Real Time Help Needed - Rear Brake Rotor Removal (2 Viewers)

[mrbav8tr]

Searched a bit and have some help. Rotor is moving around a bit but won't come off. Rubber plug missing over adjustment and can't find an adjustment screw below where it should be. Tried threading some bolts in the other two spots to no avail. Again, not completely stuck, moving around a bit and worried too much force will bend up the e brake assembly.

Why can't I find the adjustment under where the plug should be? Is it a phillips? Back there at an angle?

Thanks in advance.

 

[breathed]

The parking brake adjustment mechanism is at 6 o'clock. Jack up both sides and rotate the rotor until that hole is at 6 o'clock and adjust the parking brake pads away from the rotor.

 

[MikePL]

What you have in the adjustment hole is not a screw but a nut which looks like a star. You need to move a flat screwdriver up or down to adjust (or loosen in your case the e-brake).

Below is a photo found a while ago while googling. This is not a Land Cruiser but all e-brake assemblies are similar. You can see the star-looking nut above the green arrow.

 

[Ebag333]

Make sure you have the parking brake off (and the front wheels chocked) before you start adjusting anything.

 

[mrbav8tr]

Thanks guys, I think we got 'er. A little of me not getting it and a little plain 'ol stuck. Appreciate the help.

 

[d0ubledown]

bump for this thread. im stuck on the rear passenger side. rotor can rotate, and seems to be free from the ebrake shoes (or something else) . adjuster bottomed out all the way. but when i try to pull, it comes out maybe 5-10 mm, then gets caught up on the ebrake shoes when pulling. tried to thread the bolt through, no avail either. (ended up stripping ) . tried prying, pulling and releasing ebrake hoping it will unbind anything thats keeping it back. wacked it with a hammer all over...nothing.

frustrating to wrench in the driveway with no shade...any suggestions?

 

[Scamper]

Just turn the start shaped nut more... it can take a bit, depending upon how "tight" it was adjusted to begin with, and how much wear is already on the drum.

 

[Ebag333]

Did you turn the e-brake adjuster the wrong way perhaps?

 

[Scamper]

Did you turn the e-brake adjuster the wrong way perhaps?

Good point...turning it "down" works to loosen it on one of the wheels (can't remember which one), but "tightens" it on the other. And visa versa. If in doubt, turn it until it either tightens up (in which case, you go the other way until off), or until the rotor comes off. If the rotor is not seized onto the hub, it's gonna come off at some point once you loosen the shoes enough.

 

[d0ubledown]

the adjuster is bottomed out, meaning loosened all the way. i cant turn it anymore. im able to grab the rotor, and spin it, even move it in and out a bit. if it was adjusted the incorrect way, wouldnt the shoes jam up to the rotor drum and prevent me from being able to spin it? its when i pull the rotor towards me, it moves about half an inch, then just stops

 

[rmatzen]

The same thing happened to me when I did my brake job about a year ago, and assuming you remembered to take the e-brake off I have no good news for you. what probably happened to you (and did to me) is that the pin that usually holds the e-brake shoe flush fell off, so it is no longer pinned up against the backing plate, this allows the shoe to pull out a bit when you try and pull the rotor, causing it to catch on the way out. What you need to do is get something long and thin to pry with and use that/all your body weight to get the rotor off. You will most likely break one of the e-brake shoes in the process and it takes a TON of pulling.

 

[d0ubledown]

well after much swearing, i decided to move on to the other 3 corners and come back to it. did some step 6's, then wrestled with it some more. finally got it off! thanks for the help everyone.

btw, the adjusting nut for the ebrake is the same on both sides. turning the adjusters down (away from the rotor towards the center of the truck) along the bottom will loosen them. turn the adjuster upwards to expand the adjusters.

 

[IdahoDoug]

What did you decide was the problem to getting it off? Something fall apart, or just deeply grooved drums that grabbed the brake shoes each time you tried??

DougM

 

[Tapage]

btw, the adjusting nut for the ebrake is the same on both sides. turning the adjusters down (away from the rotor towards the center of the truck) along the bottom will loosen them. turn the adjuster upwards to expand the adjusters.

thanks .. always it's good to refresh this info ..

 

[HarleyHetz]

What did you decide was the problem to getting it off? Something fall apart, or just deeply grooved drums that grabbed the brake shoes each time you tried??

DougM

I'll bet it was step 6 that was missing!!!

 

[d0ubledown]

I'll bet it was step 6 that was missing!!!

haha..i was gonna say not enough step 6's.

honestly, im not quite sure. after numerous attempts, prying, hammering it just wouldnt pull past half an inch. i think it was catching on an edge of the ebrake shoe, and then hanging up. cant imagine what else would prevent it from pulling off completely.

once i came back to it, i maxed out the adjuster, yanked the lever a few times, then bottomed out the adjuster. pulled the rotor but it still caught. however, a bit more prying and i was able to finally free it off the hub. result was a bit of backing plate bending.

 

[alia176]

Good job dude! The star adjuster nut direction confuses me so I oriented one of them so that they both follow the lefty/loosy convention using my right hand. Perhaps that's how they are setup already?

 

[97 40th]

BFH......

 

[alia176]

I forgot to mention one thing. Before reinstalling the rotor back on the hub, clean up the hub with a sand paper to make sure no corrosion exists. I'd also do the same thing to the large center opening on the rims too. The hub has a slight bump (toward the rear) where the rim sits and if any corrosion exists, this makes the rotor and the rims feel sticky and don't like to come out easily.