How to Remove Rotors From Vehicles

by Contributing WriterUpdated June 12, 2017

Money is tight, gasoline is expensive and you need to replace the brake rotors on your Vehicles. You'll need some tools and some technical know-how, but replacing or removing the rotors from a Vehicles is not an overly complicated project. You can save about an hour of labor, per side, that your local repair shop would charge you to remove your rotor by doing it yourself. That adds up quickly and the more you perform such repairs, the quicker and more efficient you'll become Vehicles it

Under The Hood:

 How to Remove Rotors From a Rusted Hub

Spray penetrating oil between the rotor and hub liberally and allow it to soak in for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how bad the rust has built up.

Put your safety glasses on and strike the rotor's hat (the center portion that the wheel studs extend through) with the dead blow hammer near the top. Rotate the rotor 90 degrees and strike it again at the top. Repeat this until the rotor comes free, or you have struck it 12 or more times. If it still won't come loose, move to Step 3.

Insert the bolt through the brake caliper bracket hole that is directly behind the rotor. Tighten the bolt until it contacts the surface of the rotor and then tighten it as far as you can with a socket wrench.

Strike the surface of the rotor with the dead blow hammer. Loosen the bolt, turn the rotor 90 degrees, and tighten the bolt down again as far as it will go. Strike the rotor again with the dead blow hammer. Continue to repeat this until the rotor comes free, which shouldn't take more than two or three more strikes if it hasn't come free already.

Items you will need

  • Penetrating oil

  • Safety glasses

  • Dead blow hammer

  • Bolt

  • Socket set

 How to Remove Rotors From a Pontiac Grand Prix

How to Remove Rotors From a Pontiac Grand Prix

Park the Pontiac Grand Prix on a flat, level paved or concrete surface. Apply the parking brake and release the hood latch.

Place a wheel chock behind or in front of a tire on the opposite side of the axle you intend to lift. If you're lifting the front axle, place the chock behind one rear tire. If you're lifting the rear axle, place the chock in front of one front tire.

Open the hood and suck out half of the brake fluid from the master cylinder using the turkey baster. Replace the cap for now.

Break the lug nuts loose of the tire(s) you're removing. Do not loosen them too much and do not remove them.

Lift the vehicle using the floor jack and secure the vehicle onto a jack stand. If you need to, lift both sides at the same time or you can just lift one side at a time.

Remove the lug nuts and wheel.

Remove the caliper bolts using the ratchet and socket. Pry the caliper off with the large screwdriver and compress the piston of the caliper using a C-clamp. Secure the caliper to the frame or coil spring with the bungee cord. Do not allow the caliper to hang by the brake hose.

Remove the pads from the caliper anchor, taking note of how they are installed. You're going to want to replace them in the same manner in which they were removed from the anchor.

Remove the caliper anchor bolts using the ratchet and socket. If it makes it easier, break the bolts loose with the breaking bar and socket first, then switch over to the ratchet to speed things up.

Remove the rotor. It should come right off the hub, but in some cases, the rotor may rust to the hub and will need to be convinced to be removed. If you're replacing the rotor with a new one, smack the old rotor with a hammer on the fin to shock it free from the hub. If you intend to reuse the same rotor, you'll have to apply a good deal of delicate determination to remove the rotor without incurring damage to it. Use the same method, but use a heavy rubber mallet. This will take much more tenacity than a steel hammer, but perseverance will pay off.

Items you will need

  • Floor jack Jack stand(s) Wheel chock Turkey baster DOT approved brake fluid 1/2 inch drive breaking bar 1/2 inch drive socket set 1/2 inch drive ratchet Large straight-edged screwdriver Bungee cord Hammer or heavy rubber mallet C-clamp Brake clean spray (if you're replacing rotors with new ones) Shop rag(s) Adjustable torque wrench (recommended)

 How to Remove the Rotors on a Hyundai Accent

Open the hood to the Hyundai Accent and remove half of the fluid from the master cylinder reservoir using a turkey baster. Discard the old fluid and replace the master cylinder cover securely. Place a wheel chock behind one rear tire.

Loosen the lug nuts of both front tires with the breaking bar and a 21 millimeter socket.

Raise the front end of the car with the floor jack and place the jack stands below the front frame rails to support the car. Remove the lug nuts and wheels.

Remove the two caliper bolts using the ratchet and a socket. Hang the caliper from the coil spring with the bungee cord then compress the piston of the caliper inward using the C-clamp.

Remove the brake pads in the caliper anchor, but establish which is the outboard pad and which is the inboard pad and the top and bottom of each pad as it sits in the anchor. You will want to replace the pads in the same manner they were removed if you're not replacing them.

Remove the two caliper anchor bolts using the ratchet and a socket. These will be very tight and require some strength to remove. Remove the caliper anchor.

Remove the screw located on the center hub of the rotor using the impact screwdriver (set in reverse), the Phillips head bit and a hammer. Strike the impact screwdriver on the head until the screw loosens.

Remove the rotor, using the two 8-by-1.25 mm bolts and screw them into the hub holes provided on the face of the rotor. Thread them in and tighten them 3 to 4 times with the ratchet and a socket. Then switch to the next bolt. Keep going back and forth between the two bolts. If the threads strip out, strike the rotor with force using the rubber mallet until you shock it from the hub.
If you're removing the rotor to replace it, use a regular hammer to strike it with and skip the first two options. It'll be easier and much quicker.

Replace the parts when you're finished by reversing the procedure.

Torque the lug nuts on the tires after you've lowered the Accent with the torque wrench set to 80 ft.-lbs. and the 21 millimeter socket.

Pump the brake pedal until it feels normal to restore the hydraulic pressure back to the compressed caliper pistons. After, check and add new DOT 3 brake fluid to the master cylinder reservoir. Don't forget to remove the wheel chock.

Items you will need

  • Floor jack

  • 2 jack stands

  • Wheel chock

  • Turkey baster

  • DOT 3 brake fluid

  • 1/2-inch drive breaking bar

  • 1/2-inch drive metric socket set (up to 21 millimeter)

  • 1/2-inch drive ratchet

  • 1/2-inch drive adjustable torque wrench

  • Flathead screwdriver

  • Impact screwdriver with Phillips head bit

  • Hammer

  • (2) 8 millimeter (width) by 1.25 millimeter (pitch) bolts (or)

  • 3 lb. rubber mallet

  • Bungee cord

  • C-clamp

 How to Remove Rotors on a 2007 Suzuki Forenza

Pull up your emergency brake. Loosen your Forenza's lug nuts on the two front tires with the lug wrench.

Jack up your Forenza's front end and place jack stands under the frame to support the vehicle while you work.

Open your hood and remove the cap to the brake master cylinder reservoir tank. The master cylinder and tank are located on the driver's side of your motor inside the engine compartment.

Locate the caliper mounting bolts on the inside of the brake calipers. Remove them with your socket set. If you cannot get purchase on it with your socket set, slip a breaker bar over the ratchet for leverage. A breaker bar is a hollow pipe that is used to gain leverage while trying to remove tight nuts or bolts.

Pull the brake caliper up and off your wheel and rotor. Suspend it from your frame with a bungee cord to prevent damaging or snapping your brake line.

Pull the rotor toward you until it slips off. You can use a rubber mallet to tap it lightly if necessary to loosen it.

Items you will need

  • Lug wrench

  • Jack

  • Jack stands

  • Socket set

  • Breaker bar

 How to Remove Rotors in Elantras

Park the car on level ground and turn off its ignition. Open and secure the Elantra's hood. Loosen the lug nuts on the front wheel that has the rotor to be replaced, using the tire iron. Turn the lug nuts counterclockwise.

Place a jack under the frame directly behind the wheel. Raise the Elantra with the jack until you can place a jack stand under the frame. Lower the Elantra with the jack onto the jack stand.

Remove the lug nuts from the wheel and remove the wheel from the wheel hub.

Locate the two bolts on the backside of the brake caliper. The caliper secures over the top of the rotor and holds the brake pads. Remove the bolts, using a socket and ratchet, and pull the caliper off the rotor.

Place a wire tie through the vent hole on the top of the caliper and hang the caliper off the Elantra's strut coil, which prevents the caliper from hanging on the rubber brake line.

Pry the silver cap off the wheel hub, located in the center of the rotor, to expose the hub, using a small flat-head screwdriver.

Remove the bolt located in the center of the hub, using a socket and ratchet.

Pull the rotor off the wheel hub.

Items you will need

  • Tire iron

  • Jack

  • Jack stand

  • Socket set

  • Wire tie

  • Flat-head screwdriver

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