[Captainofiron]

I know this is technically a toyota, haha but man this has been terrible
So the wife and I are going on Vacation and she doesnt want to rent a car like we normally do and she wants to take her Vibe.I figured I might as well do a little maintenance on it, I changed the oil, no problem, changed the spark plugs, no problem.
BUT THEN....

The wheel had been shaking severely when I would hit the brakes lightly, meaning the brakes were warped (I think warped might not be sufficiently describing this, I think bent might be right, haha)
I got the rotors and pads from Autozone, they looked like floating rotors, so I figured I would be done within an hour or so.
NOT SO...
The car is automatic, so I put it in park and lifted the front thinking that the tires wouldnt spin, they did, so I took it off the stands and lowered it until the tires touched, and loosened the driver side which was tight, but not insane (maybe 100lb-ft), BUT THEN the passenger side was on there. I ended up standing on my longest 1/2 drive rachet and jumping up and down on it, finally it came loose, then I read the manual seeing 76lb-ft torque on the wheels. No wonder the rotors are warped some idiot at a tire shop with an impact wrench went to town on the wheels.

I finally got everything off, and man its almost like the rotors are welded on. I took my wire brush for welding and went at the center hub, nothing, I sprayed silicone inside the back of the rotor and around the center lip, nothing. I have hit this rotor with my hammer as hard as I could possibly hit it. NOTHING

I took off the hub nut thinking maybe it wasnt a floating rotor, but after reading online and in the haynes manual I put it back on.
Im thinking of going and getting penetrating oil and a propane torch and making the rotor expand and contract, and of course getting a bigger hammer.

This is probably the worst brake job has ever gone for me.

[Keith Seymore]

Wow. I'm sorry to hear that.

I just did the brakes on my 2006 Vibe a couple weeks ago and it took....about 10 minutes....

K

[Txbobcat]

Sounds like time for new rotors. I had one rotor on my truck that wouldnt come off. I beat on it for 30 minutes before it dtarted letting loose. The other rotor was easy to get off

[Captainofiron]

Yea I got some new rotors, hopefully I will be able to get it done today. We were planning on leaving tomorrow so it needs to get done because we have reservations and tickets

Im gonna try heat and penetrating oil first, if not Im gonna rent the biggest gear puller that AZ has.

Gonna make sure to put anti seize around that hub so this wont happen in the future.

I was hitting it so hard I thought it was going to fall off the jackstands

[rustedgoat]

Dont know if this works on floating rotors but loosen the lug nuts drive the car and hit the brakes a few times. I know it will loosen up rims when frozen might work with the rotors

[Formulabruce]

Pourus metal on the rotors surely needs anti seize. I did a matirix and had similar issues.

[Ben M.]

There was a tech at my smog shop with this exact car on the lift and he was having to use an air hammer to get warped rotors off. He finally got them off and he was cursing and swearing the entire time. They were in pretty bad shape and I'll bet some monkey at the tire shop used an impact gun on full blast to put the lug nuts on that one too...

[Captainofiron]

I got them off finally at midnight the day before we were leaving.

I let them soak in PB blaster and would reapply every 30 minutes

I went at them with a 4lb deadblow hammer and finally they came off
I need to take a picture of the old rotors

I beat the crap out of them literally they are super warped now and have tons of gouges and hammer marks.

BUT I finally got them off, it brakes so smooth, I cant imagine how bad the old ones were with the lugs that tight

[Captainofiron]

Here is the damage from the "Battle" I had with the rotors