David Lewis You’re welcome. I’m glad posting this helped one person out there save a little time. I think I spent 2 hours wrestling with it until I figured it out with other online forums. But I never found a video that’s why I made this.

Scott Hyde been at it for 20 mins no luck I can see the little gears and feel then but there is way you can just spin it like that. I’ll keep at it

J Kk hmmmm!!! I couldn’t ever see it really in there when the rotor was on. But make sure you’re in the right hole. (That’s what she said) and have the right size flat head screwdriver to move that little gear wheel. Also found this video the other day of a guy doing this on his tundra. Very similar wish I had seen it when I was messing around with it. Maybe it will help? kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ppdpYMqWuK_PoWg.html

Scott Hyde after I left that comment I threaded two bolts into the 2 holes and pressed off the rotor. It was maybe 5 turns on each and it popped off. No issues after I installed the new rotor and pads.

Ryan R glad I could help a couple people. With this video. I was banging on that damn rotor with a hammer for a while until I figured it out. Never seen a rotor that didn’t just pull off.

i been spending 3 hours pishing this damn flat head and i hear springs and it feels like something is turning but its yet to release. Should i have my emergency brake on or off or should the car be in neutral. i have a 4 wheel drive

Yes this is much easier I'm glad I saw your comment. I even managed to find a bolt in my scrap pile, a few turns, viola.

Exactly what I did too!

each hole, top and bottom?

Can you send me a video on this please my guy

Well probably too late to help you but, you adjust emergency brake by tightening it the opposite way you did to take it off. When you loosen it you can count how many “turns” with the screw driver you do and that will give you a ball park idea how far to go back. Also you can tighten it until it has drag from the brake and then back it off a little it shouldn’t be applying the brake so spin the rotor and make sure it’s spinning smoothly with no resistance yet still keeping the rotor on the hub. As for old springs and not retracting evenly not sure exactly what you need. I guess you’d need to replace. But most people don’t use there parking brake all that often unless the park on a hill all the time. So as long as you can fell the parking break working you should be set.

Trust me I almost bashed the shit out of my rotor before figuring it out. Had to read some BS Schematics diagram online. Wasn’t any videos...

lilbluturtle34 not sure what you mean? Are you implying that I had the parking brake engaged? That is not true if you are.

Well if you can get back on without making any adjustment and spinning the rotor seems normal and parking break works you should be good. But I’d imagine it will be hard to get back on now without loosening the parking break adjuster. With the rotor off you can see the adjustment spring and Star adjusted and you can practice tightening and loosening with a screwdriver. Once you loosen you can put rotor back on. Then slowly tighten adjuster a couple or a few turns at a time. Spin rotor see if wheel Spins freely. When you’ve over tightened the adjuster as if the parking break where on slightly and doesn’t spin as freely loosen it a couple turns back and call it good. Test that both the parking break works and that the rotor cannot be easily pulled off. You should be good to go. Hope this helps. Good luck.

You'll have to jack up the other side as well.

Dan, ran into this last night - try banging the rotor BACK into position (assuming that you've managed to get it pulled away just a little bit from for the hub). That allowed me to get it turning again. Also, you might try spinning the OTHER tire, that might get it to turn. For everyone who sees this - PLEASE do this step BEFORE taking your rear rotors off. Like Scott said in one of his comments below, the other videos I watched done by actual car mechanics (jimthecarguy, which is an awesome video, but he does not mention this incredibly useful tip), they do not mention this, but do say if you're too rough trying to get the rotor off you damage the parking brake. Just had that happen last night, hard lesson to learn. I wish I had seen this video first, it would have saved me $400. Thanks Scott

@@RF-co2ix I'm dealing with this seam issue. Was able to turn the other wheel and then it got stuck before getting the hole at six o clock. At a loss other than to continue moving it back and forth to see if I can get the wheel turning again to line up access hole. Seems like I have something really binding in there now. errr.

Your comment did nothing for me. If you truly loosen the spring cog tensioner thing then hit the rotor with a big hammer. She will budge. But if you tighten it that obviously won’t work. Passenger and drivers sides tighten and loosen opposite from each other from my understanding. Good luck.

Is this the same for 2007 4runners