SlvrSnake
Full Access Member
Since so many have answered my questions when I was in need of advice or assistance I feel the need to give back a little. I am not sure if this is the right spot for this so I am sure the Admins will move this thread if necessary. I spent about 8 hours working on this today because I did not know how to get these rusted on rotors off the truck. Now I know how to get them off fairly quickly and don't want someone else to waste their whole day trying to figure it out like I did. So hear you go...
Explanation and Pics from a 2005 Quad Cab SRT-10
My rear rotors were totally rusted on and I know others have encountered this in the past and most assuredly still others will encounter it in the future. So here is how you get them off without beating the hell out of the rotor with a sledge hammer and risk breaking something.
This assumes you know how to remove the caliper from the rotor. Not real hard, loosen two smaller bolts holding the caliper to the pad adapter and then remove the two larger bolts holding the adapter to the rear axle assembly. The reason you loosen them is because the top bolt will hit your leaf springs and you wont be able to get it out and your socket wrench will get pinned between the bolt and the leaf as you remove it.
Before you start spray the hub and wheel studs with penetrating oil that way it will help loosen things up as you get ready to get the rotors off. Also, if present, remove the retaining clips/star washers on the exterior of the rotors on the wheel studs. Pry them up with a screw driver and then pull them off with needle nose pliers. They do not need to be re-installed.
Removing the Rear Rotors if Stuck
1. The first thing is to make sure that the emergency brake is not set and then to ensure the pads on the inside of the rear brake rotor used for the e-brake are not getting stuck on a lip, if there is one, on the inside hub of the rear rotor. On the driver's side the star adjustment wheel is on the top of the brake assembly. On the passenger side it is at the bottom. Take a small flat head screwdriver, pick, brake adjustment tool, whatever, and pry out the rubber grommet covering the access hole to the star adjuster wheel. Then use a small flat head screwdriver or the adjustment tool shown to turn the adjustment wheel clockwise. This is clockwise if you are standing behind the truck looking forward toward the front. The passenger side goes up the driver's side goes down to back the e-brake pads off the inside rotor hub.
Grommet already removed, passenger side. Star adjuster wheel. Driver side is the same except it is located at the top, passenger side shown is at the bottom.
As you turn the star wheel keep trying the spin the rotor. If it is getting harder to move, you are going the wrong way. When you have turned the wheel at least 5 or 6 turns away from the interior rotor surface they should be clear and the rotor should spin fairly easily without dragging on the rotor. Now it is time to get the rotor off.
2. I used 1/2 by about 3 inch bolts with two nuts and a 1/2 inch washer. Insert the bolt with the threads toward the rotor through the two holes where your removed the caliper adapter. Then tighten the bolts down only enough until you get some movement on the rotor. Down go crazy just enough to get it to move. Then loosen the bolt and nuts and rotate the rotor and repeat. After you have gone around the rotor tighten the bolts down again and leave them tight. If the rotor is still stuck on strike the face with a decent size sledge. This should free it up. If not continue the process of loosening the bolt and nuts and moving the rotor to free it up evenly and then give it another whack. See pics
Tighten bolts and nuts to push rotor off vehicle. Got this idea from a youtube video.
While the bolt and nuts are still tightened strike the rotor hub, should pop it off and your home free
3. When you put the new rotor on, adjust the e-brake pads back up to meet the interior of the rotor. When you feel it dragging back them off just enough so it is not dragging on the rotor. Now you can put everything back together again.
One other suggestion is to use some emery paper and sand off the corrosion on the hub and clean the e-brake pads if you are not replacing them. Then spray with brake clean and clean everything up. The last suggestion is some anti-seize to help make things easier the next you take it apart where the wheel hub meets the rotor in the center.
Hope this helps some folks out down the road.
Explanation and Pics from a 2005 Quad Cab SRT-10
My rear rotors were totally rusted on and I know others have encountered this in the past and most assuredly still others will encounter it in the future. So here is how you get them off without beating the hell out of the rotor with a sledge hammer and risk breaking something.
This assumes you know how to remove the caliper from the rotor. Not real hard, loosen two smaller bolts holding the caliper to the pad adapter and then remove the two larger bolts holding the adapter to the rear axle assembly. The reason you loosen them is because the top bolt will hit your leaf springs and you wont be able to get it out and your socket wrench will get pinned between the bolt and the leaf as you remove it.
Before you start spray the hub and wheel studs with penetrating oil that way it will help loosen things up as you get ready to get the rotors off. Also, if present, remove the retaining clips/star washers on the exterior of the rotors on the wheel studs. Pry them up with a screw driver and then pull them off with needle nose pliers. They do not need to be re-installed.
Removing the Rear Rotors if Stuck
1. The first thing is to make sure that the emergency brake is not set and then to ensure the pads on the inside of the rear brake rotor used for the e-brake are not getting stuck on a lip, if there is one, on the inside hub of the rear rotor. On the driver's side the star adjustment wheel is on the top of the brake assembly. On the passenger side it is at the bottom. Take a small flat head screwdriver, pick, brake adjustment tool, whatever, and pry out the rubber grommet covering the access hole to the star adjuster wheel. Then use a small flat head screwdriver or the adjustment tool shown to turn the adjustment wheel clockwise. This is clockwise if you are standing behind the truck looking forward toward the front. The passenger side goes up the driver's side goes down to back the e-brake pads off the inside rotor hub.
Grommet already removed, passenger side. Star adjuster wheel. Driver side is the same except it is located at the top, passenger side shown is at the bottom.
As you turn the star wheel keep trying the spin the rotor. If it is getting harder to move, you are going the wrong way. When you have turned the wheel at least 5 or 6 turns away from the interior rotor surface they should be clear and the rotor should spin fairly easily without dragging on the rotor. Now it is time to get the rotor off.
2. I used 1/2 by about 3 inch bolts with two nuts and a 1/2 inch washer. Insert the bolt with the threads toward the rotor through the two holes where your removed the caliper adapter. Then tighten the bolts down only enough until you get some movement on the rotor. Down go crazy just enough to get it to move. Then loosen the bolt and nuts and rotate the rotor and repeat. After you have gone around the rotor tighten the bolts down again and leave them tight. If the rotor is still stuck on strike the face with a decent size sledge. This should free it up. If not continue the process of loosening the bolt and nuts and moving the rotor to free it up evenly and then give it another whack. See pics
Tighten bolts and nuts to push rotor off vehicle. Got this idea from a youtube video.
While the bolt and nuts are still tightened strike the rotor hub, should pop it off and your home free
3. When you put the new rotor on, adjust the e-brake pads back up to meet the interior of the rotor. When you feel it dragging back them off just enough so it is not dragging on the rotor. Now you can put everything back together again.
One other suggestion is to use some emery paper and sand off the corrosion on the hub and clean the e-brake pads if you are not replacing them. Then spray with brake clean and clean everything up. The last suggestion is some anti-seize to help make things easier the next you take it apart where the wheel hub meets the rotor in the center.
Hope this helps some folks out down the road.
Last edited:
