2nd paragraph contains instructions:
I just wanted to add a little advice to this area. I spent 3 hours trying to remove a single rusted on rotor on my 2000 exp. Everyone says use a bigger hammer... well I did. A 3 lb hammer, 5 lb hammer and a 10 pound sledge. I also tried a can of deep creep and wd40. I also tried... heat and impact tools. Then I tried 30 minutes of searching on the internet. Finnally, I found the correct advice somewhere (I cannot find it again) so I wanted to pass the information on to the rest of you because those three hours were so #$%^&*. This is a very neat trick.

After removing the caliper and the caliper bracket you have 2 nice holes to work with to help you remove the rotor. Go buy a few 1/2 inch bolts at least 4 in long with nuts. Slide the bolt through the caliper bracket hole from the inside of the truck towards the rotor. As you slide in the bolt, place a nut on the bolt between the caliper bracket and the rotor. Hold the nut while tightening the bolt. The end of the bolt will push against the rotor and the the nut will push against the caliper bracket. Tighten the bolt as much as you can.. I mean really tight. Put on the second bolt in the other hole. After getting them both as tight as possible hit the rotor with a hammer. See if it moves at at all. Try tightening the bolts again. Hit it again. If it doesn't come off yet. Losen the bolts, turn the rotor 1/2 way try it again. On the first rotor it only took tighten the bolts once. On the second rotor it took 2 rotations of the rotor. 3 hours of pounding on the first rotor then 5 minutes with the bolt and the rotor popped off. On the second rotor it only took about 10 minutes to get it off.

Hope this helps a few of you... I wish I could have found this trick right away

~Mark

 

Welcome to FTE. Thanks for the tip.

 

I have lived through this pain and know exactly where you're coming from. This tip should be added to the owners manual that was (is being?) created for Expedition owners through this forum.

-Sam

 

That's a fantastic tip. Obvious now that I think of it. Thank you for bringing 'Enthusiast' into a thread. This place was going to have to change its name to Ford Truck 'Driver'.

 

Hang out in the older model threads and engine drive train. There are a bunch of enthusiasts there.

 

SanMan you deserve an award---I have read so much about people struggling with this issue. I used your tip today and it worked great. I did place a steel bar between the rotor and the bolts to spread the pressure---but simply tightened one bolt then the other---after about two back and forths on the bolts holding the nuts---It "cracked"---I knew I had either broke it free or broke the knuckle---but I really didn't have to tighten the bolts that much in my case---2000 NAV 4x4 with 60K on the clock. I thought the corrosion issue was the face of the hub---it's really the edge of the hub---the hub is about .5in thick--this edge has little clearance on the rotor===the rotor rusts bad and creates an edge (much like a drum brake) and you can't get the rotor past it---the two bolts pushing it is enough to break it free. In my case I had to continue threading the bolts out to push the rotor out---a number of turns before I could pull it off.

I'm going to clean it up with a bead blaster and then dope up the edge with Never Seize and this problem will never occur again. However the rotor is rusting so bad I'll probably have to replace them at 100K just due to the corrosion. But at least they will come off.

Thanks again for this tip---it's great

 

After reading a few more brake threads I'm a little worried... I did replace both of my rotors and pads but the previous set of pads had more wear on the inside pads. Do you think I should have replaced the caliper? Other thread say that wear on the inside pad can be caused by the caliper not returning... Anyone with any thoughts.

Also, has anyone else used the bolt technique?

2000 Exp with 73,000 miles

Mark

 

Been working on mine today removing all 4 rotors, etc. Front right, came off with just a few whacks on the rotor, no supplemental help. Went over to the left front, and no such luck. Then tried the bolt trick, did not work.

Pulled out the good old Sawsall. Put an 18 bimetal blade in. Cut the rotor, and used the other one as a guide as to how deep in the hub area to go. Used my whizz wheel (die grinder) with the carbon wheel in it, and cut a little bit of a groove on the face.

Then I put a cold chisel in the cut in the rotor. A few whacks with a 3 lb sledge, and cracked the sucker open. Came off fine.

 

I just replaced my front rotors this weekend. The left side would not budge, even after hitting. I did not know of the bolt trick, so I heated the rotor close to the hub with a propane torch and hit a couple of time while heating and it popped right off. On the right side I heated and pryed it off, much easier.

 

Had thought about heating it, but worried about how much heat would be needed to get the rotor to actually expand, and would that much heat effect the seal and associated grease in the center hub - leading to additional work there.

How much heat did you give it, and what did you use? Propane torch enough?

 

I used a propane torch, and just used enough heat to loosen. I did not use enough heat to change the color of the rotor. I was also concerned with heating the bearings, but made sure to keep the flame away from the hub and not get anything too hot.

 

Sounds good. Will pass the tip on to a buddy of mine that has a shop. He seemed interested in finding out a good way, as they had done one with a stubborn rotor.

 

YMMV though. After 5 hours (on the fronts) with PB Blaster and a BFH, I sent mine to the shop where the mechanic used heat for three hours, again with a BFH, and got nowhere. We had to replace the whole hub assembly with the rotors still frozen on.

He said the Ford dealership laughed when he called to order the hub parts (we had rotors already). "You doing a brake job?" they asked him when he wanted both the left and right sides. "Yeah, we get a lot of these calls because of rusted on rotors" the ****** at the Ford place joked.

Grr.

 

Then I'll go back to the Sazall trick. I'll tell you, about 15 minutes of cutting a slot right in line between two studs, a little time with a whizz wheel or dremel tool, and then a good whack with a good size cold chisel and you are good to go! The cold chisel completes the cut by the opening in the groove started by the whizz wheel, and actually continues it to the center, cracking it open like a pistachio nut. Then the cold chisel stays in there to keep the center opening wide so you can get it off the hub!

Worked absolutely great for me, and I'd bet I can repeat it with great success in less time next. I took a little extra time to use a vernier caliper to measure the depth of the groove made by the whizz wheel and the sawsall on the front to back cut to make sure it did not go into the hub.

By the way, the groove stopped at around the diameter made by the wheel studs. I tried whacking it before getting out the dremel tool to get any closer, and I was happy to see that the chisel just opened up the sucker, continuing the line started by the whizwheel.

Can we post pictures here? Maybe I can take a picture of the rotor, and put a cold chisel in it to show what I'm talking about.

 

Hi, any advice for the reae rotors?