Remove The Rotors

99lexus · May 30, 2008

Hi,

I read in here that one of the way to remove the rotor is using two nuts to force to rotors out of the hups. Can you tell me what seze of those nuts, please!

Also, where can we buy nut for Japanese cars? At my local auto part stores, they only sell nut in US standard size.

Thanks,

CUMan · May 30, 2008

They are not nuts. They are bolts.

As I recall, the size is 8mm. You will need two of them. Any auto parts store should have 8mm bolts.

Looking at the outside face of the rotor, there will be two holes on opposite sides. Screw in the two bolts and tighten both of them, alternating from one side to the other. The force of the bolts against the hubs should pop the rotors free.

gbhrps · May 30, 2008

When I last had to pull the rear rotors from my wife's last ES (it was a 97) I needed to use the two bolt turnout method described already. I simply used the same bolts that hold the caliper to the caliper mount. They were the same size to fit the rotor holes. I don't recall , but I suspect that the slider bolts for the front rotors will be too large. In any case, the bolts are metric and any good auto supply house or Japanese dealership should be able to get them for you. Be aware that if the rotors are really stuck onto the hubs due to rust, you may ruin and strip these bolts and therefore require replacing them when you're done. Use some discresion when winding them into the rotors. Take a fair sized ball peen hammer and give the rotor a couple of medium whacks right between the wheel studs in a couple of locations. This might be enough to break the rust between the hubs and the rotors and free them up. Just don't overdo it and bend any parts. When you finally get the rotors off be sure to paint the inside surface of the rotor that mates to the wheel axle hub with antiseize compound and you won't have to got through this the next time. Be careful not to get any of the compound on the braking surfaces or on the wheel studs. By the way, if you can't get the rear rotors off, are you sure that you don't have the emergency brake on? You won't get them off if it is. Good Luck!

amf1932 · May 31, 2008

A little trick that I've been using for years is to loosen the lug bolts/nuts slightly, and then rock the car back and forth a few times, then jack up the car. This method has never failed to break loose the frozen hub/wheel.

steviej · May 31, 2008

A little trick that I've been using for years is to loosen the lug bolts/nuts slightly, and then rock the car back and forth a few times, then jack up the car. This method has never failed to break loose the frozen hub/wheel.

you and my dad must have went to autoshop together. I watched him do this once.

When using the two bolt method pay close attention to what gbhrps posted, and if I might add: tighten each bolt a little at a time -- going back and forth from one to the other. Don't sock down gorilla tight then the other. Call me crazy but I love the sound it makes when the rotor finally breaks free. It is the sound of a job done right.

steviej