89 K2500 Brake info needed asap!! HELP

Hello,

Sorry for the lengthy message. I am stuck!! Trying to replace rotors on an 89 K2500; however brakes on truck are not like any pics/descriptions in any manual. Closest pic I could find was for the R series in Chiltons. I have removed the calliper, and the hub nut and the rotor is loose. However, it is held on by a "plate" that seems to be bolted to the knuckle. These 4 bolts are very "stuck" and are starting to strip. This also seems to be a lot of work fr brakes. No one in the area seems to know what I am talking about and none of the manuals offer any help either. I have tried looking up everything and all of them say the rotor/hub slide right off. Is this the only truck with these brakes??? Has anyone else had this problem? What do I do. Also the studs are the kind that come through the rotor (and the plate) from behind (they are out now). 8 lugs. Any help, or at least knowing that someone else has dealt with this would be great. If possible please call 302-875-2144 as the truck is on jack stands and I need to do somethin ASAP.

Stephanie

Can you post a picture? Do you have a new rotor for comparison. I checked out www.partsamerica.com for pictures of your rotor.
Raybestos Rotor 56242 It looks as though you just need to pull the rotor off by itself. Hope this helps-Chris

Can you post a picture? Do you have a new rotor for comparison. I checked out www.partsamerica.com for pictures of your rotor.
Raybestos Rotor 56242 It looks as though you just need to pull the rotor off by itself. Hope this helps-Chris


+++ The rotor is loose and "should" slide off. It is locked on by a "plate that is equal to the part of the rotor where the studs come through. The Studs come through the back of the rotor, then through this front plate, then through the wheel. (8 lug). If you look at the rotor there are notches on the inside, and if you look down though the rotor, you can see a square "housing" of sorts (on the truck). This seems to attach the front plate to the knuckle with 4 bolts...which are locked. No manual says anything about this at all...for any model. The closest pic IO have found is in the Chilton's manual, under R series hub removal. The rotor assembly looks the same, but the axle spindle is different. Also, if you try to get the front plate off with a puller, it pushes the spindle back in towards the rotoe (I imagine we damaged the bearing..which I also cannot find out how to remove). Soo..I am stuck

Exactly how far have you gotten into the hub? I think I know what your problem is. The hub and rotor do come off together as a unit. I can't remember if you have Independent Front Suspension or solid front axle being a 2500. With other 4x4's you would have to use a special socket, or a hammer and flathead in a pinch, to remove the piece inside the hub that unscrews thereby releasing the outer bearing and the hub assembly. I can't remember the name of the piece, but it would perform the same function as a spindle nut on a two wheel drive. This would be to compress the bearings so they can support the weight of the truck. The rotor is removed from the hub afterwards. Other than that, I can't remember much else, as I am not near any of my manuals at the moment. Good Luck! -Chris

arent we lucky... i have the same deal on my 99 k2500 sb cc srw...you have to remove 4 bolts behind the steering knuckle (u may have to clean the backside to see these bolts and move the outer cv rubbers around to get a socket on em)which holds the bearing/rotor assembly to the steering knuckle,if your equiped with front abs there is a sensor in the bearing/rotor assembly and you will remove it(with a long allen/hex key streight down between the slots in the rotor remove the bolt holding the sensor and pull the sensor streight out)and with the nut off the spindle the rotor/bearing assembly pulls right off the spindle and knuckle...now the fun starts..... u need to beat or press your 8 lugs out of the "bearing assembly"...to free the rotor.......some shop may cut the rotor with the bearing assembly still attatched (so you dont have to fuss with the lug remaval) but if you need new rotors the 8lugs have to come out..........and you new rotors will not include lugs.....let me know what u do.....

sounds like the rotor is rusted to the hub bearing assembly.

you did say k2500 which is a 3/4 ton 4x4.

If you remove the wheel and the caliper, the rotor should fall to the floor with a clank. If not it is rusted on.

Only on the 1 ton 4x4 models does the rotor and hub have to come off as a unit. (of the 4x4 models, of the 4x2 models, the rotor and bearing assembly are cast as one piece)

So, assuming you have the K2500, lets diagram the front end....

The upper control arm is for placement and alignment. It is held to the frame with 2 bushing sets and to the knuckle via one large ball joint riveted to the control arm.

The lower control arm is part of the 'spring' as it it connected to the frame by 2 bushing sets and the torsion bar and is connected to the knuckle via another ball joint.

The knuckle has a leading edge connector for the tie rod, and a circular center that the hub/bearing assembly sits into. A number of bolts hold the inner bearin to the knuckle. depending on size this runs from 3-4 (T-series, 1500, 2500).

From the differential the axle shaft has a tapered end that fits snugly into the hub and the outer nut is the most crucial part - torqued to at least 175ft lbs it holds the 2 halves of the hub bearing assembly together. (which is why you are to NEVER remove it with the weight on the wheel - you will split the bearing.

The out part of the hub contains the lugs and a flat mounting plate. This is where the rotor simply slides on. It is partially guided by the caliper which fastens to the trailing edge portion of the knuckle via 2 bolts, and is held firmly by the wheel bolts.

And there you have the best 4x4 design on the market today whose only drawback is you must spin 2 axle/cv shafts at all times.

so assuming you do have a K2500 which I just diagrammed, and you are replacing rotors, whack the inboard surface enuf times with a hammer and it will come apart. In the future, when assembling, a bit of anti-seize paste applied to the outboard hub surface and then again to the outboard rotor surface (but not braking surface) will assure simple disassembly.