1972 LT1 rear rotors
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 799
Likes: 26
From: Lexington Park Maryland
1972 LT1 rear rotors
Okay, had some time this week end to work on several items on my list, one of them was to remove the calipers and rotors on the rear thinking I can get them done in a days work. Boy that was a wishful thinking, the lines were a job in itself, good thing the kit I purchase had new lines. Now to the rotors.
Are these thing specially mounted than your average rear disk with drum emergency brake? I figured take the calipers off and work the rotor pass the emergency brake system out they go, NOT. I backed off the brake adjuster and saturated the inside of the emergency system with breakefree and still no movement.
So, what's the trick on getting these rotors out from the rear brake. This car sat for three years without being moved. Pu the car in "N" the rotors will turn so it is not being bind with the emergency brake.
Are these thing specially mounted than your average rear disk with drum emergency brake? I figured take the calipers off and work the rotor pass the emergency brake system out they go, NOT. I backed off the brake adjuster and saturated the inside of the emergency system with breakefree and still no movement.
So, what's the trick on getting these rotors out from the rear brake. This car sat for three years without being moved. Pu the car in "N" the rotors will turn so it is not being bind with the emergency brake.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 3,126
Likes: 15
Yes, rivets first as Gordonm said. If the parking brake shoes have ground out the inside of the rotor "hat" then they can be a real pain. Sometimes the rotors will be rust fused to spindle. Soak for a couple days with PB Blaster. Tap rotors off. Do rotors still look to be reuseable? Rear rotors will only go on one way if you line up parking brake adj. holes. You will want to mark drivers and passenger side though. Do not use caliper bracket as a leverage point to pry rotors off as you can bend this bracket. Post back what you have going on. mike...
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 799
Likes: 26
From: Lexington Park Maryland
this car was seating for three years everything. Additionally, I purchase new brake kit that us DOT 5 with new calipers and lines changing the rotors will complete the total rebuilt of the brake system. It is a good thing I decided to go that route, the MC had nothing but water so did the lines.
I will try lining up the adjustment holes to the brake adjuster and attempt to remove them that way.
Are you talking about the "Rivets" that holds the rotor together? If not, can you photo a reference which rivets you are talking about? I tapped the rotors with a sledge hammer all I got was a lot of rust falling off from between the spindle and rotor.
I will try lining up the adjustment holes to the brake adjuster and attempt to remove them that way.
Are you talking about the "Rivets" that holds the rotor together? If not, can you photo a reference which rivets you are talking about? I tapped the rotors with a sledge hammer all I got was a lot of rust falling off from between the spindle and rotor.
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Race Director
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 15,892
Likes: 42
Rust and pitting on the friction surface from sitting is not a 'sufficient' reason to replace them. Read up on rotor runout to understand the hornet's nest you're about to wade into.
3M makes a kit for removing surface rust.
3M makes a kit for removing surface rust.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 6,390
Likes: 1,225
From: Tampa Florida
this car was seating for three years everything. Additionally, I purchase new brake kit that us DOT 5 with new calipers and lines changing the rotors will complete the total rebuilt of the brake system. It is a good thing I decided to go that route, the MC had nothing but water so did the lines.
I will try lining up the adjustment holes to the brake adjuster and attempt to remove them that way.
Are you talking about the "Rivets" that holds the rotor together? If not, can you photo a reference which rivets you are talking about? I tapped the rotors with a sledge hammer all I got was a lot of rust falling off from between the spindle and rotor.
I will try lining up the adjustment holes to the brake adjuster and attempt to remove them that way.
Are you talking about the "Rivets" that holds the rotor together? If not, can you photo a reference which rivets you are talking about? I tapped the rotors with a sledge hammer all I got was a lot of rust falling off from between the spindle and rotor.
I still have my 4 factory rotors with 55,000 miles.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 799
Likes: 26
From: Lexington Park Maryland
I'm sure with my dept mic with reading of .040 on majority of the pits covering over half of the contact surface is a good reason for me to replace the rotors. Yes, I could have used the brake re-srufacing tool collecting dust in the garage but what I paid for the new rotors compare to what it would take for me to machined the old one's. replacing them was cheaper and taking them off would yield me the how to work on this car. As I mentioned working on this Muscle car is more difficult than working on vintage Bimmers and Benz. Hey I am learning. One thing I've learned in my racing years. brakes are not the system on any cars you go cheap on specially when you are dealing with a car with lots of tq and hp. Maybe it just me.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 15,892
Likes: 42
Brooklinite was the first to try to do you a favour. There was very good reasoning behind his comment and my subsequent follow ups. Nothing I've said has anything to do with being cheap or saving money.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 799
Likes: 26
From: Lexington Park Maryland
I did a search on the Rivets subject, since they seem to be the major player why I was not able to remove them like any others with similar design. Thank you for directing me to the rivets. Please accept my apologies if I offended anyone with clarification as to why I am replacing the rotors. Definitely learned something today about brake job on these cars. Now I just need to re-assemble the parking brake. After removing the rotor every spring were in several peices from being so rusted.
Last edited by newbie2vette; Nov 22, 2010 at 09:27 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 3,126
Likes: 15
Has to do with the runout Mike is referring to. Spindle and rotor were machined as a single piece at factory to insure zero runout. My original rivets had a large flat head. I did not use new rivets as lugs will hold everything. When you replace rotors any runout of spindle/rotor combination causes a potential braking problem. When the wheels turn the rotor pulses the caliper pistons in and out and lip seals on caliper pistons allow air into brake fluid. O-ring caliper pistons prevent this. I am sure others have more info. mike...
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 15,892
Likes: 42
Has to do with the runout Mike is referring to. Spindle and rotor were machined as a single piece at factory to insure zero runout. My original rivets had a large flat head. I did not use new rivets as lugs will hold everything. When you replace rotors any runout of spindle/rotor combination causes a potential braking problem. When the wheels turn the rotor pulses the caliper pistons in and out and lip seals on caliper pistons allow air into brake fluid. O-ring caliper pistons prevent this. I am sure others have more info. mike...
Mike is touching on the heart of the matter and why swapping rotors is different on C2/C3s from any other car. This board is full of stories about guys that rushed in without doing their homework.Retaining the original rotors is almost always worthwhile and as previously stated pitting and surface corrosion is not a big issue.
I will disagree slightly with using o-ring calipers to 'mask' runout problems. The brakes should operate correctly on lip style seals in any case.
