Hey,

So thought it would be good to change discs n pads all round as the rears were a gonner. Fronts still not done but should have that sorted, grrr at rusty rounding heads.

The rears got the caliper off, tried the cog adjuster for the handbrake pads, tried the 2 bolts - which in the process some bits fell out (hope i can fit them back togither!) But still no luck getting it off, the handbrake pads seem to have a good old grip and the rust on the back of the discs dont help the matter.

Any tips/ideas on how i can beat this problem?

 

possibly a stupid question, but did you try with the handbrake off?

I once removed a rear discs on my old celica with the hand brake on and it was stuck on rock solid (and then bits broke when i hit it with a mallet )

 

Hand brake deff off. Ye its not nice things falling to the ground when your whacking it with a mallet. Haven't been into the handbrake pads before so it will be like a jigsaw putting it all back again

 

Probably not what you want to hear here's my experience, I did mine (3.5 years old, 30k miles) last week.

Was expecting big problems as I've never even seen what's under the discs. Took the rubber plug out, tried to work out what I was adjusting to free off the handbrake but couldn't work it out at all let alone which way to adjust it.

So in desperation just stuck the two bolts in the threaded holes to try it out and the disc just wound off over the unadjusted shoes sweet as a nut.

So in my (very limited) experience if you need a mallet then perhaps it's fubar'd before you even start.

 

It sounds like your handbrake shoes need slackening off.
Remove the rubber plugs and slacken the adjusters. N/S goes up, O/S goes down.
The bolts should then remove the discs quite easily.

John

 

I have tried with the adjusters, are your sure about the ns up os down? the hand book just said down to loosen them.

 

Each side is handed so both turn down to slacken.

If it is really stuck and you need to get them off then you go down the route of angle grinder!

If you cut through the disc until you get to the drum and then try and get as far through the drum as you dare without hitting the shoes you can then get a coal chisel in and split the disc in half. ( We used to use this method quite sucessfully in the workshop on some older cars that had been stood for a while ).

Just a thought.

 

I disconnected the handbrake completely and after a **** load of hitting it with a mallet I have got one side off. Only a few bits fell off with it so that was easy enough to put back in place.

Unfortunately i broke my mallet when i tried the other side again. Time for a bigger one

 

Did mine last weekend one side nearly fell off having loosened the adjuster the other side was a swine. Ended up forcing the discs off using the two bolts then repairing the cups that fit to the pins that hold the shoes in place. Am picking up new items on Saturday. So will finish the job shortly after then adjust the shoes as required before re-adjusting the handbrake.

 

Could someone tell me what these two bolts are?? I assume they are there already?

 

not bolts, but 2x M8 bolt holes that you can screw a couple of bolts into to aid removal....................

alyn

 

 

It helps to file or grind a chamfer on the ends before you use them otherwise any damage means you can't get them out. That's only a problem if you're replacing the discs of course.

John