) engage neutral and/or reverse to use engine power to attempt to unseat the discs?

yep stupid idea !!!! stick with yer bigger hammer.

[smashes head against keyboard in frustration at own idiocy]

Or "engage 1st gear and/or reverse", even.

Might as well not be hitting it at all for all the good it'll do.

Bigger hammer first.

Yup. An even better one I've seen is to put the tyre on, leave the wheelnuts a bit loose and drive the car 10ft.

Yup it'd work or yup it's a really stupid idea?

How would that work? I thought the nuts thread into the hub, not the disc?

Nuts can't thread into anything - they would be bolts.

The reason you would leave them loose is that otherwise the clamping force of the wheel nut or bolt would stop the tiny bit of rotational movement between the disc and hub that this technique is trying to achieve.

Chris

Whether you have wheel nuts (threaded stud sticks out from the hub) or wheel studs(? - bolts going into a threaded hole in the hub) the principle is the same.

In normal use the rod goes through the disk and clamps the wheel to the disk to the hub.

With them loosened off a little the disk is not held firmly by anything so when you move slowly and put the brakes on all of the torque required to stop a ton of car at 15mph is absorbed by the stuckiness of the disc. And hopefully unstucks it.

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