Replacing rear brake rotors (Page 1/1)
Cliff Pennock AUG 02, 01:26 PM
Two years ago, I replaced my front rotors (and bearings and pads) and that was actually pretty easy to do. This year I want to replace the rear rotors and I can remember it was even an easier job than replacing the front rotors. I had found either a YouTube video or a posting here on PFF describing how to do that. Problem is, I can't find neither. Yes, I've used the search.😁

So what are the steps for replacing the rear rotors? I'm going to replace the pads as well, and know how to do that. Just don't know how to replace the rotors...
css9450 AUG 02, 01:49 PM
You pretty much just unbolt the calipers, hang them with a hook or a wire so they don't dangle by the hose, and remove and replace the rotors. That's about it.

Be sure to clean off any loose rust on the face of the hub, so the rotor seats nice and flush. I also apply some antisieze there too. Also, clean the oily coating on the rotors off first with brake-clean spray.

The rear calipers require more work than the fronts because they also contain the parking brake mechanism.... Probably drserves it's own thread.

[This message has been edited by css9450 (edited 08-02-2022).]

Fiero_Adam AUG 02, 07:18 PM
Yeah, replacing the rotors on the back is easy because they just fit over the wheel bearing hub, unlike the front with the hub as part of the rotor. The harder part is messing with the rear calipers.
Here's a thread with some good info, though you may have found this already.

https://www.fiero.nl/forum/...110502-2-102452.html
theogre AUG 02, 08:55 PM
You need a C-clamp to retract the pistons.
See my Cave, Clamp Method notes

before unbolt the calipers...

Release small end of P-brake cable.
Remove spring.
Remove nut and arm. (If needed put nut back on a few threads while working on other parts.)
Follow cave directions after pulling the caliper.

If caliper is "stuck" on rotor's edge... Clamp the whole thing or pry/press as shown in cave.
You clamp in center of outer pad. Pad Clips will move and push back the piston enough to clear rotor rust.

You Do Not need to Force a piston in. Force = Bad. Piston F'd or just a crap clamp.

after done, if piston(s) won't self adjust... their bad. Any manual adjust including cave is only a temp "fix" at best.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave

kendell AUG 03, 11:19 PM

quote
Originally posted by theogre:

You need a C-clamp to retract the pistons.
See my Cave, Clamp Method notes

before unbolt the calipers...

Release small end of P-brake cable.
Remove spring.
Remove nut and arm. (If needed put nut back on a few threads while working on other parts.)
Follow cave directions after pulling the caliper.

If caliper is "stuck" on rotor's edge... Clamp the whole thing or pry/press as shown in cave.
You clamp in center of outer pad. Pad Clips will move and push back the piston enough to clear rotor rust.

You Do Not need to Force a piston in. Force = Bad. Piston F'd or just a crap clamp.

after done, if piston(s) won't self adjust... their bad. Any manual adjust including cave is only a temp "fix" at best.




Sounds like much easier with the use of c-clamp
RWDPLZ AUG 04, 12:11 AM

quote
Originally posted by Cliff Pennock:
I had found either a YouTube video or a posting here on PFF describing how to do that. Problem is, I can't find neither. Yes, I've used the search.😁



Git gud, scrub

Cliff Pennock AUG 04, 11:14 AM
This morning I decided to just go ahead and do it and go from memory. In total it took me 6.5 hours for both sides. Pretty decent I would think. 😁

I did find a few problems. On the driver's side, the clip that holds the inner brake pad was missing. And i didn't have a spare so installed the brake pad without the clip - making sure it was snug against the brake cylinder when I installed the caliper. Also, there was a tiny tear in the piston seal. I do have a complete rebuild set, but rebuilding the rear caliper is something for another day/year/decade. What I did is actually glued it together with a tiny bit of super glue. Enough to make sure no dirt can get in.

The sliders of the same brake were seizing bad. I was already planning on cleaning them up and re-lubricating them, but getting them out wasn't easy. I used a flat end screwdriver and tried to hammer it out but that actually caused the bolt to get out of the slider (and destroying the bolt). I eventually got the slider out from the other side (using a socket wrench that fots the hole, and a C Clamp). Fortunately, I had two spare sliders so I threw the old ones out and used the replacements.

The last time I had the rear brake pads replaced, I had it done by a garage. And I noticed they replaced the locking nut (on the actuator screw) with a "normal" nut. Apparently that didn't really cause a problem these past years, but I know these locking nuts are "special" in some kind of way...

I used a iron-saw to change the hexagon levers into octagon levers to make my live easier installing them.

I did a test drive and my Fiero actually brakes better now. Although I can hear the pads rubbing against the rotors (can't remember the english word for that, but you know what I mean. "stick?").
stevep914 AUG 04, 04:45 PM
I rebuilt my rears a couple of years ago; Autozone here in Mexico actually had the kits! Between posts here, and my Haynes manual, it was not a difficult job; just time consuming. As for the slider pins; not being able to get those here, I used very fine emery cloth to polish them up, and special grease to reinstall them. With our salt air affecting everything here, they are still working like a charm.