Solution for stuck front rotors
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Freshman User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 28
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Solution for stuck front rotors
In case anyone runs into this:
I waited far to long to replace the rotors on the front of my wife's '04 Escape.
They were original and rusted pretty bad after 63,000 miles. After beating on them for awhile with a small (2lb) sledge hammer, it seemed that they were welded to the hubs.
I finally broke out my angle grinder and with a cutting wheel, cut the rotor off about 1/4" back from the face around the edge. This cut was even with the back of the face of the hub and was pretty fast and easy.
I thought that the rotor would be rusted to the face of the hub and the main part of the rotor would be loose behind it. I was surprised to find that the rotor was actually rusted (bad) to the edge of the hub and the face of the rotor slipped right off. It still took a little work to get the old rotors off the hub.
Lesson learned: change the rotors more often, or at least pull them off and apply anti-cease to the edge of the hub.
I waited far to long to replace the rotors on the front of my wife's '04 Escape.
They were original and rusted pretty bad after 63,000 miles. After beating on them for awhile with a small (2lb) sledge hammer, it seemed that they were welded to the hubs.
I finally broke out my angle grinder and with a cutting wheel, cut the rotor off about 1/4" back from the face around the edge. This cut was even with the back of the face of the hub and was pretty fast and easy.
I thought that the rotor would be rusted to the face of the hub and the main part of the rotor would be loose behind it. I was surprised to find that the rotor was actually rusted (bad) to the edge of the hub and the face of the rotor slipped right off. It still took a little work to get the old rotors off the hub.
Lesson learned: change the rotors more often, or at least pull them off and apply anti-cease to the edge of the hub.
More Turbo
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 722
Likes: 22
From: New Orleans to San Diego
I went through the dreaded "stuck rotor" issue doing a brake job on the wifes escape this weekend. I read all the threads with guys cutting and pounding the bejeses out of them.
*Here is what worked for me*
Loosen the lug nuts to finger tight and then back up in the driveway about 5 feet slowly and stab the brake pedal. Drive forward a few feet and hit the brake pedal.
The stuck rotor moaned loose from its crusted state and thus, a long battle was avoided.
*Here is what worked for me*
Loosen the lug nuts to finger tight and then back up in the driveway about 5 feet slowly and stab the brake pedal. Drive forward a few feet and hit the brake pedal.
The stuck rotor moaned loose from its crusted state and thus, a long battle was avoided.
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 7,970
Likes: 595
From: Greater Austin, Texas
I guess I got lucky, my '05 had 87K on it and original brakes when I did mine last week. I just beat on the rotors on the outer edge with a 2lb hammer and they eventually broke loose. The rear drums were stuck, too, but also succumbed to the big hammer method. I put Permatex Anti-Seize on the inside of the rotors and drums going back.
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 442
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Anyone know off hand what size allen wrench is needed to remove the caliper bolts on the Escape? Mine is a 2009.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,534
Likes: 2
From: Warren, MI
Even the '09 shop manual doesn't list the wrench size just the torque for tightening.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,534
Likes: 2
From: Warren, MI
I seen that questioned asked elsewhere but maybe not for a '09. I think that it's Metric. What's it close to and what size is inbetween? It's 37ft/lbs if you care to know.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,534
Likes: 2
From: Warren, MI
From my memory of the post elsewhere, I was going to say it's a 9mm too!
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,511
Likes: 8
From: hinckley ohio
try to push the piston in on calaper and pry up on one side then the other its been a while sense i did mine but thats what i remember doing.i believe its holding up on the inner brake pad.