i dropped by the dealer, picked up pads, assumed once i "popped off" the rotors that "simply sit on the hub" i would either replace or machine them. not so fast! doing brakes on these trucks is super easy if the s*** wasnt all rusted together!!

ive never had this happen... on my old explorer (200k), 20 year old porsche, and my passat with double the mileage.

I just gave up, they were pretty smooth on both faces. so i just put the caliper plates back on, and stuck the new pads in there ha! everything feels great. just a gnawing feeling for not doing the complete job.

 

just beat the rotor off with a hammer...all you do is put a lug nut on one of the studs and go to town on the rotor with a dead blow hammer...they come right off

 

i was using a deadblow it wasnt budging. i admit i didnt soak it in PB or anything... eh, maybe next time it'll come off in another 30-40,000 miles lol
for now they seem to be happy, no vibrations or pulsating, but its pretty early to tell. ive never done a brake job without at least machining the rotors... :-/

 

which side of the rotor were you hitting on and were you hitting it in different spots?

 

its too late now is all back together :)
but i was hammering away on the 3 and 9 ock positions from the back.
i also used PB (without proper soak time) around the hub. i hit it a few times on the face of the hub too to see if that would help get things moving...

i thought about wedging a wrench between the frame, and the back of the rotor, then starting the truck and turning the wheel but nothing about that bright idea seemed very bright so i just said the hell with it and fitted the new pads and clips in :)

 

the trick is rotate the rotor and hit it at the same time and dont be afraid to smack it

 

How many miles? I pulled mine at 70k and again at 120 and 140k and they still look thicker than the replacement ones I bought to put on...

 

it has 70,500 miles, crazy?!

and i was rotating it constantly while hammering away.

 

once I had removed the silver locking ring one side took about a dozen or so hits the other one took 2 and almost fell on my foot...

 

Brake rotors? Easy. Beat the **** out of them with an 8 lb sledge hammer. Brake drums? Easy. Beat the living dayshits out of it with an 8 lb sledge hammer.

Got rusty rotor/drums problems? Get a bigger ----ing hammer and beat the **** out of it. Problem solved.

 

151k on stock rotors, machined them twice and they are still thick and with in the specs

 

if the 4x4's have silver locking rings on them, i did not see them! to my knowledge (and the ford tech manuals) they just sit on the hub.

Once i committed to using a bigger sledge i was going to commit on getting them off, even if that meant cutting them off, i just didnt want to go there. I stopped after my 5lb mallet. so far they feel butter smooth but i figure if theres going to be any vibrations or pulsating i wont know till the pads are fully broken in.

i prob knocked off 3 pounds of rust flakes :)