Rear rotor removal
Thread Starter
2nd Gear
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: New York
Rear rotor removal
Hi guys, first time posting. I have a78 vette that was sitting for a very long time. I decided to get my son involved with bringing her back to life. This pandemic has been a hassel. I haven't been able to register it because the DMV in New York has been closed till now. We gave her a tune up and runs nice. I'm in the process of replacing the brakes and rotors but my right rear rotor doesn't come off. I drilled out the rivets and it shakes but won't pull off. I've even hit it with a sledge hammer but nothing. I know there's rust and I've been spaying it with rust penetrating spray but no luck. When I tried backing the the car out the wheel doesn't spin. I even tried pulling it with my truck while it was in neutral and all it did was drag the wheel as if it was locked. The left wheel spun no problem. I hope someone has any suggestions. I'm hoping to get my license plates this week and after I make some sort of an appointment.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 13,082
Likes: 3,399
From: SW Florida.
caliper is off, i assume. so it is emerg brake that is locked up.
a general emerg brake vid. not specific to freeing them up, but if you know what is in there it is easier to deal with. go to the back of the brake drum and spray wd-pb-whatever in the area around outside of the brake shoes. spray-whack-repeat... there is a star adjuster. look up adjusting these emerg brakes. most likely ain't gonna loosen, but it is worth a try, also if you spray WD in the slot you put screwdriver in you will hit the thread on the adjuster.
Last edited by derekderek; Jul 26, 2020 at 05:22 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,541
Likes: 1,975
From: Temple Terrace Florida
If you really can not remove the rotor, you could try removing the rotor and spindle from the inside. Put the caliper back on. Remove the half shaft. Put a large screwdriver through the top of the caliper into one of the slots of the rotor. This will lock the rotor so you can next remove the large nut on the spindle. Once the nut is out, remove the caliper and screw in a spindle knocker tool and pound out the spindle. This is extreme, but it will work. You can get the spindle tool at one of the Corvette vendors. You will have to replace the bearings on that side. Once the spindle and rotor are off, remove the parking brakes and the four nuts. The carrier will separate from the trailing arm. You could also remove the entire trailing arm and have a shop use a press to remove the rotor. Perhaps Gary at GTR99 will offer some better suggestions. Good luck. Jerry
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 11,949
Likes: 4,507
From: Virginia
Congratulations on the cool car! My garage helpers aren't too much help, but they do like Cars and Coffee (one at a time).
Can you post some photos? If you can't spin the hub/rotor, you probably can't back off the adjustment nut to release the parking brake shoes.
Even more extreme than @Tampa Jerry's suggestion, you can remove the trailing arm(s) and send them out to be rebuilt. This will work best if the trailing arms need everything anyway, and you don't mind throwing some money at the problem. Bairs is in your state and does a fine job. Your car will be disabled and on jackstands for a while, but you can redo the rear end while you are at it (spring, strut rods, shocks) and not have to do the rear hubs yourself.
Can you post some photos? If you can't spin the hub/rotor, you probably can't back off the adjustment nut to release the parking brake shoes.
Even more extreme than @Tampa Jerry's suggestion, you can remove the trailing arm(s) and send them out to be rebuilt. This will work best if the trailing arms need everything anyway, and you don't mind throwing some money at the problem. Bairs is in your state and does a fine job. Your car will be disabled and on jackstands for a while, but you can redo the rear end while you are at it (spring, strut rods, shocks) and not have to do the rear hubs yourself.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 13,082
Likes: 3,399
From: SW Florida.
that video. the pin the guy has to finesse the spring on and turn. try not to break it. it can't be accessed from behind until rear bearing-hub are removed from the trailing arm. so breaking that pin is a trailing arm rebuild.
Thread Starter
2nd Gear
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: New York
Thanks guys for all the replies. I will be trying all suggestions starting with the easiest first. With my luck though it probably will be the hardest one that works. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm hoping to get to it on Wednesday
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,189
Likes: 830
From: Chapel Hill NC
2025 c3 ('68-'73) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2025 C4 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2025 C8 Stingray of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
The rear rotor on my 68 was rusted on and the star adjuster was rusted tight and could not be moved. Gallons of PB Blaster and at least a solid hour of banging and prying and it finally came off. Didn't want to use nuclear force due to fear of breaking something. I would let it soak a few days and then go back at. Once the rotor was free of the hub I still had a hard time getting it past the parking brake shoes. Other side was a breeze- no parking brake hardware at all.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 14,402
Likes: 8,208
From: Napa Valley California
Before you start tearing things apart!
As suggested above make sure the parking brake cables are not binding.
Let a good amount of air out of the rear tires so they are almost flat which will add additional grab.
Then simply do as you did earlier and pull it with your truck.
Make sure the transmission is in neutral and pull it from the front.
If it continues to slide add a couple hundred pounds of weight behind the seats to help.
It will skid easily on dirt, gravel and on concrete, but the rubber will grab real well on asphalt.
In my career I have abated hundreds of abandoned cars off the streets and private properties.
The tow truck drivers who show up with wreckers (not flatbeds) use this trick so they don’t have to put dolly’s under the wheels when they don’t roll right away.
It may take a little distance, maybe a half a block if it’s really bound up so go slow.
If it’s been stored inside, it should break free pretty easy.
If this doesn’t work, try adding some heat.
As suggested above make sure the parking brake cables are not binding.
Let a good amount of air out of the rear tires so they are almost flat which will add additional grab.
Then simply do as you did earlier and pull it with your truck.
Make sure the transmission is in neutral and pull it from the front.
If it continues to slide add a couple hundred pounds of weight behind the seats to help.
It will skid easily on dirt, gravel and on concrete, but the rubber will grab real well on asphalt.
In my career I have abated hundreds of abandoned cars off the streets and private properties.
The tow truck drivers who show up with wreckers (not flatbeds) use this trick so they don’t have to put dolly’s under the wheels when they don’t roll right away.
It may take a little distance, maybe a half a block if it’s really bound up so go slow.
If it’s been stored inside, it should break free pretty easy.
If this doesn’t work, try adding some heat.
Last edited by OldCarBum; Jul 27, 2020 at 06:15 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,815
Likes: 470
From: Wichita Kansas
What would be wrong with using the weight of the car and a pry bar to try and get the rotor to turn. Jack that side, remove wheel of course, proper pry bar, maybe custom made, lodged in a rotor slot and very carefully and slowly lower the jack a bit and see the reaction. I'd use a floor jack so that you can be away from the rotor. On second thought this might be too dangerous.
Last edited by kansas123; Jul 27, 2020 at 12:54 PM.