I’m working on changing my pads and rotors on my Honda CR-V. This is my first time, and it has been a rough go so far. Earlier today I had it on the car’s scissor jack and it wasn’t stable enough. It started moving backwards and the jack bent, dropping the car on the rotor (wheel was off at this point). I went and bought a better jack and some jack stands, so that is taken care of.
My current problem. I can’t get the rotor off. It isn’t seized anymore. It was but I’ve knocked it loose. However, it won’t move past a few mm of the hub. Is it possible that I bent something when it fell off the jack before? If so, any suggestions for getting this thing off?
I’m going to post a video in a minute of the way the rotor currently moves.
I’ve tried screwing bolts through the holes in the rotor to get it off (it is designed for this), but that stripped the threads in the holes.
First off, it is good you’re using good jack stands now. Safety experts here say to never work under any part of a car that is only supported by a jack. And especially if it is just the flimsy jack that came with the car. I presume you now have a floor jack.
When I’m doing something like that where I’ll be banging on the rotor to get it to yield, I’ll use jack stands and put a couple of 6 x 6 beams under the car too, in case the jack stands fail. I’ll also put the tire under the rocker arms.
It seems like when I’ve removed rotors I had to first remove the brake caliper. I recall I unbolted and hung it from something nearby with bailing wire, so it didn’t have to hang from the rubber brake hose attached to the caliper.
I don’t know how those CRV rotors attach. On the cars I’ve done this, there’s a Philips screw that holds it to the hub I needed to unscrew. I couldn’t figure out how to do it b/c it was stuck fast. I moseyed over to Sears and they told me about a gadget you hit with a hammer, and it transfers the force of the hammer to the screw. Impact driver I think they call it. That solved that problem.
But the rotor was still rusted. Heat from a propane torch and more banging eventually broke it free.
It sounds like though you’ve already broken it free. Have you removed the calipers yet? If not, probably that’s the next thing to do.
Thanks George. Calipers are removed and that phillips screw is not in there to hold the rotor in place. They were not in there when I removed the tire–I think they aren’t necessary so it must have come off a while ago. I guess I’m thinking that I have a bent lug stud. If so, it is a subtle bend I can’t see which it is.
Try spraying some rust-dissolver stuff (like PB Blaster) where the studs push through the rotor and let it sit overnight. I don’t expect you bent a stud. But if you did, that’s usually not too a big deal to replace a stud. The most important thing, you weren’t where it landed when it fell off the jack! Now, take your time, don’t be in a hurry going forward. There’s no magic involved. If it is stuck, it is stuck for a reason. You’ll eventually figure it out.
Do you have a manual which describes this procedure? If not, suggest you stop working for the day and see if your local library has one. Or maybe your local auto parts store has one. At least stop by and look what it says. Also Google to see if the procedure is online somewhere.
I’ll tell you a funny story. One time I was doing this job, and it wouldn’t budge. So I heated it up and more banging from behind. Wouldn’t budge no matter what I did. I was tired of all the banging so I was just laying there under the car resting, without an help from me, I guess the heat finally got to where it was needed, all of a sudden it just fell off by iteself and landed on my leg … which was a bad thing by itself, and worse b/c it was hot … and even worse b/c I was wearing short pants … lol …
Heck, I would like the damned thing to just fall off. Sprayed it with PB blaster and it is sitting for now. The weird thing is that it moves around a bit (I can wiggle it), just not off.
Same deal on other side, except the bolt-screw off method just broke off a chunk of the top of the rotor hat. seems they are both just really stuck on there because of rust
First off, the caliper should not be hanging from the hose like that. either use a short bungie, or make a big S hook to hang it from.
Are you sure one at least a little loose and not that there is slop in the bearing…allowing for wobble.
It looks like the area closest to the jack stand is the best place to hammer. Get a big hammer…at least 2 pounds…and giver it some good wacks, then turn it a bit and hammer again then turn some mote and hammer. It will come off.
If you have a torch…if heated the PB blaster will penetrate better if the rotor is warm.
It looks like you’re showing photos of both the front and rear brakes. Have you backed the parking brake shoes off on the rear rotors?
By the way, Yosemite is correct in his recommendation not to hang the calipers by their flex lines, but in the second photo there’s clearly an S hook holding the caliper.
Yes, the caliper isn’t hung by the brake line. Both front are definitely a bit loose–not just bearign play. Yes, I’m just going to have to bang on the damned thing until it comes off. All photos were of the same front brake.
“I’d get a wire wheel on my drill and remove all the rust where the rotor meets the hub.”
That’s an excellent idea
What I see in the pictures is a lot of rusty components. The rotor slips over the studs, and the hold down screws aren’t even there, anymore. So it’s possible the components are “blooming” with rust, making it that much harder to separate them from each other
It looks to me like this Honda does NOT have the type of rotor that is held on by the front wheel bearing… A LA 94-97 Honda Accords… To change rotors on those vehicles is a MAJOR PIA… Trust me…ive done many.
On this vehicle…and in your instance… all you need is a bigger hammer. take a Baby Sledge…and WHACK that rotor off of there… It is simply Rust Locked onto the hub. A few smacks with a baby sledge and she will literally Pop right off. Dont worry about damaging the rotor…just smack it HARD on the flat surface of the rotor till it pops free.
