Rotor Removal

[mike w]

Trying to remove the rotor from this front hub. Can't remove the rotor with the "hat" in place. Removed bolts holding the hat to the hub and hit it lightly with a hammer but no luck. Do I simply use a bigger hammer and more force or am I missing something. Advice and direction appreciated.

[Earley Motorsports]

Can you take a photo of the front and back.

[Garey Guzman]

I'm making the assumption that the black piece is aluminum wheel spacer.

It's likely that the spacer has corroded to the wheel studs. If you can get "Kano Labs Aerokroil", I've heard that stuff will free anything. If not, spray some brake fluid down the wheel stud threads, let it soak for a bit, then tap down (deep socket over wheel stud), then tap out.

Be careful tapping with a rubber mallet. Even a rubber mallet can crack the rotors if you tap it anywhere near the OD.

[mike w]

Here is a photo of the back side of the hub.

I'm making the assumption that the black piece is aluminum wheel spacer.

It's likely that the spacer has corroded to the wheel studs. If you can get "Kano Labs Aerokroil", I've heard that stuff will free anything. If not, spray some brake fluid down the wheel stud threads, let it soak for a bit, then tap down (deep socket over wheel stud), then tap out.

Be careful tapping with a rubber mallet. Even a rubber mallet can crack the rotors if you tap it anywhere near the OD.

[S Lathrop]

I looks to me like the rotor is bolted to the back side of the spindle. If that is the case, you will need to press the spindle out of the bearing and then remove the rotor and brake hat. In any case you are going to need a press to do the job. Banging on the spindle runs the risk of damaging the wheel bearing.

My $0.02 on the brake rotor is that I don't see how you stop a car squeezing air. For good braking you need to be squeezing the iron part of the rotor. The new pads we use these days work best when you get both the rotors and pads up to a certain temperature and keep that temperature. Holes through the rotor interrupt that process. The coefficient of friction between the rotor and the pads increases as the temperature rises. This will make braking variable and difficult to modulate if the temperature is too low at the beginning of the braking zone.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

..... I don't see how you stop a car squeezing air.

Going it my bag of quotes....

[Garey Guzman]

Here is a photo of the back side of the hub.

... I don't see how you stop a car squeezing air....

I agree with Mr. Lathrop - go ahead and bang on the rotors/cheese-graters as they aren't going to be very useful, especially with the amount of corrosion I see.

I still think they are stuck together due to corrosion. I don't see whatever Steve saw that makes the hat look bolted to the hub. But I'm also old and eye sight is going.....

[R. Pare]

That looks like the stock Reynard rotor/hat setup. I'm tonight finishing up making rotors for someone with that arrangement.

OK, you've removed the jet nuts, but now you need to break the bolts loose - everything has corroded into place - mainly the bolts inside the holes through the hat. Break them loose with an allen wrench, and then try once more tapping the rotor away from the hat. If that doesn't work right away, try some PB Blaster on them overnight and try again.

[Daryl DeArman]

Remove these screws (and the others that aren't visible in the picture) securing the rotor to the hat.

[mike w]

Removed all of those bolts and the rotor is loose but the rotor will not slide over the hat.

Remove these screws (and the others that aren't visible in the picture) securing the rotor to the hat.

[Garey Guzman]

Removed all of those bolts and the rotor is loose but the rotor will not slide over the hat.

It's supposed to be a floating rotor on the hat so removing those bolts won't help you. The hat should slide onto the wheel studs - at least that's what I have seen on all race cars I've had and worked on.

If it's a Reynard as Richard Pare suggested, he probably has the right answer. If it's something else, Richard's suggestion would probably still work.

As Earley mentioned initially, a picture of the front face would be more valuable than from behind the upright.

[R. Pare]

Removed all of those bolts and the rotor is loose but the rotor will not slide over the hat.

That particular design will not allow removal of the rotor across the hat. While the Reynard layout is different ( at least compared to the ones I have here from an '88), with the hat mounted to the outside of the hub face nad held in place with the wheel drive studs, it looks like yours will require the hub to be removed.

[Garey Guzman]

I'm making the assumption that the black piece is aluminum wheel spacer.....

That particular design will not allow removal of the rotor across the hat. While the Reynard layout is different ( at least compared to the ones I have here from an '88), with the hat mounted to the outside of the hub face nad held in place with the wheel drive studs, it looks like yours will require the hub to be removed.

From what I'm gathering, that black piece on the right in the first picture isn't a wheel spacer but the actual hub? If so, I understand what Richard is saying and yes, as he said, you'll need to remove the hub.

[mike w]

Thanks for all the feedback.

Here is a photo of the front.

From what I'm gathering, that black piece on the right in the first picture isn't a wheel spacer but the actual hub? If so, I understand what Richard is saying and yes, as he said, you'll need to remove the hub.

[jrh3]

Perhaps knowing the car year and manufacturer someone could post an exploded drawing.

[mike w]

1979 Dulon MP 21

[Daryl DeArman]

It's supposed to be a floating rotor on the hat so removing those bolts won't help you.

That particular design will not allow removal of the rotor across the hat.

The designs I've seen, and looking at the two photos available, it appeared as though removing those fasteners and clocking the rotor 15 degrees or so would allow the reliefs in the rotor to slide over/around the ears in the hat. . . which was probably the original intent of the rotor/hat designer. Until it was retrofitted with that hub. . .

[Daryl DeArman]

Paging Marshall9. . .