Rear rotor removal

[jeffk388]

Car: 2002 Maxima

My rear brake rotor is very hard to remove. Are there other parts I need remove? I removed pads and caliper. Any suggestion?

Also need to know torque for the lug nuts.

[tempfixit]

Originally Posted by jeffk388

Car: 2002 Maxima

My rear brake rotor is very hard to remove. Are there other parts I need remove? I removed pads and caliper. Any suggestion?

Also need to know torque for the lug nuts.

Check out the autozone.com repair manual, it may help on the removal. I have never sone a brake job on your vehicle but according to the maual you may need to remove nut to remove rotor.

[jeffk388]

I hit the rotor (actually hub) with a steel hammer until it gets loose. It worked.

Next question is how to push the brake plunger back. It was really really hard to push. I was able to rotate it a couple of times, but it never get back.

[tempfixit]

1. Turn the piston clockwise back into the caliper body. Remove some brake fluid from the master cylinder, if necessary. Take care not to damage the piston boot.
   
2. Coat the pad contact area on the mounting support with a silicone based grease.
3. Install or connect the following:
   
   
   New pads, shims and the pad springs
   
   Caliper body into position and torque the caliper pin bolts to 16-23 ft. lbs. (22-31 Nm)
   

Go to www.autozone.com and register for the repair manual, it will be helpful to you.

[Nahkapohjola]

Originally Posted by jeffk388

I hit the rotor (actually hub) with a steel hammer until it gets loose. It worked.

Next question is how to push the brake plunger back. It was really really hard to push. I was able to rotate it a couple of times, but it never get back.

Its always tough to get it screwed down enough. Possibly the piston is already rusted; (fluid has to be changed every 2-3yrs - and nobody seems to care...) pull the rubber boot and peek under while piston is out position. If its badly rusted, whole assy has to be changed; first pull piston out and clean, and if ok, buy new rubber parts, replace. Check cylinder & Piston: the main point is that the area where piston seals into the cylinder is rust free. Other spots outside piston sealing area, dont care how they look, sand down any dirt.

Do remember to lube the piston (under rubber boot) ! ONLY with special BRAKE ! grease; boosts brake performance over 10%

Later, do remember TO USE brakes. I mean while parked once a month real hard push so that you exercise all cylinders and the lube ... you have now added on each piston ... and swap the fluid again after 2 yrs. Dont use brakes = rust em again...

See here http://www.cardomain.com/ride/748507...maxima/page-18

[jeffk388]

Thanks for your help.

I made a tool to rotate the piston using long-nose plier. The noses of the plier were open as much as diagonal distance of two notches, then tied the handles with a stell wire. Now the plier is like an "X" with handle connected so that I did not worry about keeping right distance of the noses. For one side, this was enough to rotake the piston with one hand and the other hand holding the piston body.
The other piston was really hard to turn. So I installed the torque member and caliper without pads. Since the piston is held firmly on the calliper, I was able to rotate the piston with both hand.
"Let the right tool do it." Yes, the X-plier is semi-right tool in this case.
One thing I forgot is that one notch on the piston head should be align with the pin on the back of the inner pad.

Regarding torque:
17 mm holding torque member: 28-38 lb-ft
14 mm holding caliper: 16-23 lb-ft
Lug nuts: 80 lb-ft while the tire is airbourne.


Another question: The old shims did not fit on new pads and new pads had shim like plate on the back. Should I worry about putting shims?

[Nahkapohjola]

Originally Posted by jeffk388

...
Another question: The old shims did not fit on new pads and new pads had shim like plate on the back. Should I worry about putting shims?

They should fit in - reality sometimes differs from specs... Some call em anti squel shims. Dunno, havent found any difference. Maybe there is ... at least if u want to buy em at stealership.

However, the grease makes all the difference: it also works in sealing, moisture has harder time to pass into the fluid. In the end, swap the fluid.