[easton159]

Please help as I am replacing pads and rotors on my 2007 335i and am having trouble removing the rear rotor. Everything is unbolted, including the front bolt on rotor. Does parking brake have to be disengaged or possibly unhooked? This is the first wheel I have tackled and it is the passenger rear. Please help. Thanks

[335iaz]

you need to have the parking brake disengaged!!!

Also, get some pb blaster and squirt it around the inner part of the hub ... let that soak, and frankly since I was replacing my rotors .. I ended up taking a sledge hammer around the edge of the rotor (bang on one side .. go to the other side and bang) they finally popped off.

parking brake for sure off!

[ECSTuning]

Insure the parking brake off is off. Also often the rotor will be seized onto the hub. 335iaz's method is one that works well, just keep in mind you don't want to hit it too too hard and risk any damage to the parking brake assembly.

[easton159]

Thanks so much! That's all it took. Appreciate the help..

[vapore0n]

Normally, rotors have like a hole where you can screw in a bolt. This hole is in the middle area of the rotor. This will push apart the hub and rotor. Doing this is a lot safer than hammering the shit out of it.

[335iaz]

Originally Posted by vapore0n

Normally, rotors have like a hole where you can screw in a bolt. This hole is in the middle area of the rotor. This will push apart the hub and rotor. Doing this is a lot safer than hammering the shit out of it.

The screw was out ... I am not saying hammer it to shit .. just saying that sometimes hitting it around the edge of the rotor helps loosen it up. The fronts for me just fell off, but they didn't want to budge at all in the rear .. even after the parking brake was off and PB blasted it

[easton159]

Thanks so much! That's all it took. Appreciate the help..

[335iaz]

Glad to see you were able to change everything, did you change out the brake pad sensor? did you reset your rear brake service indicator?

[vapore0n]

Originally Posted by 335iaz

The screw was out ... I am not saying hammer it to shit .. just saying that sometimes hitting it around the edge of the rotor helps loosen it up. The fronts for me just fell off, but they didn't want to budge at all in the rear .. even after the parking brake was off and PB blasted it

oh i know. I was talking about personal experience. On my STI I started hammering the shit out of the rotors and they wouldnt move at all. After like 30 mins I searched around for a screw that would fit the hole. The came out really easily after that.

[Projekt_BooGie]

Originally Posted by 335iaz

Glad to see you were able to change everything, did you change out the brake pad sensor? did you reset your rear brake service indicator?

what he said?? I need to do this soon.

[Efthreeoh]

So the trick I use for rear rotors is this:

A little PB blaster at the lip of the hub. I actually use something called Kroil.

I get about an 18-inch long piece of 1 1/2 inch wood dowling (coat closet bar) and a 2-lb sledge hammer.

Hit the back side of the rotor (in the section where the caliper sits) with the hammer to the dowling. Rotate the rotor and hit it again. Go all the way around the rotor edge this way. It will pop right off (assuming you've released the P-brake).

Using a 2-lb sledge lets you use a low swing speed but still get a good amount of energy into the rotor. Using the dowling softens the blow to the rotor face and lets you resuse the rotor if you want, and allows for an open space to swing the hammer.

[mapleridge]

my right rear was superseizedcity. I had to smack all around the rotor for an hour and pb blasted it to death. I thought it would never come off. They can get bad.

[Ph0zenstone]

Might be a stupid question but are you guys hammering the front of the rotor (side that faces the wheel) or the back? I can't seem to get enough leverage to hammer from behind the rotor but I keep seeing that everyone goes to town on their rotors with a BFH.

[Meeni]

Hammer the hat from the front. A single powerful blow is sufficient if you do it right. You want a heavy hammer. Hammering the rotor itself front or back has no effect or minor.

[Ph0zenstone]

Thanks will try again today once I get a dead blow hammer

[Ph0zenstone]

I used a 3lb dead blow and pounded the hat for about 20 minutes with no luck. Ebrake is off and retainer screw is off. Any other methods before I give up and being it to an Indy?

[AllBlackBimmer]

Spray the hell out of it with wd40 and let it soak...

Had same problem, tried for over an hour at first without luck. I was afraid of damaging the bearings slamming it with a sledge even though did give a few whacks.

Then let it soda overnight in wd40.... 5 mins the next day and both rear rotors were off.

[Jklad]

Yes my rears took some time and I was worried they would not come off. Sprayed pb blaster in each rotor hole, center Hub, anywhere I could, about 3 separate times, and then took my time hammering around the rotor, turning rotor then hammering from behind. Eventually they came off after about 30 min each of spraying and pounding. good idea to have a cloth or something to place between hammer and rotor to cushion the blow.