MoT fail, possibly a bad one.

[Dribs]

Managed to get them off with a 19mm socket and two roller pins made from some spare M3 bolts bluetaced to opposite sides of the inside (one wasn't enough). No money spent, nuts came out of the socket by hand (though sped up using a vice and a bit of wiggling). Going to replace them with standard nuts.

[Doggy]

Well done, that man!

Guess yours were properly torqued up, not battered into submission by an impact gun then.

[Dribs]

The standard ones were a pig to get off, requiring two of us, a spider, a foot one side and both arms the other.

Got the nearside rear wheel off and discovered that the rubber plugs for the handbrake adjuster holes were missing, could be why it's not working. That said, applying the handbrake stopped it from turning (just not enough for the MoT), so it should only need adjusting rather than unseized. Unfortunately we got the wrong bit and managed to undo one of the springs that holds one of the shoes, so the disk is going to have to come off. At least it will let me see what state the inside is like.

[Dribs]

Had a go at getting the pins out of the nearside rear caliper. Unfortunately they are in a very bad way and the end of the pin simply deformed when I hit it. I've given them a hefty dose of WD40 to soak in overnight and going to have another go tomorrow, but is there any solution to this? I get the feeling I may need a new caliper if I can't get them out.

[jasper5]

Had a go at getting the pins out of the nearside rear caliper. Unfortunately they are in a very bad way and the end of the pin simply deformed when I hit it. I've given them a hefty dose of WD40 to soak in overnight and going to have another go tomorrow, but is there any solution to this? I get the feeling I may need a new caliper if I can't get them out.

Are you using a pin punch? http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... &langId=-1

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/produ ... -pin+punch

Try knocking the pins in from the back first to try to free them in their holes and hit the side of the caliper where the pins go through to shake them free.

Using the end of a half inch drive socket bar on the end of the pin to knock the tiny bit that sticks out can help just move them before using a pin punch to knock the pins out.

If the end of the pin is battered too much you can grind the end of the pin down until you can get a pin punch at them.

[steve_earwig]

Just to add to Jasper's words of wisdom, if you take the caliper off the car it'll make things a hell of a lot easier, bleeding it is a small price to pay...

[GingerMagic]

I second that idea - its far easier to put the caliper in a vice before giving the pins some WD40 - grief - persuasion - hammering and swearing.....

If you gently tap the caliper with a hammer, all round the area where the pins are, maybe you can shake a little bit of rust or grit out before punching the pins again.

If you rest a brick on the brake pedal, you will not loose as much brake fluid when you remove the caliper - don't forget to soak the nut in WD40, where the brake pipe meets caliper, as it can sometimes twist and snap the pipe.

[jasper5]

If you are taking the caliper off put a brake hose clamp or mole grips onto the flexible rubber hose, that will stop fluid coming out.

[Dribs]

Damn rain.

Anyway, can you get the calipers off the disk without removing the pads then?

[markw]

Yes they should wiggle out ok, but if your discs are scored, there may be a ridge on the outer edge of the disc to overcome to get the pads to go past. Pay attention to the brake line though as you don't want to be putting strain on it while the caliper's off.

I had a couple of totally seized pins on my rear caliper that would not come out, so I carefully drilled out the thin end part and tried again to punch through. Success! At least the caliper didn't have to come off on that occasion, although as has been said, that's a small price to pay to get proper access to it on a bench. Good luck!

[Dribs]

Calipers came off with the shoes still in them thankfully. Alas my troubles continue as the disk is refusing to come off and I'm not sure how hard to hit it. My dad suggested taking the whole lot off by removing the baring, which was a mixed blessing as we found the grease to have nearly dried up into a sludge and powder. Unfortunately we can't get the nut loose with the tools we have.
WD40ed the hell out of the join between hub and disk and am leaving it to soak in before having another go.

[steve_earwig]

Do you really need to change the disks? It's a shame they don't have threads you can screw bolts into, so you can push them off against the hub. I've only seen this on the two Japanese cars I've been unfortunate enough to own...

My dad suggested taking the whole lot off by removing the bearing, which was a mixed blessing as we found the grease to have nearly dried up into a sludge and powder.

Erk! Did the hubs come off easily then, or did you need a puller?

[Dribs]

Yes, for a stupid reason. We managed to undo one of the springs that holds one of the handbrake pads, instead of undoing the adjuster, it's now loose inside the hub, so we have to take off the whole lot to find it and put it back so we can put the whole lot and then adjust it properly.

The bearing front seal came off fine with a screwdriver and a pair of pliers.

[steve_earwig]

Did you get the hub off though? They ain't cheap if you mangle one...

I think I'd beat 7 bells of wotsit out of the disk. It's probably not been off since the car was new & rust welded into place. You can't really lever it against the back plate (they're flimsy enough at the best of times) but perhaps you could put a small amount of leverage on it against the caliper carrier and then beat the feck out of it with a mallet.

[GingerMagic]

If you have popped the spring, you still need to wind the adjuster all the way down to give enough 'wiggle' space between the shoes and the discs. I am surprised it is stuck on so much, maybe hammer the top then the bottom and wiggle the rest. If theres no lip on the disc then save your money and just rub them down a bit with emery paper to shift the rust, maybe a coat of paint to keep rust at bay, the pads with clear their own way through the paint.

I used a 40mm socket with a towing bar 6ft long on the end - that undid the hub nut...., did you punch out the locking tab?

I got my new bearings for £35 inc. postage from eBay - very happy with them and can pass on the info if you need it. May as well give the back-plate a spray too as they are a definite weak spot for rust.

Grease the hell out of the new bearings and shaft before fitting them, gets them on easier and just clear off the excess afterwards..