Super Stuck Rear Rotors - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Adriel · #1 10-21-2016, 09:11 PM

Parking brake secured in the full release position, cable is slack, and the rotors are super stuck on the shoes still. Any ideas how to get them off without doing excessive damage or pulling the whole rear suspension out?

Thank y'all in advance!

Sugar Bear · #2 10-21-2016, 10:54 PM

Completely back-off the parking brake shoe adjustment inside the rotors. Look through the lug bolt hole with a flashlight while turning the rotor until you see the adjustment star wheel. Use a straight blade screwdriver as a lever to fully release the adjuster. Spray penetrating oil where the rotor sits over the hub. Walk away for half an hour, put on safety glasses and strike the rotor near the hub flange and it should brake loose.

Good luck...keep us posted!!!

Frank Reiner · #3 10-21-2016, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adriel

Parking brake secured in the full release position, cable is slack, and the rotors are super stuck on the shoes still. Any ideas how to get them off without doing excessive damage or pulling the whole rear suspension out?

Thank y'all in advance!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sugar Bear

Completely back-off the parking brake shoe adjustment inside the rotors. Look through the lug bolt hole with a flashlight while turning the rotor until you see the adjustment star wheel. Use a straight blade screwdriver as a lever to fully release the adjuster. Spray penetrating oil where the rotor sits over the hub. Walk away for half an hour, put on safety glasses and strike the rotor near the hub flange and it should brake loose.

Good luck...keep us posted!!!

If the rotor can be turned, it is not "super stuck on the shoes"!!

The rotor may indeed be rusted to the hub,
OR
The retaining screw is still installed.

optimusprime · #4 10-22-2016, 05:39 AM

Is it drivable .? Fit the wheel back on and dont fit the retaining screw put penetrating oil inside the bolt holes .Re fit the wheel dont ovrer tighten the lug bolts .Drive it around the block a few times .

optimusprime · #5 10-22-2016, 05:54 AM

Adriel First if your still stuck .Yiu need to remove the caliper and this may be hard to remove also .Give the caliper bolts a little penetrating oil .See if you can undo them .I have used a small bottle jack with a new ring spanner on the bolt to break them free . Then use this method in picture to get it to come loose ,the disc will need tapping as you lock the bolt .

Diesel911 · #6 10-22-2016, 10:50 AM

If it is not the brake shoes holding it wire brush or scrape off the rust off of the lip of the hub that the Brake Rotor centers on and use a propane torch to heat that area of the rotor.
Tap on the rotor to try to drit off. If you can rotate the rotor do that as you tap.
And of course penatrating Oil.

The problem there is if you hit the rotor too hard you can possible damage the bearings. Rotating the rotor while you tap helps to keep the tapping force from beating on the same part of the bearing race.

On re-assembly put some never sieze type compound or if not that wheel bearing grease on the hub lip so that it won't easily rust again.

Diesel911 · #7 10-22-2016, 11:01 AM

Somewhere in this thread there is supposed to be pic of using a gear puller go pull off a stuck rotor.
If you do that you would likely have to replace the Washer that center blot that pulls the axle through the hub.

R1 Rotors and Stainless Steel Brake Lines on CLK500 - MBWorld.org Forums

Adriel · #8 10-22-2016, 12:32 PM

Hey, thank y'all for all the help and replies!

Not sure why, but didn't get notification until this morning after fiddling with it some more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sugar Bear

Completely back-off the parking brake shoe adjustment inside the rotors. Look through the lug bolt hole with a flashlight while turning the rotor until you see the adjustment star wheel. Use a straight blade screwdriver as a lever to fully release the adjuster. Spray penetrating oil where the rotor sits over the hub. Walk away for half an hour, put on safety glasses and strike the rotor near the hub flange and it should brake loose.

Good luck...keep us posted!!!

Now thinking should ask for a paper factory manual for birthday/Christmas, as the CDs are useless.

Now at least know it for the other side. What I did do is rock it off the shoes, little by little.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank Reiner

If the rotor can be turned, it is not "super stuck on the shoes"!!

The rotor may indeed be rusted to the hub,
OR
The retaining screw is still installed.

The shoes have warn about a 1,000th of an inch groove into the rotor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by optimusprime

Is it drivable .? Fit the wheel back on and dont fit the retaining screw put penetrating oil inside the bolt holes .Re fit the wheel dont ovrer tighten the lug bolts .Drive it around the block a few times .

Define drivable.

No retaining screw on W123s. The lug bolts hold the rotor on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by optimusprime

Adriel First if your still stuck .Yiu need to remove the caliper and this may be hard to remove also .Give the caliper bolts a little penetrating oil .See if you can undo them .I have used a small bottle jack with a new ring spanner on the bolt to break them free . Then use this method in picture to get it to come loose ,the disc will need tapping as you lock the bolt .

Honestly, that is insulting, as plainly obvious the calipers have to come off.

What I do to get stuck bolts off if have the room is get my 3/4" drive slider bar and a 3' pipe or if really bad, 5' pipe. I may look thin as a bean stalk, but have picked up and carried an air cooled engine before. But, learning that if put too much force in, things get broken.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diesel911

If it is not the brake shoes holding it wire brush or scrape off the rust off of the lip of the hub that the Brake Rotor centers on and use a propane torch to heat that area of the rotor.
Tap on the rotor to try to drit off. If you can rotate the rotor do that as you tap.
And of course penatrating Oil.

The problem there is if you hit the rotor too hard you can possible damage the bearings. Rotating the rotor while you tap helps to keep the tapping force from beating on the same part of the bearing race.

On re-assembly put some never sieze type compound or if not that wheel bearing grease on the hub lip so that it won't easily rust again.

Surprisingly, no significant rust and can pull the rotor off the hub a tad, but springs back from the force of the shoes.

What can be done if the adjuster isn't making off?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diesel911

Somewhere in this thread there is supposed to be pic of using a gear puller go pull off a stuck rotor.
If you do that you would likely have to replace the Washer that center blot that pulls the axle through the hub.

R1 Rotors and Stainless Steel Brake Lines on CLK500 - MBWorld.org Forums

I did try the puller, but the slots in the puller was too small. If had the ability to drive (insurance took back the rental) I make the hour drive into Phoenix, get some 1/2" plate, and drill holes big enough, making my own puller. But, patience won the day.

Adriel · #9 10-22-2016, 12:34 PM

New Concern/Question

What started all this was when you pull the release handle, the foot pedal somewhat release but eventually move to the engaged position.

Before going after the shoes, went through the interior release and all was good there, including the spring was intact.

Then took a 2x4 and propped the pedal in the upright/released position and gently put locking pliers on the release handle shaft so no affect. Basically, being sure all possibilities are eliminated.

Once the rotor was off, checked to see if the shoes were moving with the pedal released and engaged; no movement. Therefore, have determined the parking brake pedal and release have no affect on the parking shoes. What is causing this?

Do I then need to replace the cable?

Thank y'all in advance for any help!

Diesel911 · #10 10-22-2016, 01:18 PM

You can release some more tension on the parking brake cable with the adjustment down under where the drive shaft tunnel is.

Adriel · #11 10-22-2016, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diesel911

You can release some more tension on the parking brake cable with the adjustment down under where the drive shaft tunnel is.

But would that work for a frozen brake cable?

Adriel · #12 10-22-2016, 02:02 PM

Other side used Bear's instructions, backed off the star adjuster, and then realized this time it was the rotor. Wetted down with WD-40 (my good stuff is M.I.A.) then a couple love taps and all was well.

Moved back to under dash thinking to see now what is what with the actual cable. Never had a cable freeze up, so didn't cross my mind until now. Yep, the cable is totally frozen. Can't even get it off the release mechanism. Now what?

Adriel · #13 10-22-2016, 06:02 PM

Can see where the adjustment is located, but the heat shields are in the way and my 8mm socket is missing (screws rusted on good) and one head is stripped. So until figure out how to get all the way to Sears or order online...

Sugar Bear · #14 10-22-2016, 07:28 PM

Have had success freeing stuck cables by running penetrating oil down the inner part of the cable where it is visible at the top of the emergency brake pedal mechanism. Let it sit for a couple of days, then tap on the pedal, if it doesn't work use more oil and time. Penetrating oil on the outside of the cable will also help but not quite as much.

Good luck!!! Keep us posted!!!

Diesel911 · #15 10-23-2016, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adriel

But would that work for a frozen brake cable?

You won't know till you try it.

In the old days when I rode motocycles I used to remove the cables and get a 3x5 card and make a funnel and pour Oil in the funnel and let gravity draw the oil down into the cable.

A similar thing could be done with penatrating Oil but it would be hard to elevate the cable.

You might invent some way to inject the penatrating oil into the cable.