Replacing front brake rotors

[kupholder]

are those two screws important? i recently replaced mine and those two screws broke and had nothing to replace them...

[WyrTwister]

I have been wondering about that , too . I have worked on my own brakes for close to 45 years . All " American " cars . None had screws or bolts holding the brake drum or rotor to the axle . They are held in place when you mount the wheel on the axle and tighten the lug nuts .

On the other hand , watching car repair shows on TV , I see " foreign " cars with the two bolts or screws . And I know that the Aveo design apparently was Korean .

I you are in doubt , buy new bolts . Then , with the rotor off , first try some PB Blaster penetrating oil on the bolt & bolt hole . Let it set for a while . To soak in .

Next , some how , keep the hub from rotating and use something like vice grips or a small pipe wrench & try to un-screw the bolt or screw . Some heat from a propane torch , on the end of the bolt , may help also . Careful not to cook the wheel bearing . A cold wet rag may help with that .

More oil , with the bolt hot , may help the oil soak in .

Or , leave it as is and do not worry about it ?

But , if you get the bolts out , put some grease on the new bolts , before you put it all back together .

God bless
Wyr

[kupholder]

Thank you for the detailed response. As of right now I've left the screws off and all has been fine. Honestly I don't think they serve any real purpose...

[WyrTwister]

I could not see how they were necessary , either ?

If one was present & the other other was not , might contribute to vibration due to weight unbalance ?

God bless
Wyr

[kupholder]

I could not see how they were necessary , either ?

If one was present & the other other was not , might contribute to vibration due to weight unbalance ?

God bless
Wyr

Other than my obvious wheel bearings that need replaced, nothing sounds/feels different to me so I'm not seeing any purpose for them other than maybe just to hold the rotor on while you get your wheel in place?

[WyrTwister]

Perhaps they hold the rotors in place ( to keep them from falling off ) while the vehicle travels down the assembly line ?

But I have worked on older GM cars where there were little circular spring metal clips that held on rear brake drums . I always broke them , removing them , so the drum could be removed . Never worried about them .

I was looking at , earlier this AM , a post describing replacing front wheel bearings . Think there may be a post covering the rear wheel bearings , also ? If not , probably info on youtube .

Which , of yours , is needing repair ? Front or rear ? Or both ?

God bless
Wyr

[kupholder]

Perhaps they hold the rotors in place ( to keep them from falling off ) while the vehicle travels down the assembly line ?

But I have worked on older GM cars where there were little circular spring metal clips that held on rear brake drums . I always broke them , removing them , so the drum could be removed . Never worried about them .

I was looking at , earlier this AM , a post describing replacing front wheel bearings . Think there may be a post covering the rear wheel bearings , also ? If not , probably info on youtube .

Which , of yours , is needing repair ? Front or rear ? Or both ?

God bless
Wyr

It's the front that need replaced for me. I've already bookmarked the how-to on here for when I have the funds to do it. I would have been doing it this weekend, but now funding has to go to the tensioner pulley instead.

[Daox]

I've done it both ways personally. If they break, I usually just leave it. If they come out, I put them back in... I've never noticed any problem not having them in.

To remove them I like to use a manual impact tool shown below. When you smack it with a hammer it turns.

http://www.amazon.com/Lisle-29200-Ha.../dp/B0002NYDRG

[kupholder]

I've done it both ways personally. If they break, I usually just leave it. If they come out, I put them back in... I've never noticed any problem not having them in.

To remove them I like to use a manual impact tool shown below. When you smack it with a hammer it turns.

Amazon.com: Lisle 29200 3/8" Hand Impact Tool Set: Automotive

Awesome thank for the link! I know what is going on my christmas list this year!

[WyrTwister]

Something is not right about the 2 screws / bolts . When you have to buy a specialty tool to remove them .

Either in the design or the implementation . Maybe the metals or the platings are not compatible . Causing excessive corrosion . If our car has these , once removed , they will get greased before replacing .

Come to think about , you would not need to re-install them really tight . Just snug . With the wheel on , they can not come off .

God bless
Wyr