OT - Phillips Head Screws On Brake Rotors

[DerbyDad03]

The recent thread about impact wrenches got me thinking...

I need to change the rotors on my Honda Oddessy. They have 2 large phillips head screws countersunk into the rotors which have to be removed before the rotors will come off.

I don't know if they are the original rotors (70K on the van, I've had it since 40K with the same rotors) but I'm thinking that with all the heat generated by braking, they might not be the easiest screws to remove.

I didn't want to try backing out the screws with a huge phillips head driver for fear of damaging them, then having to drill them out, etc.

Before I take everything apart (again) does anybody have any thoughts on the best way to remove the screws, assuming a big screw driver doesn't work?

[Eric in North TX]

2 words: impact driver

[HeyBub]

Give 'em a dose of something from the auto parts store that loosens rusted-shut bolts.

Can't hurt.

[Oren]

Good answer!

And a pre-soak of the screws with a penetrating liquid (maybe overnight).

[Clot]

If you don't have an impact driver, still do what HeyBub advises, insert the screwdriver in the screw and then a sharp tap to the head of the screwdriver handle with a hammer. This can help to free it.

[Sanity]

If you have a torch handy, heat the area around the screw head then throw cold water on it. The quick expansion and contraction will loosen the screw.

[N8N]

What they said. The hand impact, a properly fitting Phillips bit, and a BFH is the Right Tool For The Job.

Requred to remove stubborn (car) door hinge screws, as well. Nothing else is likely to work.

Good news is, you probably already have a BFH, and if you don't have an impact driver, they are not expensive.

good luck

nate

[DerbyDad03]

I'll look into it, but...

From the website...

"although it takes some skill to keep it on the bolt when you hammer it."

And they seem to be talking about a socket over a bolt, not a bit in a phillips head screw.

It's hard to tell the size of the screwdriver bolts from the pictures, but none of them look big enough to fit securely in the large philips head screws on my rotor.

I'll stop by Sears and see what they look like close up.

Thanks!

[Oren]

My wrench came from Sears many years ago.

"6 pc. impact driver set lets you free frozen or rusted screws. Each hammer blow develops 200 ft. lb. of torque. Includes 1/2 in. sq. drive tool, bit holder, 3/8 in. slotted and Nos. 2, 3 and 4 Phillips bits."

Same as this pic:

[George Abbot]

I have removed them many times and impact(same Sears set)is the way to go. Often they only need a tap and comes out easy. But then...

GA

[Rick Brandt]

Absolutely. Just had to do this on my son's Kia. Took about 5 seconds to conclude that a normal phillips was completely useless. Then I remembered that when my FIL died several years ago one thing I inherited was a hand impact driver.

Murphy's law was not enforced that day so I actually found the darn thing (having never used it prior to that) and it took three blows on one screw and only one on the other. Had a hell of a time getting the second screw separated from the drive head though.

While on the topic, WHAT are the engineers thinking in this application? Wouldn't a torx, square drive, or just about anything be better suited to such an application compared to a phillips head?

[Nate Nagel]

I'm not sure why they're even required. One would think a simple indexing pin would suffice.

nate

[Ulysses]

2 words: impact driver Yes, that's what I used to use on my Honda 90.

[DerbyDad03]

re: "One would think a simple indexing pin would suffice.

Or *nothing* like just about every other car I've done brakes on.

My son's Mitsubishi Gallant not only has nothing holding his rotors on, but they even provide 2 threaded holes so you can drive bolts into the rotor and force it off the hub if it gets stuck.

[Nate Nagel]

A lot of German cars use the screws. I was told that it was to locate the rotor more precisely than can be done by the lug studs, FWIW. It's also helpful on cars that use lug bolts instead of lug studs (BMW, VW) so you don't have to try to line up the wheel, rotor AND hub at the side of the road after you've gotten a flat (on the non-drive end of the car, of course, so it's all flailing around under there.)

But as I said, I don't see why a simple pin pressed into the hub to mate with a hole in the rotor wouldn't accomplish the same thing...

nate

[Stormin Mormon]

Now, that's thoughtful. I had a van, the back drums didn't want to come off. I finally jacked it up, put in reverse, and used a grinder and drill to take the center part down a tiny bit.

[SteveB]

Don't even try a screwdriver. Go buy a $10 impact driver. It will take them right out with no damage.

Steve

[Red Green]

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in news:h5ikmu $olu$ [e-mail]:

Had a pickup with that issue. Bud was a pro fleet mechanic and I took it by his shop. I had already soaked the hub with Break Away with my efforts. He jacked it up, gave em a couple of good whacks with a hand sledge and they came right off. I would have feared cracking or distorting them. He says nope. Never had any issues with them afterwards.

[Rick Samuel]

When I'm in doubt, (ha, always) I use a hammer and the right sized screwdriver to give the screw a whack or two, helps frac any rust, then soak in penetrating oil. Coke works also.

[Bob F]

Mine is 40 years old. Indispensable when you need it. I bought it for working on my motorcycle. It eliminated stripped philip heads.