W4SIM

Hey All

I was planning on changing all my discs today for some DBA Drilled and Slotted discs.

The fronts wernt a problem and we manged to change them in about an hour.

However im not too sure how to remove the rear discs. They not only seem to be stuck on but im not too sure wether i have to remove the big bolt in the centre or not?

Any ideas/advice/links???

Many thanks.

rscott

first and foremost, make sure that the ebrake is not engaged. Next, try to get some wd40 behind the disc in anyway possible so that it helps loosen. Let it sit for a bit then take a rubber mallet to it. If youre going to junk the rotors, feel free to use it as an opportunity to release any pent up aggression. After some beating, theyll come right off.

V8RWDHP

I was wondering about this also. I thought I read that you need to loosen the Ebrake through a hole in the rotor first before you can remove them. Anyone know for sure?

W4SIM

Your quite right about that mate. You MUST do this or the disc wont come off.

rscott - Thanks for the help buddy but it proved quite fruitless. Put me on the right tracks though.

Right this is how i did it. And i know some people are not going to like it and maybe even criticise me for it but this was the ONLY way i could get these off. I couldnt apply this much pressure with just a hammer. At the end of the day you have to remember that most of these discs are the original discs that came with the car, dont know about your but my SC is almost 14years old.

1. Take off rear wheels.
2. Remove rear pads and calipers.
3. Put a block of wood or something similiar infront of the front wheels.
4. Take off the ebrake.
5. On the rear discs there is a little rubber bung in one of the holes on each disc. Locate and remove this.
6. Turn the disc so that the hole you just removed the rubber bung from is at about 6 o'clock.
7. Shine a torch through the hole and locate a small cog facing you side ways.
8. This cog is the 1 that either releases the shoes or tightens them.
9. Using a flat head screwdriver turn this downwards. Turn it as far as it will go.
10. Turn the rear disc. If it is turning freely you've done that right. If its stuck fast then you've turned it the wrong way. Also when you have done both sides the ebrake should almost sit and a 90degree angle when applied.
11. At this point most people recommend a hammer and brute force. I know this works for some people aswell but it doesnt always work for the unlucky 1's. Try beating it with a rubber hammer. If the disc comes off then repeat steps 2 to 11 on the other side and your done. If however it doesnt work then read onto step 12.



12. I ended up here coz my discs wouldnt come off no matter how hard i hit them. I even took a metal hammer and that made absolutely no difference what so ever. So do the following.
13. Get a small car jack.
14. Sit this between the disc and the rear strut. See the picture's below.
15. Start opening the jack until it starts pressing on the disc. Then start opening it further but slowly.
16. If you look carefully you'l notice the disc starting to prise itself from the hub but it wont come off.
17. Look at the gaps that have now been created between the hub and the disc through the holes that are on the disc, where the threads are comming through.
18. The gaps are very small, just a couple of mm but enough for you to get a good dosage of WD40 in there. This will help release the rust that is holding the disc to the hub.
19. Close the jack and the disc will go back on to the hub again.
20. Spin the disc a a little so that maybe the next thread is nearest to the jacking point.
21. Repeat steps 14 to 20 quite vigourisly and the disc will eventually prise apart from the hub. BE VERY CAREFUL HERE AS THE DISC WILL JUST RELEASE WITHOUT WARNING. THIS WILL CAUSE NO DAMAGE TO ANYTHING OR ANYONE BUT IT MAY GIVE YOU A HEART ATTACK AS YOU'L THINK THE CAR HAS JUST FALLEN OFF THE AXLE STANDS. IT HASNT, THE DISC HAS JUST COME APART WITH A RATHER LOUD BANG!!!!!!
22. Repeat steps 13 to 21 on the other side and that too will eventually come right off.
23. Before you put the new discs back on clean the hub with a metal brush to make sure all the WD40 and the rust/grime/dirt come off. Then put some Copper Grease ON THE HUB between the threads and put the new disc over it
24. Before you put the wheel back on the car make sure you reverse step 9. Turn the cog till it turns no more. Then turn it back a little and the disc will spin. Do the same on the other side. Apply ebrakeand see how little the travel is now.
25. Put the rubber bung in to the correct hole. This is the 1 that allows you to see through the hub. There is only 1.
26. Put wheel back on, drop the car and test your new brakes very gently.

Words of advice.

A. Try not to replace both discs and pads at the same time. You should only replace 1 of the either at a time. Let the old pads bed in the new discs for a week or 2 on very gentle braking, and vice versa.
B. After you have put in new discs OR pads NEVER go out and thrash your car. If you brake too hard constantly before bedding the new items in they'l more than likely warp.
C. Bedding usually takes around 200miles on very easy braking.

Hope this was of some help to you all. If theres any thing above you dont understand or think iv got wrong then please let me know.

W4SIM

I used this Honda Accord jack to prise the disc off the hub. The back of the jack is against the rear strut. The front is up against the disc. When i turn the handle on the top the jack either opens or closes.

rscott

10 points on creativity.

the hammer idea seemed kind of pessimistic for me too...but it just took some persistence.

nice write up.


I found some different information as far as bedding the brakes goes. Apparently it comes down to what youre comfortable with doing. Many say to take 200 miles easy while others say to burn off the plating with a few hard stops immediately.

W4SIM

rscott -
The hammer really wont work if your discs have either seen high miles or have been on there for too many years like mine were.

I wont give up something because the suggested method wont work. il try lmost anything that safe enough and see how far i get with it. In this case.... it worked.

As for the bedding in methods, well iv heard that you should burn off the plating with a few hard stops aswell but not as much as taking it gently. I think in theory taking it gently works better. But thats just my theory.

sc400

Not sure if you had already removed the disc but I don't see any needs to use the hammer or at all.

On the disc there are several screw holes. Insert a bolt that fits snugly and drive it in. When you have driven it long enough the disc will pop out. That's my preferred way to remove the disc.

W4SIM

SC400

Thats a good point as thats how Lexus intended it to be. And thats how i recommend people try it the first time aswell as i did. Unfortunatly though some of the discs on these SC's can be anything upto 14years old now like mine. And i can tell you that 2 small screws wernt going to do the trick on mine.

Try the method of the 2 screws, if it fails try taking a hammer to them, if that fails then try what i did and use a car jack!

If all of the above 3 fail then you better get down on your knees, sob like a little girl and ask them what they want coz they coming off unless you've got an elephant handy. Trust me, iv tried it and i know just how hard they can be stuck on there.

rscott

i stripped the bolt holes.

rust owned me.

BigD026

About what size screw do i need?.. i tried all methods except the screw method...

I tried installing my cross drilled tonight.....i was happy to break loose tough caliper bolts, then i realized ...it's a REar wheel drive?...i put it in Neutral..so i could spin the disc...i sprayed PB oil all over...did the ebrake thing....nothing..then used a rubber mallet, then a metal hammer..nothing...wtf?!
then i pulled out the car jack...i started getting nervious i would damage the strut itself. I finally gave up and put everything back on, but left it loose to work on tomorrow. It's only a 97..wtf? ..it won't move! ..am i doing something wrong?..the caliper is off.... tried adjusting the ebrake..but i'm not sure i got it to release--i'm not sure it matters!
Advice needed?
BIGd

SDSC300

are you sure you should be messing with your brakes this is like the 2 or 3rd problem you have had


and yes the car is rear wheel drive!

you do need to make sure the e-brake is off, because its a drum brake system on both sides. when mine was on the rotors would not come off.

mine came off easy though.

did you try the screw holes ?

BigD026

I knew the car was rear wheel drive, but i guess i forgot the differential won't allow the disc to spin when it's in park...so it hit me at that point..

I messed with the ebrake adjustment, but i'm not sure which way to loosen it.....i tried both ways..but....it didn't seem to matter..maybe if i can get the ebrake drums off the rotor hub..it will slide off easily..but i doubt it.....
When i did my front rotors, after my frustrating front caliper bolts were off, the rotors just slid right off..why would are the rears so difficult on a 97?..maybe it is the drum ebrakes?..anyone more advice or hints?
BIgd

SDSC300

can get to the adjuster on the drum brake ( I thought it was inside the rotor) ?

how many clicks when you pull your e-brake? ...

you should be able to see the wheel studs move a little bit from side to side if the rotor is lose. and just held in my the e-brake. does that make sense?

also
I used a 3lb or 4lb sludge not a reg hammer.

BigD026

i think i figured it out...i didn't spend enough time with the ebrake adjuster....tomorrow, i'll try until i can get the ebrake to a 90' degree position...before trying to tap the rotor off.
I just got off the phone with a few friends..they said use a sledge hammer.....<<which i don't have one..yet!
thanks for the diagram...i was going to search for the rear diagram..
BIGd