When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Center punch the rivet. Use a 1/8" bit and drill through the rivet. Follow with a 7/16 bit until the head spins free. Remove the disk. Try to punch out the rivet with a drift. If you cant which I could not, grind the rivet flush with the hub.
There is no need to use rivets when re-installing unless you are looking for NCRS perfection.
Center punch the rivet. Use a 1/8" bit and drill through the rivet. Follow with a 7/16 bit until the head spins free. Remove the disk. Try to punch out the rivet with a drift. If you cant which I could not, grind the rivet flush with the hub.
There is no need to use rivets when re-installing unless you are looking for NCRS perfection.
I have to say I was pretty dismayed at the lack of foresight with this engineering choice. I was also surprised that in 35 years the rotors had never been removed until I got the car.
If you plan on reusing the rotor, make sure you mark it so it can be put on in the exact same position relative to the spindle. Otherwise you may have runout problems. Also notice the two holes in the rotor and spindle. These are for adjusting the parking brake so even if you use a new rotor you must make sure the holes in the rotor and spindle line up.
The front rotors if replaced by the dealer would have replaced the entire disk and hub as an assembly. The rears really dony wear as fast as the fronts and so not suprized they are still original. My 81 had rivited disks front and rear.
This was done at the factory to speed assembly on the line. the front hubs and rear axles were subassemblies and it was quicker slapping the assembled disk and hub on the car since the Wheels got installed almost last they didn t have to worry about the heavy rotors falling off on the line.
Made sense at the time and those engineers didn't worry about maintenance.
Once the rivets have been drilled out, you will probably have to pry the brake drum off - the parking brake shoes usually hold tight. The drum will come off