Got the Service Manual... Sounds simple enough... but the Darn Rear Rotor won't come off.. Any insight?


It's on Jack Stands now, and I have to work tomorrow... HELP.. LOL

 

Did you take the screw out? Are you reusing the rotor? If not, BFH.

 

Yep... took the screw out... that was easy.. this was the 2nd rotor.. the first one came off way too easy it would appear.. LOL


It took a bigger hammer than I was using initially.. smacked that thing a couple dozen times... cleaned everything up before putting the new Rotor on....


Thanks for the response.

 

I hope to heaven you do NOT have your parking/emergency brake engaged?

Even so-there may be a lip on the e-brake shoe/rotor bore hanging you up.

 

Just to add some comments on rear parking brake. Mine simply did not engage when I got the car, even though it had an Ontario safety Certificate. First I thought no problem, adjust up the rear shoe adjusters and I should be fine. Well, finding the adjuster through one of the bolt holes requires a well focused flashlight, and you have to know which way to turn it. FYI the cogs go downward on the drivers side and the opposite on the Pass side. Then you dont know if it seized or if it catches on the spring. Heck, I will just remove the rotor and have a look.
Remove two bolts holding the caliper, no problem.
Remove little T30 torx screw on the rotor. PROBLEM, you need an impact tool with a quality T30.
Dont have either so I put the T30 on a power bar and hit the end of my nice power bar.....that worked. Everyone always seems to recommend penetrating oil. Well I have used up many cans of that stuff, and guess what, when I finally get the bolt or screw out, it was no thanks to the oil! no trace of it on the threads.
Next the darn rotor wont come off because there is a rust lip on the inner drum.
Try your best to turn the adjuster to minimum, after that you just have to jockey the rotor, pull while turning it.
After some dynomite swearing, it will be off.
So I lube up the adjuster, grind off the rust lip and adjust up until I cant get the rotor on and off easily.
Back off the adjuster a bit, put the rotor on and then take the adjuster up a bit until you cant turn it then back off a couple of notches.
Well, that did not give me a good handbrake action, and virtually no holding power.
Wait for another nice day and take it apart again........aha, the mechanism that activates the shoes does not seem to move very well. ( helper here required) It turns out the pivot points are seized to the point where the bottom spring will NOT pull the shoes back in, so that is where the real problem lies.
With a lot of work, you can get the pivot to loosen up. Problem solved. Both sides engage smoothly.
Next road trip I hear a bang in the rear! Then some grinding a continuous scratching.
Next day (cold outside) I discover the shoe hold spring has let go allowing the one shoe to scrape against the inner drum.
I will say that I was able to put it back, but cannot explain why it came out to begin with. This is likely not the end.
I wish there was some instruction on how to get those little springs back on because I needed 20-20 vision, three hands, one poking tool and needle nose pliers to do it. I am going to order a spring kit just in case this happens again.
Hey anyone out there able to do a video, I would loved to have had the help.
PS this emergency brake shoe system is straight out of the 1950's, they should be ashamed of how poorly it is designed. My Honda has a trouble free system that mechanically acts directly on the caliper piston.

 

How many miles? And was the car exposed to Canadian roads in the winter?

 

Car has 128,000 Km. Not winter driven. I suspect that the previous owner never used the emergency brake! PS put some more miles on, and no trouble.

 

still looking for a supplier for a spring kit for the emergency brakeshoe assy.

 

Just read your thread, an I have to say "I feel your pain!" New rotors an pads have been sitting in the house for weeks now, waiting on a nice day. Have to say thanks for giving me the direction to turn the slack adjusters. It just saved me an hour of,#*%&$?! cussing. I'll be looking for spring kits with you, if mine are as bad. If I find them I will post here, if you find them please post as well.

 

I have found a supplier in Canada, Autopartsway.ca who stock a rear shoe kit which appears to include new springs. Hard to tell from the image. Don't really need the shoes, as they don't wear, but the price is right at $46.72 for a set. That would be $2.00 USD if you wait for our dollar to fall for a few more days! Search your local suppliers for shoes, and you may find some include the springs. good luck.

 

I got curious to. Rockauto.com. They have 2 diff. sets one for $12.99 an one for $22.00. These have all the hardware minus the shoes.