Front hub removal

[emd645e3]

I tried a search but nothing came up. I'm trying to replace some lug studs on the passenger side wheel on my GSX. I'm just wondering how the hub comes off. I got the caliper and axle nut off so far. I thought the rotor would pop off, but it wont move. My shop manual doesnt give any detail about that whole assembly.

 

[kenamond]

I tried a search but nothing came up. I'm trying to replace some lug studs on the passenger side wheel on my GSX. I'm just wondering how the hub comes off. I got the caliper and axle nut off so far. I thought the rotor would pop off, but it wont move. My shop manual doesnt give any detail about that whole assembly.

There is a trick. I'm too tired to find a link, but I've seen it covered a few times on this forum. I know there is an article at www.vfaq.com as well. The trick is that there are a couple of holes that you can use to thread bolts into and torque down to push the rotor off. You'll just break something if you try bashing it off with a hammer.

 

[jumpfroggy]

Yeah, don't bang on that thing! You definitely don't want the rotor to be warped at all. You can kinda see the holes on this pic:

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Those are two empty threaded bolt holes. Goto home depot and get two bolts, I think 12mm give or take 2mm. They're cheap, get a few different sizes, you'll only need 2 of each. Find the right size, thread it into that hold and start tightening each one a little at a time. Pretty soon you'll realize the rotor is loose, and you can pull it off. I just did this with mine, worked great even on a rusty neglected setup (see above pic). Good luck.

 

[greengoblin]

To replace the wheel studs you do not need to remove the hub. You need to remove your brake caliper and the caliper bracket. Then you remove the brake rotor . If the studs you need to replace are rusted then spray a penetrating oil on them. You will see a spot where the brake caliper and bracket were to remove the studs. Just spin the hub and line up the stud with that space (hole) and pop out each stud with a small sledge hammer.

Then replace each stud one at a time. It helps to use an asssembley lube on the shoulders of the studs as well . It makes it easier to pull them in place. To pull them snug I just used one of my old lug nuts since I was replacing them as well. Put it all back together and your done. Hope that helps.

 

[greengoblin]

Oh you meant how do you remove the break rotor. Sorry like jumpfroggy showed you.

 

[SinaiTSi]

Yeah, don't bang on that thing! You definitely don't want the rotor to be warped at all. You can kinda see the holes on this pic:


Those are two empty threaded bolt holes. Goto home depot and get two bolts, I think 12mm give or take 2mm. They're cheap, get a few different sizes, you'll only need 2 of each. Find the right size, thread it into that hold and start tightening each one a little at a time. Pretty soon you'll realize the rotor is loose, and you can pull it off. I just did this with mine, worked great even on a rusty neglected setup (see above pic). Good luck.

I'm actually really, really surprised to hear that those threaded holes worked for you. On my rotors, they were such a joke. I started tightening them down to back the rotor off and they both stripped within a matter of seconds, the threads just crumbled. Sometimes those rotors, get on there stuck real bad, like mine.

I tried a search but nothing came up. I'm trying to replace some lug studs on the passenger side wheel on my GSX. I'm just wondering how the hub comes off. I got the caliper and axle nut off so far. I thought the rotor would pop off, but it wont move. My shop manual doesnt give any detail about that whole assembly.

Hopefully those threaded holes will work out for you, but just to caution you, it could come out like mine did and that won't be good. I've seen rotors everywhere from where they just pop of to where you have to beat them with a 5lb. hammer off. Luckily for me, I was replacing the rotors anyways, so it didn't matter how screwed up my old ones got. Unfortunately for you it just sounds like you are replacing some studs and that is all. There is also another trick on vfaq about this, but that didn't even work for me. Hopefully yours aren't stuck that bad but I'm just warning you that you might have no choice but to take a hammer to them and then of course you'll definitely have to replace them.

 

[luv2rallye]

The bolts to push off the rotors are 8 x 1.25. Use grade 8.8 if possible to get. Put PB Blast or Liquid Wrench solvent in hole and work bolt in/out of the threads a few times before going all the way in. Also solvent where the rotor meets the hub and tap lightly a few times for solvent to settle. If you can't get them off this way (although you should) and you have to use a hammer, use a piece of hardwood against the rotor (ie. don't hit the rotor directly).

 

[toybreaker]

Please reinstall and torque/tighten the axle nut before beating/pounding on anything
Without the axle nut pinching the front wheel bearing together, you could quite easily destroy the wheel bearing. (the inpact force won't be spread evenly between the individual bearings and you can brinnell (dent) the bearing races.)

The rotor has two 8mm x 1.25 threaded holes. Two bolts threaded into these holes gently will provide some leverage for removing the rotor from the hub/spindle. These holes are usually corroded and won't take much torque, so don't get crazy applying force to them. They strip everytime. Factory rotors have a pretty thick face compared to aftermarket rotors, and on many cheapy rotors, there may only be a few threads to work with. You can't expect the bolts to remove the rotor in a lot of cases where there is severe corrosion.

I would suggest spraying the stud holes and centering ring with pb-blaster, and putting some tension on the rotor with the 8mm bolts and then tapping the rotor hat gently, but firmly in several different places to break the rust bond between the outside of the hub and inside of the rotor hat. In my experience, that's where they seem to stick. A little heat judiciously applied to the rotor face and hat area will almost always allow the tension from the bolts to pop it free.

Knock the lug studs thru, and then pull the new studs thru with a lugnut. I would strongly recommend a washer or some kind of spacer between the lugnut and the hub, to prevent the hub from getting all gouged/boogerfied by the face of the nut.

To prevent your rotors from sticking/siezing on the hub in the future, you can knock the irregularities and corrosion off the outside with a file while you have everything apart. If you look at the outside diameter of the hub you'll see some areas that show a contact pattern from where the rotor was locating/stuck on the hub. I usually just take a flat file and make a couple of passes around the outside of the hub. This doesn't remove much material and the rotors never stick again...

 

[jumpfroggy]

8mm seems kinda small, I should take my wheel off and double check. I initially put in a small bolt, and it seemed to strip and I thought it was going to be a very long day. But on a whim I tried a bigger bolt (10mm? 12mm?) and it looked way too big, but it fit exactly in there and went in no problem, then I was able to pop the rotor off. So try bigger ones, I'll double check when I get back home so I'm not spreading disinformation.

That's the part I absolutely hate, when bolts get stuck, parts wont come off, all that. I think all my car-work would take a third of the time if I were working on a new car, but since everything's corroded it takes way too long and I always get stuck at some frustrating bolt. I've now got taps, dies, and an impact driver (hand-held screwdriver thing). Next on the list is an impact hammer, easy-out set, big vise grips, and PB blaster. Is PB really better than WD-40?

Good luck with the studs.

 

[emd645e3]

Thanks a lot guys! I'll try the bolt method. I'll let you know what happens.

 

[wret]

Thanks a lot guys! I'll try the bolt method. I'll let you know what happens.

Did you miss post #4? You don't need to remove the rotors to replace lug bolts.

 

[kenamond]

I think you guys are talking about the wrong holes (atleast the holes circled in the image above is not what I'm talking about).

This is what I'm talking about.

Good luck!

 

[diablos991]

I think you guys are talking about the wrong holes (atleast the holes circled in the image above is not what I'm talking about).

This is what I'm talking about.

Good luck!

I use both sets of holes, a puller, and a can of PB blaster.

 

[xveganxcowboyx]

Be careful if you're messing with bolts on the front of the rotors. I broke one once before realising it held on my ABS sensor plate (or whatever you want to call it). I've had ABS issues since.

 

[90mitsu3clipse]

Thanks a lot guys! I'll try the bolt method. I'll let you know what happens.

If that does not work use alot of pb or wd 40, and you can tap on it pretty hard. The only reason it would warp, is if they were extremly hot.

 

[emd645e3]

Did you miss post #4? You don't need to remove the rotors to replace lug bolts.

I thought it might be easier if I tried to get it off, but I just decided to bang out the studs and put the new ones in without taking the rotor off. They all came out and went in really easily. Eclipse will be moving again tomorrow.