eeZee

OK, I'm sure 95% of you will laugh at this question, but how do you replace the rotors on 2006 350Z Touring?

Here are the steps I found:
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1 Loosen lug nuts on the front tires.
2 Jack and put the front end on stands.
3 Remove wheels.
4 Tie a string around the caliper. Tie the other end to something up above so when the rotor hangs it will not stress the brake line.
5 Loosen and remove the two bolts holding on the caliper. Make sure you are not stressing the brake lines. Take out the brake pads.
6 Loosen and remove the very large bolts holding the bracket the caliper is mounted on. These things are a *****. Don't break anything. I had to use a jack to crack the ones on the left side. Careful.
7 Remove rotors. Put your new rotors on. If you are putting in aftermarket calipers, you are on your own. If not, put the caliper brackets on again. Tighten those big nasty bolts alot. Don't use a jack for that. Put your new pads in.
8 Using a clamp and a block of wood, slowly and as gently as possible compress the caliper piston so it fits back on your car. Replace the calipers. Untie the string. Put the wheels back on. Seat the lug nuts snugly, not tight yet. Looks badass, doesn't it?
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In Step #7, it just says "remove rotors". So, are they simply sitting on the hub studs and you just slide them out after removing the caliper bracket?

Thanks!

JDMFairladyZ33

iTrader: (37)

Yes the Z33's have floating calipers which stay on by having the wheels locked on by the lugs. This is a "cheaper" design vs. the fixed type that the Z32s had. There might be one or 2 small bolts holding down the rotors on the front but all in all they should just come off once you dismount the calipers.

drivenCSZ

iTrader: (2)

not the rears, those things are a b!tch. I tried recently and gave up..lol

eeZee

Well, that doesn't sound encouraging.

drivenCSZ

iTrader: (2)

i seriously tried everything short of taking a metal hammer and wailing on it with both hands (didnt want to damage the rotor face if i couldnt get it off). the rear just would not budge. parking brake was off, i used a rubber mallet, wd-40, i even tried messing with the tension on the parking brake cable as someone mentioned here and nada. nothing except some bloody knuckles.

the fronts came off fine after i got the bolts off.

SuperBlack350z

iTrader: (59)

I did a couple of z brakes. The first one, i kept hitting with a rubber mallet. I came off.

Second one, it was really on there. Took a chisle, put it behind of the rotor where the middle hub is, then hit with a metal hammer on the chisle. Tap in a clockwise motion arond the hub then knock the rest out.

Ztalker

i replaced those rear ones not too long ago.....a little tougher than the fronts but they all came off using a piece of two by four and a large hammer.. just beat the **** out of it.

davidv

iTrader: (2)

Every tool kit should include a 2x4 and a big hammer. Big hammer.

XuperXero

iTrader: (2)

Rears is definitely a pita due to drum/disc in one design. But definitely doable. I just smashed it with whatever big piece i could find(big pieces of scrap wood, not really 2x4) since the rotor was completely worn. Smash one side, then rotate a bit, then smash again, and do this for like 5 circles and it'll be loose.

finallyaZdriver

iTrader: (2)

How exactly are you using the wood? Are you just putting the wood on the rotor and hitting that so you don't hit the rotor? I'm trying to do my brake change now and it has not been fun. I can't even get to the rotor removal stage because I can't take the big bolts off. I'm not sure what to do, but when I can try again I will try using the jack to crack them free.

A friend of mine mentioned that he's heard of hobby shops made for people that work on their own cars where you can pay by the hour to use their lift and tools. Has anyone heard of that? I swear, my next car purchase is going to be an air compressor and an impact wrench.

SuperBlack350z

iTrader: (59)

If you hit the back of the rotor with just a metal hammer, the rotor would be destroyed pretty bad. That's why people use rubber mallets but the problem is not enough force and weight to actually knock off the rotor. Using a peice of wood and metal hammer would save the rotor.

Ztalker

remember, improvise....adapt....overcome.

davidv

iTrader: (2)

I found Liquid Wrench Super Penetrant helpful. Spray liberally the night before.

finallyaZdriver

iTrader: (2)

I sprayed the hell out of the bolts with that yesterday, too bad my hands are all messed up from pulling so hard on the ratchet and cutting them up when they slipped off the handle. I will try again some time this week once my hands feel better.

finallyaZdriver

iTrader: (2)

Believe me, I did. I broke my roommate's broom handle to use as a lever arm, but that didn't quite work out. It fit nicely around my ratchet's handle, but I didn't really have any clearance to use it. I think taking off the front bumper would have been overkill, so I'll try something else another time.

"Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world."

Scarab440

iTrader: (8)

I haven't met the rotor that a 3 jaw puller can't handle! just be sure to put a quarter or something under the center screw on the front. on the rear it axle nut has a dimple that the center screw fits perfectly in.

Ztalker

i cracked all the large bolts with a 22" breaker bar from harbourfreight tools.
i used a 1/2" ratchet and a large metal hammer to crack the rear bolts due to limited fender clearance.

finallyaZdriver

iTrader: (2)

On my mom's matrix I wasn't too worried about saving the rotor so I just beat the hell out of it with a metal hammer...worked just fine. If it comes down to it I'll sacrifice the old rotors. I'm not sure how much life they have left on them, but I won't be sad to lose them. I just felt it was time for an upgrade. I'll post pics in a new thread when I'm all done.

terrasmak

iTrader: (8)

Wow all of mine have pretty much fallen off once the bolts were removed.