Help - I'm trying to change the rear discs on a 2007 1.8 astra.
Ive followed the haynes manual right up to the point where it says remove brake disk ! Every thing else was fine . I have taken out the little screw that holds the disc on but the disk just wont budge . Any ideas ?
15 Answers
sometimes the rear shoes won't retract far enough....is there a small round piece of rubber on the disc anywhere? (front or back side)..remove that "plug", and spin the disc until you can find the adjuster (small roundish piece with grooves/teeth), may need a small flashlight to do it...then with a flat screw driver rotate the grooves, either clockwise-or counterclockwise until you determine which way loosens the rotor...when installing the new ones be sure to manually adjust the adjuster to where the rear discs JUST slide on....once complete, to manually complete adjustment, get in the vehicle and apply, release the parking brake (like 50 times), or more until it holds properly
By 'disk' do you mean rotor? I get what John said that,but car has 4-wheel disc brakes. there are no shoes, but calipers. They are off the car? stut please don't take offense at my question, I am not suggesting yo are any less intelligent than myself or anybody else. It's just that I have seen people get ahead of themselves and try to take the entire assembly off at once
the internals of the disc commonly have the parking/manual brake on the "lip" of the rotor inside (pre-coffee dave) yes, lol I assumed the caliper was off...
Yep. ike I said up there, I stood and watched a guy try to get an entire assembly off one time. I watched and kept my pie-hole shut until i could take it no longer, watching the guy struggle, I am not that cold to keep quiet too long though. I also watched the SAME GUY take a breaker bar and a pipe and break all 5 lug bolts off of his boat trailer trying to change a flat----until I told him to LOOK at the end of the stud. Do you know why there is an "L" on it? By then he had them all torqued off and scattered all the way down the street where he threw them.
Tom: for the front it is an effective method, but the rears....Stut if you do that, until it is off, have in readiness an entirely new parking brake assembly and hardware, hahaah, good luck,
Sorry for being a bit vague - Yes it is the rota I am trying to get off. Caliper and pads are removed and there is no little screw in the hole. SO having read all the above it looks like I should try and hit it off using a piece of wood. Now this bit might sound like a daft question but hey oh here goes. As I look at the centre of the rota that is stuck there is a cupped boss that the rota appears to sit on. I believe this stays where it is - would some kind sole confirm that before I start clouting. I've also sprayed around that boss with WD40 as it does look like there may be rust holding it on. As an alternative to wacking with an Hammer I suppose a puller might be an option
dude i assure you there is one, you will find it, after breaking the entire assembly, ALSO, you use the 7 mm allen and remove the pins for the caliper??? open the bleeder before you collapse the caliper (too late i think), as the master USUALLY BREAKS FROM FLUID FORCING BACK.....
John - I dont understand that last answer. The caliper is off and tied up out of the way. I can see the hand break mechanism on the back of the caliper as that is where I took the hand break cable from and it is well clear of the rota. I haven't tried to push back the piston as I dont need to do that until I get the rota off. When I am ready to push the piston back I intend clamping the rubber pipe shut and opening the bleed nipple with a one man bleed kit attached to it. Then I'll use the laser tool to push the piston back and catch any brake fluid in a container. Is that not right ?
yes, sounds like you know what you are doing yes, that is a relief. I was referring to when you do compress the caliper do open the valve, it is common for the master to break from the back force of fluid. i am looking for a diagram to show the adjuster i am referencing....
you plan on using the rotor again after? does the rotor have the small threaded holes for bolts on the front?
Tom - I LOVE that video it looks to answer all my questions. Ive just spent 30 minutes in the garage looking at the new rota for anything I could have missed and I cannot see it. I'm leaving it for today and as I need to be out tomorrow I will be trying it again on Wednesday. I'll let you all know if this old chap has finally sorted it. But thanks for all the assistance so far - really makes me glad I signed up
John - No I'm not planning on using the rotors again - they have more grooves on them than a set of tyres. An they are so rusty around the edges. Got some nice shiny new ones - just a bit miffed that i got so far and then couldn't get the old things off. Still - Wednesday will have it cracked now I've seen that Video Tom put up.
Tom - That video trick did the job perfectly - That is much better than an hammer . Thanks to all those who helped this old chap sort out his brakes .
