This is part 2 of our Relining Front Disc Brakes and Rotor Service blog posts. You can catch up on part 1 here.
Step 10
Note the inner pad still in the caliper mounting bracket. The irregular wear is from rust build up on the rotor. Don’t simply knock out the pad from the bracket. Do a visual inspection first and note any problems present.
Step 11
It took a lot of force to knock out the inner pad from the bracket. This was because of the 10 years and 135,000 miles of driving and lack of lubrication on the truck from the factory. These brakes had never been serviced since new. It’s quite remarkable that the brake system didn’t have more problems than it did seeing its age and lack of periodic service.
Step 12
Once the pads are removed, use a small pocket screwdriver and lift off the abutment clips. These should be replaced when new pads are installed.
Step 13
Removing a dust cap can be easy or hard. The tool shown is far superior to a channel lock type of pliers.
Step 14
On a tapered wheel bearing type of hub, such as the one shown, wipe off the excessive grease as you find it. In this case wipe off the grease found under the hub dust cap. This saves a lot on parts washer fluid and cleaning time.
Step 15
After removing the cotter key and spindle nut, wiggle the hub assembly and the outer bearing will move forward and out of the hub.
Step 16
After removing the outer bearing, put the spindle nut back on. Next, gently pull the rotor outward allowing the inner wheel bearing to drop down and follow the taper of the spindle. When the inner bearing contacts the nut, push inward slightly then pull out ward sharply. This will extract the inner bearing from the hub along with the grease seal.
Step 17
Again, wipe out the excessive grease if it is found inside the hub. It’s quicker than trying to dilute it with parts washer fluid.
Step 18
Place everything, the rotor/hub assembly, both bearings and the spindle nut and washer in the parts washer and get ready to thoroughly clean them.
We will have more of the story on how to properly perform a front disc brake reline and rotor service next week for Tech Tricks Tuesday.
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