87landshark

Can you guys help? I'm trying to install wheel spacers and need to put longer studs in the rotors. I'm having trouble getting the rotors off the car. The screws came out easily, and the E brake is off. I'm hitting them with a rubber tipped hammer to no avail. Trying to get it done before the rain starts to fall, please help! Does the 32 mm nut at the center of the hub need to be removed?

NoVector

Have you tried pressing them off? Sorry, I don't remember the size of the bolt... and this is a front rotor, but same idea.

j.kenzie@sbcglobal.net

I used the bolt pressing method. I tried with regular bolts, and they sheared off, so I got hardened bolts (grade 6?) and it worked fine.
Good luck,
Dave

87landshark

To pull the studs out? I could see that working alright, but the new studs eibach sent with the spacers have to be put in the hub from behind. Does anyone know if that hub has to come off as well, in order for the studs to be installed? Surely someone on this forum has felt the need to put in wheel spacers before.......

Ducman82

hub will have to come off. then have the old studs pressed out, and new ones pressed in.
remove the brakes, remove the rotor, unbold the axle, remove the hub (in car if you have the correct tools) or remove the whole hub assembly and press it out on a bench.

Avar928

Your rotors are being held on by built up corrosion on the side of the rotor that mates with the hub. I had a field day getting my fronts off. Because I was replacing them, I could be more liberal with how I treated the rotors (metal hammer).

Get PB blaster and try to soak the inside of the rotor by spraying at the inlets along the center and the wheel stud holes. Get a thin but large flat head and prying from the sides of the inner edges try to get some separation on one side and then rubber mallet that side to work it out then go around all the edges.

Be careful if you're re-using the rotors obviously and thoroughly clean the hub before re-installation. It'll make taking them off a bit easier the next time.

87landshark

Thanks ducman.. Much more work than I thought it would be,par for my course. How difficult to swap out the studs with the hub in the car? What tools would I need?

85euro928

If i'm not mistaken there's no room to press out the studs while the hub is on the car. I just did this last fall and it's a bit of a job. If you have it apart this far, and haven't done so yet, you should consider changing out the bearings while you're in there.

mj1pate

I just had to press off the rear rotors to do rear suspension work. Yes, they were very stubborn and turning bolts into the threaded holes looked to potentially create a bigger problem (damage). I went to Home Depot and purchased a large wooden rod, probably 1.5 inch thick. I cut it off to about a 12" length. Crawling underneath the car, I placed one end of the rod on the backend of the disk, available via an open space in the brake dust cover. I hammered on the other end of the wooden rod with a 3 lb hammer and after a few blows, the disk came free. I had to do the same operation to remove both rear rotors. The wooden rod took a beating; the disks were fine.

87landshark

Oh man. This is turning into more than twice the job I originally thought it was. For another time, when I need brakes and will be replacing the rotors. While the weathers nice I'm gonna drive the car. I'd rather do that than anything else. Thanks to all for your help. Your all invaluable.

dr bob

Got here late...

Pull the hubs to replace the studs. There isn't adequate room to press them out from the front safely, and there's lots to damage if you try to beat them out (as many amateurs/DIY's seem to do). With the hub out, the studs press out and get replaced with a support fixture that prevents distortion/stress on the hub. Know that pulling the hub will destroy the wheel bearing as it brings half of the inner races pair with it on removal.

Bertrand Daoust

You don't need to remove the 32 mm bolt to remove the rotor.

Like NoVector said, use use the bolt pressing method to press the rotor out.
It will work that way.

Hilton

Um.. lets backtrack a bit before this gets mighty expensive.

Why are you installing spacers?

To remove the studs and fit new longer ones, you'll need to remove the rear hubs. This will destroy the rear wheel bearings - so you'll need new ones of them too. They're expensive.

If you're doing this just to fill the rear arches, then if the wheels you're fitting aren't too wide, your best bet is the bolt-on spacers which include their own studs (they're around 21mm IIRC).

Of course, new rear wheel bearings might not be a bad idea.. just make sure you've got all your jobs lined up to do at once while the hubs are off (e.g. re-plating the dust shield behind the e-brake pads)

In answer to your question - use a couple of M8 bolts. There are two threaded holes in the rotor which they screw into, and press it off the hub. Of it won't come off easily, odds are there's some corrosion on the inside of the rotor binding against the e-brake shoes.

mark kibort

10lb mallet on the rotor. It will come off eventually, but dont do it unless you really need new rotors too. bold on the bolt on spacer with studs. Ive been racing with it for over 10 years now, no issues.
get the porsche stock version. its about 17mm if i remembrer correctly, and they are made up to 1" i think. Otherwise, its a big job to remove all the stuff to do a hub job.