HELP ME, PLEASE! does anyone know how to get the rotor off of a 1990 ford festiva.....i need to replace the axels, but i cant get to them.....without taking off the rotors that is.....HELP ME!
First of all, i'd get a hanes or chilton manual that covered that car - best 12 bucks you'll spend.
If the rotors are held on with phillips-head screws, you'll need a hand impact driver to take them off, possibly after heating the area a bit with a torch - the screws tend to seize.
The impact driver is about 20 bucks new from pep Boys, Sears/Craftsman, Autozone, etc. Usually made by a company called Lisle (pronounced "lyle"). It looks like a short, fat black metal cigar, with a 3/8" or 1/2"drive on one end for sockets. You fit a socket on that end with a phillips bit (usually #2), and hit it with a hammer on the other end. Be sure the tool is set to loosen, not tighten. A few whacks on the tool with the hammer will do.
Assuming you're working in your driveway and don't have acess to air-powered tools, this is the order to do things:
With the car on the ground:
1) take off the hubcap, and use an axle nut socket and a big-ass breaker bar to loosen the axle nut(s). The car should be in gear or park with the parking brake on. Have a friend push the brake pedal if necessary to keep the wheel from spinning.
Loosen, but don't remove the nut at this time.
2) loosen ( but don't remove) the lug nuts.
3) jack the car up and support with jackstands. Chock rear wheels, leave parking brake on.
4) remove wheel(s), axle nut(s), brake calipers (do not disconnect brake hoses! - support calipers with wire to not stress brake hoses), brake pads if necessary, caliper brackets if equipped.
5) remove brake rotor(s). If retained by screws, use impact driver as per above. If retained by nothing, whack the face of the rotor (not the edge or friction surface) with a 2lb hammer until it breaks the rust loose.
6) most likely you'll have to separate the balljoint and tierod end to get the spindle loose to remove the axle(s). Remove cotter pins, then remove nuts from balljoint(s) and tierod end(s). You may need a "pickle fork" set to separate the balljoints and tierods from the spindle. Try not to tear the rubber boots on those parts.
7) once the spindle is free, tap the axle end inwards with the hammer (gently) until the outer end of the axle is free of the spindle. Remove spindle.
8) find out for sure how your axle is retained. If it is like most cars, you just need to pop it out of the transmission with a prybar. If not, there may be a bolt, roll pin or snap ring to remove first. Put a pan under the car to catch any trans fluid that spills from the axle hole.
Compare the old parts to the new ones. They should match.
Reassemble:
Axle into trans (tap end gently with hammer to seat, don't hit the threads!), spindle onto car (use new cotter pins, torque nuts to spec from manual), rotor onto hub, then caliper and bracket, then wheel. Put lugs nuts and axle nut on a little more than hand-tight, lower car, torque lug nuts and axle nut to spec. Top off trans fluid.
If the rotors are held on with phillips-head screws, you'll need a hand impact driver to take them off, possibly after heating the area a bit with a torch - the screws tend to seize.
The impact driver is about 20 bucks new from pep Boys, Sears/Craftsman, Autozone, etc. Usually made by a company called Lisle (pronounced "lyle"). It looks like a short, fat black metal cigar, with a 3/8" or 1/2"drive on one end for sockets. You fit a socket on that end with a phillips bit (usually #2), and hit it with a hammer on the other end. Be sure the tool is set to loosen, not tighten. A few whacks on the tool with the hammer will do.
Assuming you're working in your driveway and don't have acess to air-powered tools, this is the order to do things:
With the car on the ground:
1) take off the hubcap, and use an axle nut socket and a big-ass breaker bar to loosen the axle nut(s). The car should be in gear or park with the parking brake on. Have a friend push the brake pedal if necessary to keep the wheel from spinning.
Loosen, but don't remove the nut at this time.
2) loosen ( but don't remove) the lug nuts.
3) jack the car up and support with jackstands. Chock rear wheels, leave parking brake on.
4) remove wheel(s), axle nut(s), brake calipers (do not disconnect brake hoses! - support calipers with wire to not stress brake hoses), brake pads if necessary, caliper brackets if equipped.
5) remove brake rotor(s). If retained by screws, use impact driver as per above. If retained by nothing, whack the face of the rotor (not the edge or friction surface) with a 2lb hammer until it breaks the rust loose.
6) most likely you'll have to separate the balljoint and tierod end to get the spindle loose to remove the axle(s). Remove cotter pins, then remove nuts from balljoint(s) and tierod end(s). You may need a "pickle fork" set to separate the balljoints and tierods from the spindle. Try not to tear the rubber boots on those parts.
7) once the spindle is free, tap the axle end inwards with the hammer (gently) until the outer end of the axle is free of the spindle. Remove spindle.
8) find out for sure how your axle is retained. If it is like most cars, you just need to pop it out of the transmission with a prybar. If not, there may be a bolt, roll pin or snap ring to remove first. Put a pan under the car to catch any trans fluid that spills from the axle hole.
Compare the old parts to the new ones. They should match.
Reassemble:
Axle into trans (tap end gently with hammer to seat, don't hit the threads!), spindle onto car (use new cotter pins, torque nuts to spec from manual), rotor onto hub, then caliper and bracket, then wheel. Put lugs nuts and axle nut on a little more than hand-tight, lower car, torque lug nuts and axle nut to spec. Top off trans fluid.
OR:
Call tow truck to take car to shop.