That looks like the cleanest easiest "seized" rotor I've ever seen. Y'all who don't live in the rust belt sure have it good.

If anyone thinks you can put more force on that bearing swinging a 4 pound hammer than what happens when that 2 ton car hits a bump in the road going highway speed you need a reality check. However if your intent is to turn the rotor obviously avoiding striking and therefore scaring the braking surface is key.

That wheel bearing just might be one of the strongest joints on the entire car. Imagine the force on that little rascal as you zoom around that on ramp at 50 mph. But then again what do I know?…. 😊

The dude needs to try a rust belt brake job sometime.

First off, the appropriate tool is a dead blow hammer, and second, if the bearings can't handle you whacking on it hard as you can, then it needs to be replaced anyway.

In my opinion that applies the same amount of force on the bearing it’s just prying force instead of shock

I’m an Audi dealer tech and we do brakes all the time with the hammer technique… haven’t had one failed wheel bearing and I’ve done it on all 5 of my Audis and haven’t ever had an issue. Only car I’ve had a bad wheel bearing on was my 1998 integra and I ended up selling it for a VW rabbit lol

Send him up to the salt belt so we can show him what seized up looks and acts like 😂

I just massage the face of hat with a air hammer. If lightly vibrating it kills the wheel bearing then that bearing was already junk. Road forces are pretty extreme so I don't feel bad about air hammering them.

Anti seize is your best friend. Never finish a brake job without it. No hammering necessary.

It will take the force it takes from either method. The excess force generated with the hammer generally transfers into the movement of the rotor.

Pro tip: put 1 wheel bolt a few threads in. Keeps the rotor from falling on your foot.

That disc would not meet my definition of seized considering that little pry tool got it off. Id also argue a hammer blow to the outer face of the disc would out less stresses on the bearing than jamming a pry tool in behind.

Clean and Gentle at the same time! Well done!

First of all, you use a dead blow hammer, not a solid steel hammer. and if you hit the rotor from behind and turn the rotor and hit it. Agai needed a gun that I usually jar at loose.

As many others have said: - Have fun trying this in the salt belt - Wheel bearings most definitely can handle a blow from a hammer Think about how a bearing is installed, you take a HUGE press and force the bearing into the knuckle. Your hammer blows have nothing on a 20+ ton press. I’d like to add my own point that if you ever get a rotor that actually is seized unlike this one, you might damage the rotor surface by prying on it.

Absolutely, great idea, thank you. Although, I had 4 seized rotors on a Ford explorer, and each were warped, not reusable any more, So I had to use nearly an entire can 16 Oz. Of WD-40, and a hammer tapping lightly and a rubber mallet to avoid damage to mounting surface and a wedge as done here. After removing I scraped entire seating surface(wire brush) sprayed with WD-40 again to remove all rust / corosion and brakes cleaner spray, dried off and coated all surfaces with a bearing grease and installed all 4 rotors.

Isn't that the same effect the road has on the bearings?? Im sure they put them there because they can bear the weight of the car plus the condition of the road. Im just saying 😅

only came here because i seen another short taking the piss out of you and your “seized” rotor😅🤣 did disappoint, he edited that post guy off spiderman laughing when you say it’s definitely seized hahahaha gold😅

Wheel bearings are made to handle axial and radial loading so your theory is incorrect sir.

If your wheel bearing can’t take a hammer beating on it then it sure won’t handle hitting the bumps that cars hit on a daily. It’s designed to hit bumps at speed while turning and still hold up. If hammering Rotors off damages it that wheel bearing was already failing

don't want to beat on the bearings.........proceeds to beat on the bearings from a different angle

Id wanna see the back of the rotor where that tool was used

Bearings are hardened steel, whacking a rotor off is going to do absolutely nothing.

I like it but man you should see some of my rust belt rotors, that has zero rust!

I agree this solution works, although once used a 2m long extension on the prybar to get it off. After cleaning the middle and hammering the rust out 😅.

So how many mechanics here have ever replaced a wheel bearing that had fresh clean brakes in front of it?

I work for a brake shop. Not every car has that said bolt, any bolt to pry against! The slide hammer is great but requires more work

Ive never had problems just hammering away until they pop. I live in the rust belt buddy.

this is why i use never seize on back of wheel and brake disk to hub. I watched a guy at work try and get his aluminum alloy wheel off his pickup that was seized on from driving in saltwater on beach he took off all the lugs and drove on wheel and it would not come off.

This is why it's very important to clean off the front of the hub and back of the rotor with anti-seize. It's like a miracle worker

I use the brake caliper bolt and a ratchet to push rotor off from behind. You could also sandwich a brake pad in between to give you more surface area.

Glad you can save and turn the rotor. Up here in the rust belt the rotors are junk before pads are. As other say, I doubt your taking any life out of hub and bearing. If the bearing does go shortly after , blame the age and salt and rust . If you end up feeling guilty, change the bearing for free a year down the road so you can sleep at night.

Light work 👨🏾‍🔧 Nice😁

Ive always used bolts through the caliper mounts, and pressed them off from the back.

Air hammer around the brake rotor where it meets the hub flange will work without damaging the rotor and is very fast.

You're the Dj on the radio in the torture scene in Reservoir Dogs. I'd know that voice anywhere.

This is why I use anti seize on alot of parts when putting things back together

I have rubber hammer for hardwood flooring work. It’s hard enough and heavy. Works grand for years already.

Spray preferred pentetrating oil around the center of hub and rotor and in between the lug bolt holes, rotate 180 and hit the bolt holes again, take longer to read this comment than to spray that rotor. Well make it 50 percent easier. Trust me...

That customer better pay me to care lol

That’s because he’s a mechanic and not an engineer. That bearing is not in any danger.

Well demonstrating the proper way, also chokes the hammer. No carpentry experience. Hammers work best when used by the handle on the end.

Come here to Nova Scotia Canada and try to get that rotor off with that dinkie little bar. Not all cars even have the same access to the spindle to perform that little trick. In some cases the rust is built up so bad around the hub face along the extension part of the rotor that the only way to get them off is to literally break the outer ring of the rotor off and then drive a chisel down between the wheel studs and get the center of the rotor to finally separate from the hub face.

Pretty good trick I have had them seized on so hard that that wouldn't work on my own vehicles easiest option I found so far is to back the lug nuts off about a 16th of an inch go out into the parking lot for some power slides had one that I had to slam it with the power slide glide 10x and hard before I could get it to finally break free That's a lot of force

That bearing flange sees much worse on city roads than any hammer will do. Never in all my years never could it be said that hammering on the rotor hat would hurt the wheel bearing. Not even from other mechanics.

The loaded forces while driving are way more powerful than a dead blow hammer to the bearing 🎉

Give the hub OD a shot of penetrating oil to help losen the galvanic bond.

I had plenty of good luck using air hammers and just going around and around the lug nuts and hub and it just works loose. Nothing violent just massage it off.

Omg. I personally would not. The amount of shave to remove the dented compacted steel is way more than damage from a PB soak for 10min of other prep work and a couple whacks with a light soft metal hammer would ever do to the bearing

I never thought about the bearings.........

Buy a sliding hammer kit. There's an extension where you can hook onto the rotor. Slide hammer around the rotor so it backs out evenly. Done. I only know this existed because I've seen Chris fix use it.

I've changed roters I need a 20 ton press to remove them from the hud

thank you for the tip

So a little heat from a torch where the wheel mounts it will fall off.

Use you're Pro-Cut on car lathe and just machine match it to the hub. Machine the run out right out of it. Dial indicate it first to show how much lateral run is present. End result will be a beautiful thing. Most OE' specs are 2 thousands or less. Machine front two rotors in 20 minutes or less.

That's cute come on out to the midwest/east and see how long it'll take with that method

I'm drilling two holes for backing up the rotor right now!

My man has been cutting chunks out of those Ford truck rotors. 👀👀👀👀👀👀 Now he wants to try to remove a rotor carefully. Lol 🤣😂🤣 You put the star screw back in the rotor that you removed. Or spin a lug nut back on. You spray lube around the hub flange and into where the lug studs are. Give it 5-10 minutes to soak in. Then you get a dead blow hammer and hit the flange of the rotor. The star screw will keep the rotor from flying off. 🤦🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️ You're Welcome.

I put a pipe somewhere solid and start the car and use the power steering to get it off. Works most of the time

And the force applied to the rotor that transfers to the bearing doesn't do any damage to the bearing.... lol its same either way!!! 😂

Yeah wedging that thing in there is probably going to Mara up the service of the road or more than you're likely to damage the bearing by hitting it with a hammer especially if you hit the hammer on the inside of the rotor in all honesty that hammer has nothing on an emergency stop or a swerve The bearing will take more force from that and it'll be turning

I use a rubber malet. Then use anti sieze when reinstalling.

If the bearing gets destroyed with me lightly tapping the rotor on the back as I’m turning the rotor too. I think customer needs a new bearing

Cutting modern rotors is a guaranteed come back for pedal pulsation or shaking steering wheel upon braking.

I never understood why some manufacturers put holes in the hub instead of studs. Seems pretty stupid.

When they seized like that ill usually grab my air hammer with a flat end bit , then go around the hub a couple times , 99% of the time it will pop right off,

This is why you have to vet videos on KZfaq. Gotta love shade tree, mom and pop "mEcHaNiCs"

Any one still tuting break disk or drumbe is checking specs. It work new but it cause piston wable or blow out at end.

Never had disc stuck before, wheel yes.

Gotta love it when metal tries to heal.... Silly metals.....

Same force, opposite direction. (Compared to what we get, that rotor is already falling off!)

i've had a stuck rotor once took a block of wood to the back of it and hit the block of wood with the hammer. I just put new rotors on they couldn't be shaved down anymore... always go with Napa when it comes to brake parts that the premium stuff... with Akebono pads .. before then I would always go with other brands and eventually I would always have an issue.. months later but I'm telling you right now. Ake pads they might be a little more but well worth ..

Bad for the rotor. The amount of shock hitting the rotor is minimal compared to the wheel operating at 120kmh

just don´t use metal hammer :D you can even use some rust- looser ( or how is it called in english), torch. or next time just use anti-seize paste :D or if you have hammer- drill, attach piece of rubber on some old chisel. or just flatten the end, weld there piece of pipe- you will smash silentblocs out like nothing :D btw, great hack. i hope, it is understandable with my english :D

I suspect that the average pothole has more impact on the bearings than that hammer.

A hammer wont harm a wheel bearing more than a small pothole

Bravo.

That's not seized, and air hammer and a hammerhead bit works best.

Then don't beat on the front side hit it from the back it will come right off

What if you're doing the wheel bearing too?

Only would hurt the bearing if the Axel nut was off

You haven't the slightest idea what a seized rotor is! You got in the right direction but not hitting the rotor with the hammer is usually not an option.

I’ve hit my rotors for years when needed and I haven’t had any bearing issues in 100,000 miles or so …. Now Brand new truck never did rotors yet bearing bad at 32,000 miles stop being so worried about everything in life and get the job done faster

Whatever that is being repaired isnt old enough to have the rotor " seized "

Road forces on the bearing are far greater than anything he's worrying will damage the wheel bearing.

An OTC 6980 will be your best friend if you live in the rust belt. But toss the ratchet strap that comes with it and use a chain instead !!!!

Meanwhile I order a new wheel bearing before I take it off because I know I'm going smack it a few times.

Put a bolt in the hub to stop the disc falling off onto your foot and hit the disc from the back. Simples.

If it is rust welded you'd be lucky to get it off with an industrial size claw. Even some mechanics give up on rust welded ones that have sitting on the hub for 20 years.

Never really thought abt that hurting the bearing good point lol

Thats a cool tool Ladys foot.

This guy is a preffesional 👌

Lube and shock. Hammering won't hurt the bearing.

That was not even "seized" on😂 anyhow, AUDI, BMW, MERCEDES, couldn't threaded 2 more holes for rotors removal? Aren't they supposed to be superior engineered? I hated no lug- studs system. In the shop, if you removed the last lug all the way on these cars and not careful, the wheel going to fall on you foot (steel toe does not cover everything) and hit another car in the shop or worse yet the rotor would fall on your foot if you didn't catch it or threaded a lug in there..😂

Like professional should good work

That flat edge still gonna scratch the disc face . Not so sure your not damaging anything. And that doesn't seem so seized you just used a tiny hammer and light force on it.

Someday you will snap that cast aluminum eye bracket

Yeah, but think of all the boat payments you could make with that extra wheel bearing money!

It's not a ladyfoot anymore it's just a foot now lol