Ford Fusion brake job
 

I have a full service shop with a 4 post lift and have been doing brakes for decades. I reserve weekends for that sort of work as the carb business has me buried during the week.

Took in a 2010 Ford Fushion, no big deal, should be an hour or so job to do 4 rotors and brakes, everything is easily accessible, they were even kind enough to drill a hole in the front swing arm on the rear suspension to remove the lower caliper bolt.....better thinking that most other brands.

NOT!!!!!!

It took me nearly 2 days to get the rotors off of this thing. I tried EVERYTHING known to man to remove them, they are completely rusted forever to the hubs. I'll bet I hit them at least 2000 times each with a hand held 8 pound sledgehammer, they didn't budge!

Ended up having to torch them and bust them to get them to let-go. Never in all the years of doing this sort of thing have I ran into rotors this locked to the hubs due to rust. Now I know why they just kept putting pads on the worn slam out rotors for the past 10 years!

Anyone else ran into this deal?

Any other ideas about removing them, something I didn't try? I even tried the porta-power between the lower caliper mounting area and back of the rotor, and threaded hardened bolts in the retaining holes to help "push" them off, even drilled/tapped holes in them for bolts to push them off, they didn't budge.........Cliff

I have Cliff. Not quite as extreme as yours - I was able to beat it off with a 10 lb sledge after about 2 hours and some heat. My car was a southern car though... not as much salt as you are exposed to up there. Strange how bad those can get. I always put a light coat of never seize on the back or my rotor hubs when i have one off - replace one.

I've had stuff go to **** like most folks. Ever take a week to put brakes on a 1990 chevy half ton truck? Ever get THREE defective, quick take up master cylinders (Brand new, mind you) in a row? Made me question my sanity. Current side job is a 2004 Lincoln town car whose rear axle Spring/airbag locating brackets rusted the HELL OFF completely and the airbag falls off the axle!!

https://www.amazon.com/Rear-Lower-Mo.../dp/B00BEN2TTM

Next I will tell him that the rear axle is empty because the fluid that didn't go out the pinion seal, went out the right axle seal, and whatever was left leaked out of the cover gasket. His 16 year old son drives it, looks like it came in third during a three way axe fight.

Should'a posted this in the street section. Goob and Gome are conquering the world's woes there, at an astounding rate!!!:pound:

I’ve done rotors on my wife’s 2010 fusion . After I drilled out the screws holding the rotors to the hub , all went well . The car has about 88k now . I did the rears earlier this year and the fronts probably around 60k .

Oh, sh!t. :oogle:

Timely post. I plan to replace the front rotors and pads on my 2012 Fusion this week. Got the rotors and pads sitting on my workbench. But, I live in California, so I hope my situation is not as bad as those mentioned above.


Guess I better, in an abundance of caution, break out the sledge hammer, too. :o

These had never been changed since new, and I found out why. Nothing less than a torch was going to get them loose.

I saw those two are taking warm showers together in the street section, and celebrating their victory running me off the thread about detonation. I could really care less and have better things to do with my time than put up good info just to have folks with less time actually doing it as I spent on the crapper this morning criticize my efforts.

Anyhow, +2, 3 and 4 using never seize during the assembly, I coat EVERYTHING with it on ever brake job to make it nicer for the next guy.......Cliff

Yep salt sucks! Heat is about the only way Cliff. I have had to do the same thing to brake drums too.

I "cooked" them 3-4 cycles each with the cutting torch turned up as high as I dared to without melting them, and they didn't budge. I was afraid of getting the bearings too hot, so I decided to cut them instead. That released them and 20-30 good hits with an 8 lb sledge and they were on the ground. Just thought I'd put the experience up here in case anyone else runs into one of these and is wondering how to get the rotors off of it......Cliff

"Anyhow, +2, 3 and 4 using never seize during the assembly, I coat EVERYTHING with it on ever brake job to make it nicer for the next guy.......Cliff "

Yep, sometimes the next guy is also you.

I assume this is a general problem because of winter driving in Ohio with all the salt on the roads, and isn't necessarily a problem with Ford Fusions in particular?

I am going to help a friend do a ignition switch on a 2007 Focus. The dealer wanted to charge them 700.00. I watched a video on youtube and it looks like a pretty easy job. It also sounds like it is a common problem on the Focus. The switch is a 40.00 part, dealerships are just a rip off now a days.

I do brakes on just about every type of vehicle known to man. This includes heavy duty 1 ton trucks from the big three, and all types of passenger cars, include grocery getting "lower" end stuff clear up to Audi/Mercedes.

Most cars take me less than two hours total time from start to finish. I replace the rotors, brakes pads, hardware, and about 50 percent of the time they will get calipers as well. I make that call by looking at the overall condition, condition of the piston/dust seal, and how easily they pushed back into the calipers.

This is the first time it's taken more than a few minutes to remove a rusted in place rotor no matter what it was on. It appears that Ford machined them to be pretty tight against the hubs on the inside, the salt and rust did the rest....Cliff

Same here ... I have actually had people call me up three years after I sold one of my vehicles to thank me for using never seize when they had to do brake or suspension work.
And yep, usually the first two guys to disassemble one of my vehicles again is still me :)

I have had some rotors that were really rusted on, not as bad as that though. I am amazed in your picture that the backing plates look pretty good and the rotors were so rusted on? Generally, the backing plates are completely gone as well, The worst one ever, I have run into was a Chrysler Mini-Van with rear drum brakes. I was never able to remove the drums, period. I tried everything I could think of. I finally ended up cutting off the parking brake cables, unbolting the entire beam rear axle. Replaced with a junk yard piece. It was faster and easier than dealing with that pile of rust all day.

My wife has a 2008 Vibe that I wanted to remove the right rear drum to check the brake linings as it has 280,000 miles on it with original shoes (we bought it new, so I know they're original linings). Been through 3 sets of front pads and one set of rotors, 1 pair of calipers, so far.

I also had to cut the center out of the drum because I mangled it so badly trying to get it off the hub, the center wasn't concentric any longer. I stripped out both of the bolt holes that you can thread a bolt into to push them against the hub. Heated it, beat on it and it was so bent I just cut it off with the torch. The good thing was the brake lining was still good.....LOL. It'll probably still have the original brakes on the rear when I get rid of it.

Back in 1970, I had a Datsun truck come in for state inspection when I lived in PA, that I cracked the drum from beating on it and heating it to get it off. Probably the two that I had the worst time removing from the hub in close to 50 years of turning wrenches.

Fortunately I haven't done any brake jobs on ford focuses, probably won't either as I'm retired now and only work on my own stuff and close friends cars. I turn down work all the time from neighbors because they know I work on cars, just not their cars...….:D

Same experience last month on a 97 Mustang Cobra front rotors. Map torch, big sledge, everything known to man and wouldn’t budge (I suspect original rotors with only a pad slap done at some point in time...22yrs of rust)
Finally gave up, removed front hubs and separated them with a press; sounded like a cannon shot when they broke apart. By that time, I had sledged them so much and heated them multiple times that I just went and bought new rotors and hubs and was done with it. Thank you Michigan road salt.......

back when I was a ford tech, this wasn't uncommon. the '97-up expedition was the worst offender. the inside of the rotor hat would rust up and fuse to the outside edge of the hub. I would use a rose bud around the outside of the hat (not the face where the studs go though). then, a little gentle persuasion with the 4lb. hammer and they were off, with no ill effects on the bearing or hub. "the better idea people" strike again.

What I've done in the past is soak the crap out of it with PB or Kroil or whatever flavor you like in penetrating oil. Then I take an air chisel with a hammer bit and blast the face of the rotor between the studs and usually the rust will start to seep out with the oil. Then I break out the BFH and smack the edge of the rotor and usually they will pop right off. The hub bearings probably don't like the vibrations but you have to do what you have to do sometimes.

I agree with never seizeing the back of the rotors. Helps out the next poor bastard who has to work on it since it might be you.

I use this method also and prefer it to heat, especially on rotors with sealed bearings. Once you get the hub area cherry red with a torch, the bearings are on their way out in short order. Most of them have nylon, (plastic) cages in the bearings. But sometimes, you have no choice. Had two on a Sprinter van that would just not come off, no matter what I tried. Had to heat them. Rotors came off finally but killed the bearings. Then I found out the bearings were not serviced. Only available as a complete unit with the front spindle and the wheel speed sensor. $3200.00 from MB for a pair!!! Got decent used ones for $1200.00 and felt like I stole them. The joys of working on Sprinters! At my little shop we have a saying: If I have to open the hood of your Sprinter Van, it will be at least $1000.00 for any part under there.