[xrogers]

I wish my rotors had the screw holes to help remove them. I did finally get them off, but something pretty radical was required.

First, just to provide a little more background, my Sienna is a 2002, and has about 90,000 miles. It has been through 5 Minnesota winters, which have contributed to a pretty good rust buildup, wedging the rotors onto the hubs quite nicely. This is the first brake job the car has had.

I tried tapping with a rubber mallet, pounding with a 2# ball peen, and wailing with a 5# small sledge. I tried wd40 and pb blaster, and more pounding. I tried chipping away behind the rotors to remove rust and more pounding. After something like three hours work, nothing.

So I found two different web references from pro mechanics who claimed that when rotors were really stuck, they'd sawzall them off...

So you put a new blade in the sawzall, and cut through the rotor from the edge to the edge of the hat, and very carefully though the side of the hat just barely to the hub. Repeat on the other side of the rotor, 180 degrees from the first cut (be very careful not to cut into the hub). Tap with hammer, and off pops the formerly very stuck rotor. Put a new blade in the sawzall, and repeat on the other side.

I was really hesitant to do this, but if I ever have such a painful problem with rotors again, I'll do it again in a heartbeat. It took less than 10 minutes per side, and was surprisingly easy. And worked like a charm.

Thanks for the advice,

Clyde