how to get brake rotor off

[chrisl757]

Hi. I have a 1996 Jeep Cherokee 2wd. I need to do a front brake job and am wondering if when I get the caliper and pads off,

Can I just pull the rotor off (maybe force off with a rubber mallet?), or do I need to loosen the nut and repack the wheel bearings? It is not a 4wd, so I'm not sure if I need to even do this

If I have to repack the bearings, do I need any special tools/seals?

[soldierp89]

i am not sure if it is different, but on 4x4 they have sealed bearings and hub assemblies. if they are the same, then once you have the caliper off, the rotor should just slide off. however i dont know for sure if they are the same. hopefully some1 will know more and post it.

[Saudade]

Not sure about '96. My 2wd '88 has a one piece hub with integral rotor. You need to remove the outer wheel bearing in order to slide the hub off. Be carefull with the rear bearing.

Once you get the wheel off, it should be pretty obvious.

[AlohaBra]

On the 96 the rotor is separate. But on a 2 wheel drive, I would remove and repack the wheel bearings while you are there. At the vey least, I would remove and inspect them.

[xj31]

The wheel bearings should be sealed.2wd and 4wd use the same hub and bearing assembly.2wd has a dummy shaft holding it together,if I remember correctly.

[AlohaBra]

I stand corrected on the hub. I overlooked that part on the parts diagram.

[chrisl757]

Ok,
Just changed out rotors, pads and one caliper. Very easy. The rotors came right off with no problem. The hub assembly is separate, so I didn't get stuck having to change out the wheel bearings.

bled brakes once. still spongy.

I'll start another thread on this but, should I just keep trying to bleed until it gets firm? Also, it is pretty tough to get to the front bleeder screws with the wheels on--any tricks for that

[Saudade]

You can bleed the fronts without the wheels on. I'd use a very large nut or a bunch of washers as a space and snug down a lug nut to hold the rotor. Keep bleeding.

If they were not spongy before and you didn't crack open a line, you should be OK. Often the brakes need to be bedded so they sit flat against the rotor. This can make them feel a little bit spongy.

[fredjacksonsan]

I'm figuring you know how to bleed brakes.....having someone pump up the brakes, and hold the pedal down while the other person cracks open the bleed nut....the brake pedal goes to the floor and is held there while the bleed nut is tightened...repeat, checking fluid level every few cycles.

If you've already done it the right way, take Saudade's last info as correct, and find a straight, safe area and do 3-4 stops with heavy braking to 'set' the new pads.

[AlohaBra]

Did you bleed all the brakes? Bleed untill all the fluid is clear. That way you will have fresh fluid.

Might as well adjust the rear shoes also.