Changing Brake Rotors

[Don Z.]

Yes, I searched.

I've found numerous pages on how to change the pads, and bleeding, and I think even one on caliper rebuild, but I'm wondering if there's any advice on changing the front rotors as well?

I've bought Wayne's book twice. It keeps coming up MIA. I wondering if someone (i.e. she who controls the finances) is trying to tell me to stop looking for projects to do? Nah. It's probably the five moves in two years...

I have the Haynes Book, but I was wondering if there is a "rest of the story" there.

Car is a 1974 Carrera Targa. I have a long weekend, new pads, rotors, fluid, and stainless steel lines. With the long weekend, I may even be really bold and rebuild the calipers as well, but we'll see. What I really need for that is a nice vise. On the Christmas list. Besides, I also plan on replacing the shifter bushings and the windshield washer pump. An oil change, to me, means a valve adjustment as well. Oh yeah, and there's the oil change in the 65 Corvair Turbo, and the... where does all the time go?


Also, in the world of "just wondering...", The Bently book is highly recommended, but I've only seen it for SCs and beyond. Anything similar for the 1974 time period?

Thanks!

[JeremyD]

You'll probably find like I did that the toughest part is removing the dust cap from the front wheel bearing. From there everyting unbolts pretty easily.

It's not a bad job - I assume you will change out the front bearings "while you are there".

[Don Z.]

Actually, I just had the bearings done in March. I didn't do them myself, because I was so busy at the time, and they needed to be done. There was ample pad left then, but a summer of slamming it around has worn the pads, and looking at the rotors, it's probably better to replace them than to turn the slight run out...

[cowtown]

It's pretty straightforward - remove caliper, remove dust cap, remove horseshoe clamp, pull hub/rotor assembly, separate hub/rotor in vice.

I'd consider replacing the nuts, bolts, and washers that hold the hub and rotor together. I don't know if they had previously been overtorqued, but I have had this hardware shear when torquing it to spec. With all that heat stress, those bits lead a hard life.

[djmcmath]

Yeah, pulling the dust cap is a bit of a hassle. I used a rubber mallet and cold chisel, tapping lightly at an angle all the way around. Came off with about 5 minutes of effort on each side. Then a 6mm allen into the clamp bolt, and the whole thing comes apart.

The rears caused me some problems, actually -- those stupid little Phillips head screws are always happier stripping out than just coming out. I ended up drilling one out, and replacing all 4.

Oh, and for the backs, the only way to get on the caliper bolts is with a 19mm wrench. It was a real surprise for me to find that none of my 19mm sockets were short enough. (sigh)

Good luck, and have fun.

Dan

[Jim Smolka]

When replacing the hardware to secure the front rotor to the hub, IMHO, it is good idea to use 10.9 grade bolts & nuts.

Also, a good idea to repack the bearings. PP sells a bearing backing tool that works really well