Ford Fiesta - Disc removal on a 59' plate Fiesta diesel

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Fri 29 Aug 2014 22:23
Ford Fiesta - Disc removal on a 59' plate Fiesta diesel - Red_Alert

Hi I want to replace the discs and pads on my 59 plate 1.6 diesel. I cannot get the discs off !! I removed the caliper and holder but the discs are stuck solid. I have removed the hub nut bit still no joy. I expected them to basically fall off in my hands. There is a lot of rust around the discs and wondering if I need to take a club hammer to them or do I need to remove the hubs and press them out. Not sure what to do.

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Fri 29 Aug 2014 22:49
Ford Fiesta - Disc removal on a 59' plate Fiesta diesel - grimep

I did my discs all round a couple of years ago and faced the same situation. Don't whack em with a hammer, you might damage the wheel bearings. I searched and there's a life-saver video on youtube of an American guy using nuts and a couple of bolts to gradually force the discs off. You put the bolts through the caliper mounting holes, held tight by the nuts, with a nut on the end of the bolt to spread the force. Eventually the discs should pop off, but they take a fair bit of tightening, so take precautions and wear eye protection. I believe the recommendation is not to use grease when assembling new ones to prevent a recurrence in future. Good luck!

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Fri 29 Aug 2014 22:57
Ford Fiesta - Disc removal on a 59' plate Fiesta diesel - gordonbennet

Some discs have bolt threads cut into them, enabling suitable bolts to be fitted and force the disc off.

You could try a 3 leg puller on them.

Sometimes the disc is so badly rusted in place that the only way to remove them is to angle grind a through channel down the friction surface and use a chisel to split the disc apart.

As above, tapping the disc lightly is OK, but hammering the hell out of it can damage the wheel bearing.

The hub nut needs to stay on, unless you are trying to remove the hobs complete with discs attached, danger of the (probably sealed) wheel bearing coming apart if the hub suddenly shifts.

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Fri 29 Aug 2014 23:58
Ford Fiesta - Disc removal on a 59' plate Fiesta diesel - mfarrow

Put the caliper back and get the engine going a bit - and brake!

Once you've done one side lock the disc with wheel bolts and do the other.

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Fri 12 Sep 2014 23:05
Ford Fiesta - Disc removal on a 59' plate Fiesta diesel - Red_Alert

Hi Guys, just to let you know I managed to remove both badly rusted discs today by placing a nut and bolt in the caliper bracket and tightening it up to push the discs off. One point of warning though, use the top hole in the caliper bracket as I used the lower one on one side and it bent the caliper bracket. I straightened this with a club hammer and proceeded to crack the hub. Their is a minor fracture but not too serious although will need replacing before the MOT.

I will replace this a soon but at least the brakes are perfect now.

Thanks for everyones advice.

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Sat 13 Sep 2014 17:14
Ford Fiesta - Disc removal on a 59' plate Fiesta diesel - gordonbennet

Just before the bend in the (now straightened with a club hammer, ye gods) caliper bracket becomes a major one, quite possibly leading to total brake failure, i'd like it on record that i never suggested for one moment using those caliper brackets as a base to force the discs off against.

Is the hub also cracked do i read or is the crack in the caliper bracket?

Either way thats the last advice i shall ever give here concerning brakes.

Edited by gordonbennet on 13/09/2014 at 17:15

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Sat 13 Sep 2014 21:57
Ford Fiesta - Disc removal on a 59' plate Fiesta diesel - Cyd

. Their is a minor fracture but not too serious

You can confirm this using your Superman Xray vision, presumably ??

Ye Gods man!!!

Once you've got a crack, further crack propogation could well be rapid and you could suffer sudden and total brake failure as the caliper is dragged round the hub and rips the pipes off.

Take the car off the road and replace that bracket before you drive it again.

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