I do my own brakes and have for years on my truck and trailers. One of the sticking points I've found is breaking loose rust seized on brake rotors on disc brakes.No amount of beating or heating seems to loosen them (at least in my case) and I've had to resort to using a 5 pound sledge and serious beating to get them off (at the expense of suspension parts until now that is..A good friend of mine who is a professional mechanic by trade pointed me toward his method and it works like a charmI bought a Harbor Freight 12 ton hydraulic puller (70 bucks at HF). It's jaws fit over any disc (fit my F350 discs with room to spare) and you set it up (3 jaws on the disc), align the body with the center of the hub, run it in tight, apply a squirt of penetrant to the hub and 3 strokes of the hydraulic cylinder and the disc pops right off, easy as pie. Great tool and saves a lot of grief. It actually has enough hydraulic force to break a disc off the hub if you want to do that but with me, they popped right off. Sure made a miserable job a cake walk.Little FYI for those of you that do their own maintenance, like me.

Good tip!My truck rims are aluminum and tend to stick on the steel hubs. The first time I tried to remove them with an 8 lb maul and blocks of wood. My truck mechanic buddy reminded me that heating is easier. I now heat the rim and then throw a cup of water on the rim near the hub. The dissimilar metals heat and cool at different temps so the rim literally falls off the lugs, occasionally.

My issue is keeping it square starting it inBecause of android rod (so)

disc brake caliper bolts do seem to lock tight up regardless of torque. Long wrenches, hyd. Jacks big hammers are often needed to break them loose. Never Seeze on the threads is the next mechanics dream come true.

westend wrote:Good tip!My truck rims are aluminum and tend to stick on the steel hubs. The first time I tried to remove them with an 8 lb maul and blocks of wood. My truck mechanic buddy reminded me that heating is easier. I now heat the rim and then throw a cup of water on the rim near the hub. The dissimilar metals heat and cool at different temps so the rim literally falls off the lugs, occasionally.Before I re-assemble rim to hub, I paint the hub with anti-seize compound. I usually don't have a torch, a heavy maul, or any sense of patience when I'm changing a flat tire and this works for me. The anti-seize compound stays in place on my dually for a year or more.

SDcampowneroperator wrote:disc brake caliper bolts do seem to lock tight up regardless of torque. Long wrenches, hyd. Jacks big hammers are often needed to break them loose. Never Seeze on the threads is the next mechanics dream come true.Most caliper bolts have loc-tite on them. You need to heat them a little (just a propane torch will do) to break them loose.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9zFgB8lTNM

Another 'right' tool | Good Sam Community

17 Replies

SidecarFlip
Explorer III
Jan 09, 2018
Blacklane wrote:
SDcampowneroperator wrote:
disc brake caliper bolts do seem to lock tight up regardless of torque. Long wrenches, hyd. Jacks big hammers are often needed to break them loose.

Never Seeze on the threads is the next mechanics dream come true.

Most caliper bolts have loc-tite on them. You need to heat them a little (just a propane torch will do) to break them loose.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9zFgB8lTNM

Ford caliper bolts have locking patches in the threads (at least mine do) but my IR 'Thundergun' usually winds them out.
SidecarFlip
Explorer III
Jan 09, 2018
westend wrote:
Good tip!
My truck rims are aluminum and tend to stick on the steel hubs. The first time I tried to remove them with an 8 lb maul and blocks of wood. My truck mechanic buddy reminded me that heating is easier. I now heat the rim and then throw a cup of water on the rim near the hub. The dissimilar metals heat and cool at different temps so the rim literally falls off the lugs, occasionally.

So are mine (Alcoa) and they used to stick. I use never seize on the rim mounting face now. I've been told that the spray battery corrosion inhibitor works too, but never tried that. Use a paper towel and wip a very small amount of never seize on the rim mounting face.
Blacklane
Explorer
Jan 09, 2018
SDcampowneroperator wrote:
disc brake caliper bolts do seem to lock tight up regardless of torque. Long wrenches, hyd. Jacks big hammers are often needed to break them loose.

Never Seeze on the threads is the next mechanics dream come true.

Most caliper bolts have loc-tite on them. You need to heat them a little (just a propane torch will do) to break them loose.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9zFgB8lTNM
TakingThe5th
Explorer
Jan 09, 2018
westend wrote:
Good tip!
My truck rims are aluminum and tend to stick on the steel hubs. The first time I tried to remove them with an 8 lb maul and blocks of wood. My truck mechanic buddy reminded me that heating is easier. I now heat the rim and then throw a cup of water on the rim near the hub. The dissimilar metals heat and cool at different temps so the rim literally falls off the lugs, occasionally.

Before I re-assemble rim to hub, I paint the hub with anti-seize compound. I usually don't have a torch, a heavy maul, or any sense of patience when I'm changing a flat tire and this works for me. The anti-seize compound stays in place on my dually for a year or more.
SDcampowneroper
Explorer
Jan 09, 2018
disc brake caliper bolts do seem to lock tight up regardless of torque. Long wrenches, hyd. Jacks big hammers are often needed to break them loose.

Never Seeze on the threads is the next mechanics dream come true.
rickhise
Explorer
Jan 09, 2018
My issue is keeping it square starting it in
Because of android rod (so)
westend
Explorer
Jan 09, 2018
Good tip!
My truck rims are aluminum and tend to stick on the steel hubs. The first time I tried to remove them with an 8 lb maul and blocks of wood. My truck mechanic buddy reminded me that heating is easier. I now heat the rim and then throw a cup of water on the rim near the hub. The dissimilar metals heat and cool at different temps so the rim literally falls off the lugs, occasionally.

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Another 'right' tool

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