Hey guys so im working on my project and im redoing everything in the brakes, I haven't taken anything apart yet but I saw that the rotors I got from ac delco don't have rivet holes in them, will they need to be riveted back on? Im doing new calipers, rotors, pads, shoes lines and hoses, if im doing everything do I have to worry about the runout that Ive heard about or will it be ok, sry last question, I was also wondering if the bearing in these cars can be repacked?

 

no, you don't need rivets...Driving the wheel studs holding the hub and rotor together is all that needed. Just make sure the surfaces are super clean or else you will have to true up the assembled parts on a disc brake lathe....

 

thanks for the response, what do u mean by driving the wheel studs

 

Removing the rivets are only part of the task. The hub and rotor are held together by the 5 studs.....you have to knock the studs out too....then put them back reversing the operation....A easy way to remove the rivets is to drill the rivets with a over size drill bit removing the head of the rivet...then a good sized drift will will aid removing the cut down rivets

 

????????????? Are you telling this guy he has to 'knock out' the wheel studs, after he's removed the original rivets just to get the rotors off??????

 

hello,
my 79 barn find needed calipers, pads, a thorough flush of brake fluid, and a good cleaning of everything on all four corners but looks pretty spiffy now! not sure if you are aware of the brake bleeding sequence, but you should search for it. left rear, right front, right rear, drink a beer, or something. i followed the procedure and had/have no issue, firm pedal with correct travel. no leaks.

like most here i'm on a budget and progress as funds allow. but rather than replace the one rubber brake line, i probably should have sprung for the braided steel lines. as i knock items off my to-do list, braided lines are popping up a little higher on my priority list.

i also repacked the front wheel bearings (a recommended 30K mile service). used solvent and got them spotless then bought a bearing repacker (local autoparts store for less than $10). i used grease that meets the GM spec in my '79 service manual, still easily available. follow the procedure for setting up bearing preload and you'll have no problem. replace the cotter pins with the correct diameter, i replaced the weenie ones the PO had in there. i also replaced the seals.

every once in awhile i'll check the temps of the front and rear wheel bearings and rotors, just to make sure all is well. should be warm-ish, not hot.

rear wheel bearings are another story, luckily the PO had the entire parking brake assemblage (cables, pulleys, pads, etc) replaced, along with rear wheel bearings and spindles.

plenty of help here. i searched for 3 years before i found my car, lurking here a lot.

 

My money says your stock rotors probably do not need to be replaced. Have you checked? Are they still within spec? If so, why do work you do not have to do?

 

You do NOT need to remove the wheel studs to remove a rotor. The rotor may be difficult to remove from the hub because of rust but it will come off without removing the studs.

Having said that, I agree with Easy Mike. Do not replace rotors that are within spec. You will probably introduce runout that isn't there now.