How to you separate the rotors from the front hubs?!?!

cvriv.charles · 08-12-2010, 08:41 AM

I got the nuts off the 5 or so bolts. Do I have to pry off the dome looking cap to reveal something under? A big nut or something?!?!?

rickharrison · 09:45 AM

isn't there a phillips set screw on the front part of the rotor hub area?

edit....perhaps its "welded" itself to the hub. get a bigger hammer.

cvriv.charles · 08-12-2010, 10:06 AM

No. Thats for the rear. Rasta Monsta said underneath the hub cap is a clamping nut that held by an hex bolt.

rickharrison · 08-12-2010, 10:15 AM

I think my car has the set screw.

Did you solve it then?

cvriv.charles · 08-12-2010, 10:37 AM

Hmmm well these are from an 86 so early offset for me and late for you. Maybe. I dont have the tools with me to try this right now. Tomorrow morning.

rickharrison · 08-12-2010, 10:50 AM

Have fun!

...cross drilled new rotors then?

ideola · ideola's Garage

For the fronts you have to remove the hub assembly in order to get the rotor off. To do so, you have to remove the hub dust cap, which is the roundish looking cap in the center of the hub. Get a long heavy duty screwdriver, place the blade under the lip of the cap, with the shaft resting on one of the studs as a leverage point. Carefully tap and smack the screwdriver handle with the palm of your hand, and work your way around the circumference of the dust cap to pry it off evenly.

Once you have that off, you will notice a notch in the hub and you will see the clamping nut to which you referred earlier (sort of a horseshoe shape). This nut is clamped using a 6mm allen head screw. Rotate the hub until the notch is aligned in a manner that allows you to get your allen tool into the screw. You don't need to remove the screw, just loosen it enough that you can unscrew the clamping nut.

Once you have the clamping nut off, you can remove the rotor / hub assembly. Be aware that the thrust washer behind the clamping nut will now be loose and will fall out as you remove the hub. Also be aware, if your bearings are shot, they may disintegrate / fall apart upon removing the hub. Which will be a bummer because then you'll have to replace them too.

Once you have the hub off you can replace the rotor.

Upon reassembly, make CERTAIN you follow the FSM or Haynes procedure for properly adjusting the tension on the hub clamping nut. Too tight or too loose and you'll wipe out your bearings. So make sure you get it adjusted properly.

Cocacolakidd · Cocacolakidd's Garage

+1 ^ Also once it's all apart as it is it's not that expensive to replace the bearings and seals - maybe $40.00 total.

At least repack the bearing grease if nothing else - when doing new bearings they will get packed on install.