Nice, good to know. Thanks.

Ok, we're just about wrapped up here...any pointers for adjusting the drums IN so I can get the other rotor off without repeating the same mistake?

 

More specifically: should I be rotating the spikey wheel clockwise or counter-clockwise in order to get the drum retracted to free the rotor?

 

Guys, I really cannot express the gratitude for helping me with this effort. Threads such as this and the support provided therein truly stand as a testament of the community found here at AZine.

At 9:43 tonight, unable to properly remove the rear driver side rotor...and after having busted the passenger side self-adjuster spring, I am calling it quits and having a shop perform the spring replacement/final rotor installation. I managed to paint the rear calipers, install all pads, rotors -1, and will be bleeding the brakes in the morning, but this has become far too time consuming/frustrating for me to continue.

Thanks again.

 

Sorry to hear that. You may feel different about it in the morning though.

I've been there too many times. I started my front swaybar installation after work at 6PM thinking it would be a one hour installation and ended up dropping the subframe on the side of the street on my back with one jack and finishing past midnight in the dark and having to get up at 5AM for work the next day and hope I did it right.

As for that other side, if one of the pads is slightly out (busted spring) it can tug on the opposite side and make it drag. You can check for too much tension on the cable. If this is the case, the start adjuster will be very hard to turn in either direction. For the other question, I'm really not sure which direction brings the pads in.

If the drum is just frozen, a gentle tap on non braking surfaces (the very center if possible) with a mini sledge hammer will usually break it free. Pulling evenly on the drum is the real key here.

 

I hear ya, man. I actually recall reading your posting about this during my 'lurk' phase and can wholly empathize with you. I honestly think that this is the first DIY I have started where I have thrown in the towel. Truth be told, if I didn't have a MAJOR project deliverable due at work this week, I think I'd have held out until the final round...but such will not be the case this time.

Thanks again for all the info, and while the outcome was not as expected, I certainly learned A LOT in this project/thread.

 

Rotate it up. Did you use the recommended 8 x1.25 bolts to help pull the drum off? This is all in the DIY link I listed earlier, steps 4 and 5.

 

Well next time I'm sure you'll knock it out fast. Priorities are priorities.

 

I remember rotating up to tighten the pad to the drum and down to loosen it when adjusting my handbrake.

 

Correction...shoe not pad.