Help Rotor stuck to hub

[AeroSmooth]

Any advice on how to get a rear brake rotor that may be rusted to the hub off. I sucessfully installed new rotors on the other 3 wheels. Here is what I have done so far to remove this rotor:

PB blaster spray in bolt holes, around hub, and at the back.
Wire brush around hub.
Small rubber hammer to the back of the rotor where the caliper usually sits.
Wait, drink breaks, hit it some more with the rubber hammer.

What I thinking at this point:
Buy a huge hammer and knock the rotor from behind. (worried car might fall off jack stands)
Hang my head in shame and put the caliper and tire back on this one to drive it somewhere Monday.
Heat the rotor somehow. (don't have blow torch though)

Thanks, for any suggestions!

[Rus]

You don't really need a huge hammer. I've removed stuck rotors with a regular household hammer before. What you are looking for is a sharp blow to break the rust weld. I'd say keep spraying it down with penetrating oil and use a medium-sized hammer to hit it from behind.

[AeroSmooth]

Thanks for the encouragement. I'll keep at and try more for a sharp quick blow.

[632 Regal]

no fear bust the bugger off with the heaviest thing to make solid contact with the rotor.

[Tiger]

Just whack the old rotor at the hub area... hit only the rotor hub section only... the rotor will bounce right off it.

[Derek A.]

Losses the adjuster for the rear parking brake. It might be grabbing the inside of the rotor.

[Ross]

+1 for the brake adjuster if it's dragging.
+100 for the BFH, just smack that #^%&er!
Yiou do have the retaining bolt, right?

[MBXB]

Bolt #3 is off, right?

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=HE63&mospid=47410&btnr=34_0025&hg=34&fg=05

[e34.535i.sport]

I had the same issue with one wheel when i changed the discs... Turned out the handbrake shoes were stuck against the disc... I had to turn the 'starwheel' adjuster to loosen them off and give the disc a whack with a 2lb lump hammer. That done the trick. Don't be afraid to hit it hard, as long as you have it on a jcak stand and the jack standing by underneath you shouln't have a problem.

*To loosen the starwheel rotate the disc until you can see it through one of the wheel bolt holes... THen use a flat6 head screwdriver to turn it anticlockwise it should loosen off. (However i ended up finding out after a while that for some unknown reason i needed to turn my starwheel clockwise to loosen the shoes!!! Dont know why... Dont want to know.)

[attack eagle]

makes sure you have the retaining screw off (smalle allen head)
If you cant get it off because it is rounded out, it is possible to drill the head out witha LARGE bit and then use vice grips to remove the remainder once the rotor is off.

Alsop penetrating oil alternated with heat from a prropane torch and a sharp impact froma hammer works wonders in loosening stuck things
Good luck.

[Ferret]

makes sure you have the retaining screw off (smalle allen head)
If you cant get it off because it is rounded out, it is possible to drill the head out witha LARGE bit and then use vice grips to remove the remainder once the rotor is off.

Alsop penetrating oil alternated with heat from a prropane torch and a sharp impact froma hammer works wonders in loosening stuck things
Good luck.

If the allen screw is stuck I found beating at the rotor 180 degrees away from the screw would cause the rotor to just shear off within two good belts. You then need a cold chisel though to remove the crap from under the screw - so you can get a good grip on the offending item!

[nirvana19]

I'm having the same problem. Just wondering, whats a good spot to heat up the rotor. I know the parking brake is right underneath and don't want to damage that mechanism. I do metal work and am used to getting things nice and red hot... but that definitely aint the case here.

Also as an aside, how much are you supposed to torque the caliper bolts? I though the bentley said 26 ft-lbs or so, but I read in another post that it was about 12.

[attack eagle]

well in this case you would be heating the bolt. but I'd reccommend drilling the head off if you rounded it out. once the tension is off it should unscrew easily.

[nirvana19]

well in this case you would be heating the bolt. but I'd reccommend drilling the head off if you rounded it out. once the tension is off it should unscrew easily.

the bolt was stripped but I got it out using an extractor, so the bolt isn't an issue. the entire rotor is just stuck to the hub.

[attack eagle]

did you turn the parking brake shoes in to disengage them like you would on a drum brake?

did you remember to take the PB off?

if so just pull it or whang it with a BFH on alternate sides

[nirvana19]

got it off eventually. BFH worked, just took a LONG time. you can hit it a million times and it won't come off. If you hit it and it doesn't come off, make sure you hit HARDER. and HARDER. I used the biggest sledge I could find and shifted the caliper well out of the way so I could swing back behind the muffler. The rotor flew off and left a huge mark in the dry wall, so also, WATCH OUT.

[Tiger]

Wrong way! You are supposed to hit the disc toward the middle of the car. I know it sounds counterintuitive... but the vibration and bouncing of the rotor will simply pop off. You don't need to hit it a million time. About 3 times will do it with a 24 oz hammer.

You hit square on the center of the disc... where your wheel bolts goes into the hub.

[Sixdown]

I hammered the rear passenger rotor for nearly an hour before realizing that the parking brake was on...

Now how stupid was that?

[Tiger]

Well, it came off at the first whack when you released the parking brake right? ;)

[Sixdown]

Well, it came off at the first whack when you released the parking brake right? ;)

It came off without even a hit with the hammer after I undid the parking brake. I had been hitting for an hour prior to that...:D