Replacing rotors on 01 Rodeo

Had my 1st brake job about a yr ago(all four) and soon after that the front disc brakes began to grab and let go, I was told the rotors were warped by the people that did the job(Brake Team). Apparently after they were turned they became too thin. How difficult of a job would this be and does anyone have any tips.

Hi,
This is really not a terribly difficult job if you have some basic mechanical skills and tools.
If any of you Zu gurus out there catch anything I missed here please chime in...

The whole job took me about four hours. The new rotors were only $26.00 each and the pads were $24.00. If you're doing new rotors I would go ahead and put new pads on as well.
Before we begin..........
If you are not very comfortable or confident in your mechanical abilities please consider having a pro do this work for you... This is not an area you want to make a mistake in.
Please remember that this advice is from an amateur grease monkey... Double check everything!

To the best of my recollection these are the steps I followed.
Special tools needed:
*You will need a set of metric hex end sockets for this job (L-shaped hex wrenches won't work!)
*A metric socket set with an 18mm and a 22mm socket (many sets don't include a 22... if they do it's usually 1/2 drive)
*A good FT/LB Torque wrench (will probably be 1/2 drive so be sure to pick up a 1/2-3/8 adaptor if needed.)
*A caliper compression tool (or a big C-clamp will usually work.
*A small grease gun (about $8.00) and two tubes of grease.
* 1-2 cans of brake cleaner
*new rotors (you may also need new seals for the rotors)
*new pads
*packet of anti squeak for pads

Your parts store will usually loan you the wrench and compression tool for free.

Make sure you're on a flat surface with plenty of room to work. Apply parking brake.
Left front:
1:Loosen lug nuts slightly
2:Loosen the small black hex nuts on the hub using a 9mm hex end socket.

THEN jack up the front end of the vehicle using a floor jack. I wouldn’t recommend using your factory jack except as a last resort (if you must use the factory jack you might just raise one side at a time) Give yourself as much height as is safely possible and most importantly USE JACK STANDS!!!! After removing the wheel I usually slide it under the car for a little extra piece of mind.
2: Turn your steering wheel all the way to the right to give yourself clearance.

3:loosen or remove the 18mm slider bolts on the calipers. If you remove them the center assembly will come loose.

4: Remove the entire caliper assembly. The bolts holding the caliper frames on are 22mm and are a hummer to break loose. You might want to give them a shot of PB Blaster or other penetrating oil a few minutes before loosening them. You will need your long torque wrench to get these off. It's a tight squeeze in the wheel well but it works. Once they are free, try not to let the calipers hang by the brake lines.

5:finish removing the hub covers and you will find a small ring with three Phillips head screws holding it in place. You need to remove these screws to get to the nut that holds the wheel bearings, rotors and wheels on the car. Be very careful not to damage these screws! If you can, turn them by hand rather than a screw gun.

6: After you get the screws out of the retainer ring you need to remove it. It pops right out but will be stuck on with grease. Underneath you will find the threaded nut that holds it all together. it has small grooves and using a flat screwdriver you can tap the nut counterclockwise and it will spin right out.

7:gently pull the outer wheel bearings out of the hole or just pull on the rotor and the whole works will slide right off. PAY ATTENTION TO THE PLACEMENT OF BEARINGS AND WASHERS/SPACERS!! These parts will look dirty and greasy, but make sure not to get any additional dirt or grit in the bearings.

8: on the backside of the rotor you will find a toothed ring held on with more hex bolts. Wash this assembly down with brake cleaner and remove this ring. These bolts are especially crusty and sticky and will need to be sprayed with your penetrating oil before removal. Re-install this ring on your new rotor.

9: You will see a small ABS sensor (near the caliper mount) with wires connected to it... It will be covered with metal shavings (magnetic). You will need to clean this with brake cleaner and wipe the metal shavings off with a cloth.

10: I didn’t replace the seals on the back of my rotors but I guess it's a good idea... The are metal rings with rubber seals that pop into a groove on the back of the rotor. If you do replace yours, it's a good idea to put the rear bearing in place (in the rotor) before you pop in the new seal as its a little tight and you wouldn’t want to damage the seal with the bearing. Don't use a hammer to pop these seals in...every time you push on one side they are tricky and will try to pop out on the other side. Try tapping them in with the round plastic end of a screwdriver

11:Use your grease gun and load the center of the rotor with grease and put your bearings back in exactly as they came out, then grease again. Gently slide the rotor and bearings back on the shaft and try to get as much grease back into the opening and into the bearings as possible.

12: re-install the threaded nut hand tight and give the works a spin. Try to wiggle the rotor (it shouldn’t) and make sure it turns OK.

13: Now to reinstall the retainer ring with the three screws... tap the threaded nut clockwise until it lines up in a spot that the three screws can be reinstalled. The threaded nut should be snug but not too tight. the screws can only go back in in certain spots, usually about 1/4 turn past hand snug.
It is better to go slightly tighter with the nut than to leave it to loose.

14: Re-install the small black cover and hex bolts.

15: Re-install the main caliper frame with the 22mm bolts ( you should double check this but I think it was 100ftlb of torque on these bolts)

16: Pop the lid on your brake fluid reservoir and use your compression tool or c-clamp to compress the caliper pistons, install your new pads (don't forget to use brake lube/antisqueak on the backs of the pads) and reassemble the calipers. Its a good idea to put a little grease on the 18mm long slider bolts (the shaft- not the threads) once again, double check the torque for these.. 70lbs I think.

When you put the wheels back on, be very careful to use a cross-pattern when tightening the lug nuts. Over tightening or not evenly tightening is a sure way to stress the rotors.

Now for the right side.... Rinse and repeat.
Don’t forget to recap your brake fluid res.
You shouldn’t need to bleed the brakes.

Thanks bishop242 for taking the time to answer my question.
I think I should be able to do this if I take my time.Thanks again.

Johnsm,

Thanks for the article. It is very helpful

Thanks, good luck with your project!

Johnsm,

Thanks for the article. It is very helpful