Hi folks. My son's 95 SC400 needs brakes, and I have the stuff at the house. I tried putting the parts on but ran into a problem with removing the rotors. They won't come off and I didn't see anything retaining them that was obvious. My shop manual just says to remove them, I don't see anything specific that needs to be done. So my question is, how do I remove the rotors from the car? They look like they should be floating rotors like any other car I've done brake work on, since I see nothing that should be holding them on. Is there some tool needed to get them off, or are they actually floating rotors that need a little love tap from the BFH? I decided to slap the old parts back on and ask those who have been there before me rather than risk breaking something. There's no choice in replacing the rotors as they are heavily grooved and have a 1/16 inch lip around the outside perimeter. Thanks.

 

i take it you have the caliper and caliper bracket off.with those out of the way the rotor should come right off, if it doesnt which happens alot of the time spray some penatrating oil around the studs and center of the rotor and hit with a hammer (where my finger is in the picture. make sure not to hit the studs or the face of the rotor if you were getting them cut

 

Yes, I had all the caliper stuff off and was looking at a crappy bare rotor, with many ridges and grooves. Hated putting the old parts back on but I just didn't want to take a chance at messing something up in case there was a retainer or something in there that needed to come out first. I'll see if I can't give it another shot today and will report back the results. Thanks.

 

not a problem try to get it done ASAP as using new pads on a beat rotor will only destroy your new pads and then you will have to replace them again

 

If they're the fronts, they should come off. if not, grab a deadblow and go to town on it.
If they're the rears, release the e-brake and they should come off. If not, grab a deadblow and go to town on it.

 

Yeah my rears were covered in rust and I couldn't get them off so I took it to a shop and they had a hard time getting them off.just hammer and hammer, and hammer..eventually after clumps of rust were dropping on the floor they came off.

 

The job is done. As it turns out there were two holes drilled in for a puller to be used, and a depression in the center for the puller to push against. A little penetrating oil and a quarter turn on the puller main bolt and they popped right off. I'd seen the puller holes the first time, but I see weird stuff with Japwagons I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something before I just started cranking on stuff.

Incidentally, I used new rotors. I stopped getting rotors turned about 15 years ago because they are so thin anymore that I'll warp them within a week after just a single turning. And that's if the turning shop doesn't warp them by mounting them on the machine wrong. It doesn't cost that much more to replace than to turn these days anyway. I also installed new caliper slide bolts, which is another thing I replace when pads are done. Multiple heat cycles will cause the caliper bolts to deform, and it doesn't take much before you start having hanging calipers. Also went with Wagner ThermoQuiet pads which I've been using for years. And, to forestall anything on the ABS, when I squeezed the calipers back in it was with the bleeder screw loose to prevent backflushing the ABS system.

Thanks for the help guys, the new pads are bedded in and everything is working fine.

 

Checked mine yesterday on my RX, About half the pads left but looks like there are micro groves on the rotors. I don't seem to be having any breaking issues but I think I will be replacing pads and rotors in the near future.

 

Those rotors can be hella stubborn to remove at times. I had my rotors removed a week before and the following week it's already sticked to the hub like a burned pancake on a pan.

 

I smeared some copper antisieze on the hub before putting the new rotors on hoping to make it easier, but seeing as the holes were predrilled to allow a puller it looks like Lexus knew about this being a problem. Not complaining though, since they did put on a way to remove the rotors. I just wish it had been documented in the factory repair manual. The old rotors had a 1/16 inch lip around the outside perimeter. Now they are in the recycle box.

 

If it doesn't come off easily...beat it like it owes you money