Rotor/Bearing Question

Quick question on rotors. I'd like to replace them because I'm pretty sure they are warped. I'm probably going to need new brakes soon anyways as they pulse really bad, even when I'm driving slow. Now, are the wheel bearings pressed in to the rotors? Will I have to take them to a shop to have them removed? Or when I remove the rotors, will the bearings just come right out? I'd like to repack them with grease. Thanks!

 

I dont think the bearings are pressed into the rotors. I could be wrong but ive actually never...ever seen that

 

Ive never worked on toyotas much but i wasnt going to say without knowing 100%. Imagine how much of a pain that would turn a brake job into...

 

besides the fact that it wouldnt make sense mechanically... but ive seen weirder...

 

5 lug is a hub with bearings, and six lug has just the rotors sitting on the hub.

OP, how many miles are on the truck?

 

Ok, I just went through all this... Yesterday.

As already stated, the rotors come off easy, remove the caliper and the rotor comes right off. Now the bearings... Thats a different story, if the hub turns smooth and easy one the caliper and rotor are off, then leave it be... My bearings were shot, so I had no choice.

To change the bearings you have to pull the spindle knuckle assembly off the truck. Breaking loose the upper ball joint, and unbolting the steering linkage and lower joint. The bearings are sealed. $110 a side through NAPA, and they have to be pressed out and the new ones pressed in. $38 for their shop fee to press the bearings. Plus you have gaskets between the hub and spindle that will have to be replaced, and to get the spanner nut off that holds it all together, you have to pull the inner seal that goes against the CJ axle joint. Doing all the work yourself except the pressing, your looking close to $200. Not to mention after putting it back together you really need to consider an alignment.

 

I have a similar pulsing when I brake and I've been told that it's a fairly common occurence on these trucks and it's not a warped rotor but a seized piston in the caliper, anyone else heard of this? It would be way cooler if it meant replacing just the rotors and pads...on a side note, I have been noticing inconsistent tire wear down the centre tread bar that I've been attributing to this, I just put on some new skins and the pulse has been reduced...

 

^I would think the pulsation would be a greater chance of being from warped rotors. I know the rotors are warped in my Infiniti G35.

When you take it apart, I would suggest that you take and work each piston in and out of the caliper and make sure they are working freely. Sometimes one will hang up a little bit, don't move on from that till they are all moving smooth and free. My car had warped rotors, so I put new ones on and in a week they were warped. So I took the calipers lose (Brembo's 4 piston) and the pistons were not moving free. I cleaned them all up with WD40 and soapy water with a tooth brush (same as I do on my track bikes). They are working great now. Too bad it cost me a set of rotors to find out that the calipers needed cleaning...

Basically, I think the pulsating is due to warped rotors, but you need to look deeper and see what warped them. There is a good chance a froze, stuck, or just dirty caliper piston is the cause...

 

Thanks I'll do as you suggest, are these pistons straight in out jobs or are they they helical or screw type like in my previous vw's?

 

There are 2 (maybe 4)bolts that are accessible from the the inner side of the hub assembly. sometimes they are a bitch to break loose, but other than that, pretty simple.

 

They push straight in...

 

Oops....I was thinking calipers even though I read pistons...^what Kuneff said.

 

A little over 77,000. These are the original rotors & I did have them turned once as this is my second set of brakes. (front)

 

Wow! Now, I see that you have a '97. Would this be similar to my '03? Are they built the same?

 

....by the way, is that your truck there in the pic? That's bad ass!!

 

Oh and thanks Chris!

 

Thanks for this tip on cleaning the calipers/pistons. I'll have to look into this. I have never cleaned them before, so I'll have to give it a try. Done a lot of dirt roads so this could be one of the problems.