Brake Discs, What the *!$%

[rg]

Just for the record, my indie walloped my disk off with a huge hammer which has caused damage to the wheel bearings, giving a "singing " note, plus balance problems at high speed. It's not bad enough to replace, but irritating.

I have heard that an angle grinder prodices results. Me? I prefer careful heating.

r

[ds23]

There is an alternative that dosen't involve banging away with a hammer.

Jack the front of the car up on axelstands (or what it is called in english) remove the wheels and the small countersunk screws in the discs (first time since new?. Drill the heads out and use a MIG later to build a knobb to unscrew the old rusted screws).
Start the engine. Put it into low gear. Depending on preferences you can use up the last of the brakepads to warm up the discs before You hit the brake HARD. You may need to support the rews with your right foot and break with the left foot. If You're lucky both disc come loose but more often you need to replace some of the wheelbolts on the disc that has come loose first and repeat the braking procedure.

Have no qualms about it. It sounds dreadful when the discs come loose!

[xmexclusive]

Hi All

I like this last solution.
It has real potential and comes close to the sense of power you get from using a big hammer hopefully without damaging the bearings.
I use a very small flat bladed cold chisel to start the disc lock screws.
Citroen supply two types of these screws. Crosshead and Torquehead. I now always insist on the latter torque ones as it is much more difficult to damage the head.

Regards

XMexc

[ds23]

A word of warning if you got the earlier typ of hubs. They can become ascew (?) ... not straigth. And you'll get vibrations as if the tyres is unbalanced. But that aplies to the (MC?) Hammer method too. The early hubs are WERY delicate.

I haven't noticed any difference between the cross- and torxhead. The screws breaks just as easily.....Sweden..... salt on the roads in the winter time..... I usually uses a Impact screw driver (direct translated from swedish) I would say that the crosshead works marginaly better with that. (I wouldn't survive a day without my trusted MIG-welder )

It isn't just the bearings you get worried about with that method..... As a bystander I once saw the entire spider flex in the front bussings via the lover wishbone (Is it caled that?). Ok that is a load you normaly get when breaking..... But the car is usually moving then so you can't SEE it

This post has been edited by ds23 on August 08, 2006 01:48 pm