I just got four brembo's + pads and in my attempt to install them, I ran into the two phillips screws that hold the rotor onto the hub. Being a 93, I was worried that they might be seized, but the car is in great shape (only 34k miles) and there's no rust anywhere around there. Hasn't seen a winter I believe. Still, the screws will not come out.

On my first attempt, I tried the good old screw driver. I couldn't get enough torque, so we fitted a socket on the end, hooked up the torque bar, and push slowly while keeping the pressure in the screw. Didn't work, the screw just ground out and is now rounded into nothing.

So I read up on it and everyone seems to suggest using a hand impact screw driver. I head out to sears, pick up the craftsman, and go at it. It's a pretty sweet tool, but doesn't seem to be loosening the other screw at all. I start hitting it harder and it really doesn't work. Finally I'm smacking it with all I have, and it's starting just barely to round out, but the screw hasn't budged. So I guess I'm just going to be stuck with the stock rotors forever! Yeah right.

So at this point should I give up and take it to a shop? I'll probably just ask them to remove those screws or at least loosen them, then put the wheels back on and I'll do the rest back at home. I really love doing this stuff AND I don't want to pay the money to have a shop to the actual install.

 

drill them out.......you don't need them

 

you might've stripped the threads so it won't unscrew it now. just drill it out.

 

Not to be a dick, but are you sure you have the impact driver set to loosen when you hit it?

I've been through this and I'm surprised it's not working for you. You can drill those shitty little screws out and either replace them or say goodbye. They're only there to hold the rotors on when you change a tire, you don't need them at all.

If you're feeling frisky, you can get reverse drill bits that work in the opposite direction of a normal bit; with the drill in reverse mode. They have the advantage of not only drilling out the screw but potentially backing it out while you're drilling it. Snap-On makes them, but you can find cheaper ones if you look around. Good luck.

A '93 w/ 34k? Nice find dude.

 

Impact driver if you stripped the threads drill the heads of them

 

By drilling out, do you mean using an extractor kit and going at it that way? Or just drilling it out, putting the new rotors on, and forget about screwing them in?

 

Okay, thanks guys. I'll just drill them out, see if the extractor can get out the rubble left in the hub, but if not.. f it.

And yes, I know that I was using the driver the correct way.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kettnerc &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">By drilling out, do you mean using an extractor kit and going at it that way? Or just drilling it out, putting the new rotors on, and forget about screwing them in?

</TD></TR></TABLE>

Just drill 'em out with a regular drill. The wheel and lug nuts will keep the rotors in place.

 

just drilling it out, putting the new rotors on, and forget about screwing them in?
yes

 

spray that bitch down with PB blaster then try again in the morning.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Debaser &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Not to be a dick, but are you sure you have the impact driver set to loosen when you hit it?

I've been through this and I'm surprised it's not working for you. You can drill those shitty little screws out and either replace them or say goodbye. They're only there to hold the rotors on when you change a tire, you don't need them at all.

If you're feeling frisky, you can get reverse drill bits that work in the opposite direction of a normal bit; with the drill in reverse mode. They have the advantage of not only drilling out the screw but potentially backing it out while you're drilling it. Snap-On makes them, but you can find cheaper ones if you look around. Good luck.

A '93 w/ 34k? Nice find dude.</TD></TR></TABLE>

actually they are there so you can thread a bolt into the holes and push the disc off the hub. he's right tho, you dont need the screws, but i would just keep em if you can.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jdmstreethatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

actually they are there so you can thread a bolt into the holes and push the disc off the hub. he's right tho, you dont need the screws, but i would just keep em if you can. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Thank you sir, I've learned something today.

 

yep....im in a brake class at school this semester......thats the only reason i know that lol

 

Here's what I did when I couldn't get those little screws off the rotor, or when they started to strip:

I grabbed a flat-head screwdriver bit and a ViseGrip wrench. Then I clamped the ViseGrip onto the flat-head screwdriver bit as hard as I can so it kind of looked like a socket wrench. I then hammered the flat-head into the stripped screw on the rotor. Make sure you hammer it and wedge it in there pretty good so there is no slack. Then turn counter-clockwise.

It worked for me when I tried it. Good luck.

 

Thanks for the help guys.. it worked like a charm to drill them. I should have thought of that. The brembos, hawk hps', velox vx-6rs and toyo proxies 4 are on but I can't post a picture because then this thread will get moved to appearance like my other thread and I'm not allowed to post there. That was real smart...

Am I allowed to link??
http://www.shadowedillusions.c...4.jpg

 

What kind of Brembos are those? They look so shimmery. I have Brembo Blanks and they don't look like that. Maybe it's the lighting in you picture.

 

Hey, my 0.02 - if you take a die grinder and remove the mangled remains of the philips recess before you take the drill bit to it, you have a much smaller chance of breaking your bits. 'Specially if they're the f*ing expensive cobalt ones. The Snap-on screw extractors are worth the money too. This all comes from an F-18 Hornet maintainer who pulls stripped screws on a regular basis. Jim.

 

Use some EZ outs. That's how I did mine that were too stuck to come out with the impact driver.

 

every time i do brakes, i just go to honda and buy all new phillips screws... i wont even attempt to unscrew it out, instead i just drill it out...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ricey McRicerton &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Use some EZ outs. That's how I did mine that were too stuck to come out with the impact driver. </TD></TR></TABLE>

What's an EZ Out?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JDM Ninja &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What kind of Brembos are those? They look so shimmery. I have Brembo Blanks and they don't look like that. Maybe it's the lighting in you picture.</TD></TR></TABLE>

They are just the brembo slotted... bronze/gold finish. You can get them at tirerack.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Debaser &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

What's an EZ Out?</TD></TR></TABLE>

They look similar to drill bits but are super hard. You drill a hole, tap them into the hole and then can unscrew them.