I agree that a rubber tipped deadblow hammer might be more appropriate for this job
A deadblow hammer is a good suggestion. I very rarely use mine, but when it’s needed it’s nice to have on hand. It just might do the trick.
I occasionally use a “regular” deadblow hammer to break the taper on tie rod ends or ball joints. I usually only do this if I’m replacing the joint. If I mean to reuse it, I try using a tie rod popper. NOT the pickle fork, mind you. I only use that if I’m replacing the component
I sometimes use a rubber tipped deadblow hammer if I’m trying to separate a rotor from a hub, or a rim from the hub. I try to “walk” it off
I mentioned this previously in another post some time back. A couple years ago I encountered the worst stuck rotors ever in my experience so far. I grew up in the Milwaukee area so rust is a known qty. This was my 2003 Camry with the OEM rotors on it that spent it’s life since new in MA.
No amount of force on a puller was getting them off. I really dislike pounding on them due to the potential for bearing damage but I progressed to the point of using a 5 lb sledge. They wouldn’t budge. I ended up cutting them off w/sawzall.
You could line them up so they could be cut without encountering anything you didn’t want cut. The sawzall was amazingly easy to slice through them. These rotors form a “hat” where they go over the hub. As I progressed into slicing into the hat, they suddenly popped like a popcorn kernel. It was then obvious what had happened. They rusted on the inside diameter of the hat and the rust blooming had created so much force, they would never have come off from banging on them. The slice on the rotor edge spread open a half inch at the outer diameter when they split open!
After finding out how easily they could be cut, I wouldn’t even consider using my sledge or firewrench in the future. Literally, it only took about 2 minutes to slice through them…
I’m not sure what the technical terminology is, but what you described, I call “removing the tension”
I’ve used the same method a few times for very stubborn bushings, which didn’t want to come out, even with force and all the special tools in the world
I’m talking about slicing through the thin metal sleeve, in case anybody’s wondering
That’s very interesting @TwinTurbo , thanks for the excellent info. I’ve noticed when I have to cut galvanized pipe for a home plumbing repair, the sawzall seems to slice through that galvanized pipe like a hot knife through butter. It takes like 15- 20 seconds to slice through a 1/2 galvanized pipe. Compared to a manual hacksaw, there’s no comparison how easy the sawzall method is. But I wouldn’t have thought until I read your post that sawing through a rotor would almost equally easy.
I got to wondering if a person had a demolition hammer – not the huge ones, but, you know, the kind used to bust up a home patio of 3-4 inch thick concrete – if something like that could be maneuvered behind the rotor and knock it off that way. But it sound like the sawzall method might be the best way to deal with the worst case scenario stuck brake rotor.
Another method that I used a few times is this.
I have a few 8 X 10 wood blocks around, that are about 24 niches long. I’ve placed two on the floor, parallel with the rotor, then laid one over the two with the cut end rested against the bottom edge of the rotor (you may have to lower the vehicle), stand on the top block and give the end a good whack…driving it against the rotor. The shock should break the rotor loose.
Yosemite
Are we still discussing a rotor that had been rust frozen onto the hub?
Didnt the Baby Sledge work as I advertized? This situation is more than common and oft times spreads to the unbolted wheel as well… sometimes I cant even get wheels off when all lugs are removed… Rust never sleeps…and can become a rather nasty situation.
This is why God invented the Baby Sledge… and all was right with the world.
Blackbird
Didnt the Baby Sledge work as I advertized?
It did in this case although we have no idea just how much force was actually applied.
People tend to speak in relative terms when it comes to force.
For example, we had a guy at work that was snapping the heads off of bolts using hand tools.
His idea of reasonable force was different than the other 99% of the population…
I pointed out above, one instance in my own experience where it did not work even when the force being used was substantial…
This is why God invented the Baby Sledge… and all was right with the world
Once you have a baby sledge, everything looks like a rusted rotor 
sometimes I cant even get wheels off when all lugs are removed
So now I have to ask, when do you try to take them off with the lugs still on?
Ha…Ive never tried to remove a wheel with the lugs on… Oh wait…there was one time… I just pulled the clip in the diff and yanked the entire hub, axle and wheel… Just once. Had to replace all of it too…couldnt separate lugs without melting them and destroying the wheel. I had just run out of Oxy at the time so it was off to the salvage yard…all worked out.
Speaking of reasonable force. I’ve been doing this so long that you could tell me how many Ft Lbs and I can do it by hand within a few lbs of the number. Takes a while but it happens. Same as being able to tell what size any nut or bolt head is from 6ft away. Its gets boring actually.
Anyway…i think this thread has run its course…No? LOL
Blackbird
Jeeze, it’s too bad it wasn’t a '72 Vega. Your description sounds exactly like what happened to my Vega (and many others) except that the clip fell off all by itself. GM issued a recall. Their solution? Check the end play (read: no-cost smoke screen). I had mine checked twice at two different dealers. Didn’t stop the clip from falling off.
Nevada_545 and db4690, from your comments I think you must not live in the heart of the rust belt. I doubt if there is a mechanic anywhere in the Buffalo area who has never taken a sledgehammer to a car. Rust would just laugh at a deadblow hammer. The idea that tapping in on a rotor to get it to rebound off just makes me smile. A "blue torch is good, but not usually not available to a do it your selfer.
For real laughs, I think about trying to open a brake bleeder on a car that is over 3 years old here. It can be done but it involves removing the rubber parts from a caliper or wheel cylinder and putting the caliper or bleeder in a vise, heating the bleed screw cherry red and teasing it out very gently by working it in and out with a wrench. It is just easier to swap rebuilt units in. If you try to get the bleeder out abd break it off, they won’t take it for a core.
No, I don’t “live in the heart of the rust belt.”
We have completely different problems here, mostly related to the sun and/or heat
db4690, I wasn’t questioning your expertise which is far far, greater than mine, I could just tell from yours and Nevada’s answers that you don’t deal with seriously rusted cars. My son and granddaughter moved to Florida with a 10 year old Chrysler minivan that was in pretty good condition for around here. All he has heard from mechanics down there is " I can’t fix this, I can’t even get the bo;ts off. Unless a bolt goes into a place where we would have to drill or torch it out we routinely snap them off if they won’t come.
oldtimer
Thanks
I’m fairly realistic, and I know my “rust” skills are woefully lacking, due to my current location
it’s been a very long time since I lived anywhere with road salt and real rust
You missed something on page four. Milwaukee is 90 mile north of Chicago. Is this not in the rust belt?
If you ever worked in a brake shop someone would have taken your hammer away from you and showed you how to use it.
@db4690, if you feel the need to “brush up on those rust skills”, let me know I’ll send you some chunks of rust. You can reminisce!!!
Yosemite
Rust seeds…like an invasive species pest…
My brother had an old E150 spent its life in dry and sunny. Probably 20 years old. I took the bumper off with a crescent wrench! The bolts looked like they were practically new. Back where we grew up you would slam the door and leave an outline of rust on the ground. Removing a 20 year old bumper INTACT was nearly impossible unless you torched the heads off the bolts… 
Nevada_545, I did work doing brake jobs but it was close to 60 years ago, so no rotors to remove. Milwaukee is not Buffalo, they are not on the downwind side of the lake and consequently get less snow and use less road salt. It gets colder in Milwaukee and they will use more sand in the mix. Lastly, what is being spread on our roads is much more corrosive than it was 30 years ago.
Although car bodies are lasting longer, brake components are rusting much faster than they used to around here. My left rear calipher on my 2012 Camry was rusted to the point it wouldn’t retract and wore out the pads in 22000 miles and less than 3 years. The dealers reccommend cleaning and lubing the brake components yearly for $100 per axle.