Releasing safety brake to change a rear rotor 

FINALLY!!! someone shows HOW to release the parking brake...every other video has it as an after-thought in the "about" section -- "oh yeah, don't forget to release the parking brake before trying to pull the rotor off." thank you, sir...have a good night

I watched several similar videos, your video was by far the very best. I appreciate how you deliberately show the view of the parts that are being manipulated as you're describing the techniques. You just made my tasks much easier. Bless you and many thanks, Jim.

Thanks for the video. Just as a point of information, the Dodge/Ram 1500 big adapter bolts are 120 ft/lb for the rears and 130 for the fronts. The caliper pins are 22 ft/lbs rear and 24 front. It is also good to examine the piston boots for tears and if the piston is excessively hard to push back it may be rusted and your new pads will wear out real quick from pistons that don't retract I just rebuilt mine, replacing a rusty piston and a couple of boots and piston seals . The parts are cheap but many choose to replace the whole caliper with a rebuilt one that comes with or without pads. It sure is quicker. If you have the caliper off for a rebuild or replacement, the banjo bolt that connects the brake hose to the caliper is tightened to 20 ft/lbs front and rear. Be sure to replace the copper washer or you could leak brake fluid. Of course you then have to bleed your brakes and that is a whole other discussion.

I wish I had watched your great video before. Now I have to jack up car, remove tire and adjust e brake. Thanks Very well done.

TY for the very thorough description! These videos are better than the auto manuals since having also benefit of visual and since the manuals don't include any troubleshooting regarding repair mistakes made by 1st time diy repair people.

I have found if the parking brake pads are hanging up a bit, you can SPIN the rotor as you pull it off and the sliding friction is a LOT less than just trying to pull it off by sliding/rocking back and forth pulling the rotor off as you did here. The difference is amazing. Unless the inside of rotor is really grooved (from a parking brake?) you won't need to even use those removal bolts in the holes unless it's to break the rust loose from the large main hole in the rotor and the hub it fits onto. Still, just break the hub loose with the two bolts just an eighth of an inch to a quarter inch, take them out, then try to spin the rotor as you pull it off and it should come right off. The first spin and pull might get the rotor most of the way off the studs and the next spin and pull will have the rotor sitting in your lap. I found that out by accident when I was checking to see if the hub was spinning freely after putting the parking brake off and on a couple times thinking that might break the shoes free of the rotor. If you can spin the hub pretty freely, just yank it off at the same time and it will slip right off when rocking backing and forth and pulling fails dismally. This would probably work on a grooved drum with drum brakes as well. You may not even have to back off on the shoes to pull it off. It's certainly worth a try before going to more effort. Thanks for providing this video. It's a MAJOR help to anyone doing this. Use a piece of wood to spin the hub or put the lug nuts on to protect the threads.

Got to love all the haters and their criticism! Did you guys take time out of your day to upload a video to help someone out? I doubt it because all you do is troll. Thanks for the vid, helped me out!

I fought with it yesterday and this morning and finally got it. Thanks

Excellent video. I could not figure out how to release emergency brake to slide rotor off. I had to use B f h and it took about an hour a piece. Then I have to put the brake shoe retaining Hardware back together cuz pop the part on the way out. Wish I would have seen this video 5 hours ago. Timing is everything. But now I know and I can tell others. Thank you

Awesome video, thanks! Although, I wouldn't put those screws into the new rotor, especially with the amount of rust you experience there. They're just to hold the rotor on while on the assembly line. Instead, thread two lugs back on to hold it in place while you adjust the e-brake shoes and put the caliper on. The wheel holds it on ultimately.

Thanks man. I’ve been feeling uneasy about damaging anything on this job

Thanks Mr. BackYard. I've done a few dozen front brakes and a couple of rear but never where the rotors were locked on. Until yesterday. Seeing the adjustment screw out of it's 'natural habitat' was helpful. Always learn a couple things watching a mechanic get busy.

Thanks, that is exactly what is happening to my rear rotors. Now I just have to find the adjustment hole. Great Video, it helped a lot. I could not figure out what was going on at first, but now I know.

Thanks for the video, I am so glad my Jeep Grand Cherokee has the parking brake adjuster from behind the splash shield - no need to rotate the drum and hat rotor before loosening. Yup as other posters noted, this step is too easy to forget when working the rear axles....think I forgot once and must have wrestled with the rotor for an hour before I remembered about that funny star adjuster to relax the parking brake shoes from the inside of the drum surface. Woo hoo!

Great video, tackling my daughters 09 town and country next weekend to replace pads and rotors. Now I will be abke to do it without offending my neighbors with hundreds of curse words...

I want to thank you for posting this great video! I was at wits end trying to get the parking brake to release so I can replace the hub until I came across your very informative concise video. It goes to show car brake technology don't change much at all just the material used. Great job!

Awesome video! I didn’t know about the bolt hole to pry the rotor off the hub. So thanks for the knowledge and what could have been several hours of accidentally taking apart my E-brake components through the grommet hole

Well I thank you for your video. It certainly helped me understand how to get my rotor off. Without it, I would not have understood the simple mechanism to loosen the emergency brake shoes. Thanks.

Thanks so much! Twisting the little gear to make your brakes pull back in really helped me understand why I couldn't get my rotor back on xD

I spent 2 h to remove rear rotor from Dodge Grand Caravan. I used hammer to hit it. I used not good words until finished. But, finally I replace a rotor, caliper and brake pads. Today I did this by 10 min. Ax in opposite site and hammer at other was not so good, but, perfect. Greetings to Dodge engineers for so stupid design. PS: withing 19 y we did not use emergency brake.

I will be looking for more videos, I hope you keep making them. Two Trump up.

Many thanks couldnt find the adjuster through the hole. It was a big help to see it.

Thanks for the video fella! Ignore the hater's...at least you spent time to upload the video to try and help people...well done😉

If you're going to use a prybar to turn the rotor like that, put the lugnuts on the studs to protect the threads!

I have a 2007 Hyundai Tucson and my star wheel adjuster is at the top of the rotor, not the bottom as illustrated in the video. Just trying to help other Tucson owners because the star wheel is almost impossible to see thru the tiny adjustment hole. On mine when you push up on the top of the star wheel it expands the adjustment, pushing down releases the tension on the shoes.

Excellent info. Thanks a million. Now if I could only find replacement rear e-brake parts for a 2005 Rendezvous!!

Good visuals to describe the process, but correct terminology helps: bolts, nuts, studs - they're different. In addition, brake pads squeeze both sides of the rotor. The C-shaped brake shoes inside the rear rotors actuate the parking brake mechanism. The brake shoe "thing" is an adjuster. It doesn't apply tension to apply the parking brake. It manually expands or contracts to set the clearance between the brake shoes and the inside of the rotor. The parking brake handle or pedal inside the car and the mechanism inside the rotor provides the mechanical tension to lock the shoes against the rotor.

if you need to apply a lot of pressure to the lug bolts then put the nuts back on them and apply the pressure against the nuts because it will protect the threads of the bolts

Parking brake is activated by SHOES....NOT PADS....SHOES!!! Lug nuts are not needed while removing rotor, rotor will not FLY OFF. A rear hardware kit will be needed if the rotor is removed by the screws as it pulls the pins through the hold down caps.

Exactly what I am dealing with. You've saved my day! Just a dumb question. When you were adjusting and testing how much the shoes touch the rotor, shall we put the gear to Neutral or Parking? or it doesn't matter?

Just the title helped me so much thank you thank you

Thank you sir for the video.. you saved me from taking my car to the shop because I couldn't figure it out

Turning up on Toyota is tightening. Down is loosening. Opposite of how this is setup...just an fyi to folks. helpful video.

Thanks a lot for your instruction, I finally got my rotors out using 2 bolts.

thanks for the vid, btw its called a drum brake self-adjuster.

You can use a piece of heater hose over the studs to protect them

i couldnt even finish watching this mind numbing video

A air hammer with a hammer head attachment, go around the outside until it breaks free,

Make sure you release the Emergency brake first !

Great explanation, great details, great video, the best i´ve seen.

Thanks for posting this. I beat that silly rotor to death before I found your vid. Saved me allot of time and frustration.

I have been trying to remove the rusted rotor on my Toyota for over an hour hammering it from all angles. Then I came upon your video and saw the trick with the bolts and the holes, screwed the bolts in, and the rotor came out in seconds. I thank you so much sir for your help!!! If there is any way I can tip or something let me know. Have a blessed day!

I am very grateful for this video. It helped to solve a couple issues that we were struggling with.

Couldn't you put the lug nuts back on to protect the threads?

Glad it helped - and thanks for the feedback Mariel.

I don't know which vehicle you have. I have a '12 Sante Fe. My problem was the rust ring inside the drum was so bad I couldn't get the drum/rotor, even with the pads backed off with the star screw, off and there's no jacking bolt holes. even Copious banging and prying got me out about a cm, along with pretty much destroying my dust cover, although it was almost at the point of disintegrating anyways. No amount of pulling and turning or banging got me any farther. At that point I got in behind and picked away at the rust with a small screwdriver, enough to get it off. I got it all back together so it's serviceable but now I have to get a new dust cover.

To remove the Hub use a mallet (handbrake should be off)....There shouldn't be any need to put the wheel bolts back on, the hub will not spring off . On replacement of rotor, shoes, pads and before replacing the hub, click the handbrake up three notches this saves on having to adjust using the screwdriver too many times, it also allows the wheel to go around when the hand bake is released.....

To adjust the parking brake, get in the car and set the parking lever seven clicks, then adjust the park brake shoes until they lock the rotor. When you release the lever inside the rotor will spin free.

On a 2013 altima rear rotor remove rubber which will expose emergency brake shoe adjuster. Use light to look in and rotate in up position until rotor moves freely. Now use hammer to hit in-between lug nut screws. I use pb blaster to loosen rust. Hope this help someone.

Hate cabled E brakes! The EBS ones are pure genius. Even without the computer sending unit to release them. Didn't know that bolt trick. Hope this damn Kia has holes for that. Be safe out there. Thx bud!

Sounds just like Dan Aykroyd in this video.

Thanks for the info great teaching on the EM brake.

AWESOME!!! Thank you very much for the help!!

Good Information on Park Brake shoes

Watching him try to get that damned rubber grommet out made me yell at the computer.

This might sound like a newbie question, I was working on the rear brakes on my car, I have a rear wheel drive vehicle. Removing the rotor broke off the parking brake pad material. I can't spin my rear wheel like you did, first of all I only have one side of the car jacked up. Is it because both tires need to be off the ground?

Thanks for the upload saved my ass!

your emergency brakes are adjusted too tight they should not make noise while turning the rotor.

Use brake cleaner Millda , and I would ease onto that E brake when trying it; if it doesn't stick, I would then try it a little harder - until you're sure it's not gonna seize hard on you.

Ty very much ! You are a great help ! 😇

Very informative thanks alot for the video my friend

I used vise grips on a screw driver to get my retaining screws out.

Next time put the light nuts back on to use the pry bar to turn the Axelrod so you won't have to worry about ruining the threads

Glad to help TN - thanks for the feedback.

Little notched mechanism aka star wheel.

i mean no offense by this but im glad i live in california. rust free since 86

It's a Honda van Bob - it's a fairly generis system.

Screw the Nuts Back On threads, that should protect them. Thanks!

The "pads" on the emergency brake are not pads they are "shoes" and the emergency brake shoes fit inside the emergency brake "drum" not rotor. Using the correct term may help avoid confusion.

nice close up on emergency mekanics

Nice video. Thanks.I have a disc that turns but stops after a couple of inches. It seems locked somehow. It stood still all winter. Is it the same thing? It doesn't stick, it just seems to be in a lock position. Won't turn all the way around.

nice video thank you

Great information and got very similar situation happening on my kia optima will be finishing painting my calipers tmoz

Mine has an access hole in the back of the backing plate but even after loosening the adjuster all the way it was still stuck until I got in the vehicle and pressed and released the parking brake !

What if we replace the rotor without the emergency brake applied? Will the rotor come out easily without the need of releasing the e-brake tension?

What's all that noise even after repair though? I have one wheel making noise and I believe I need to change the rotor and breaks, but I am surprised yours has just about the same noise. My other wheel has absolutely no noise when I rotate it.

Great video! Thanks

i have a buick regal i wanna START using my e brake for when im loading my boat at a dock. im not sure of its condition and i have only had the car for 8 months ,never used it. is there any thing i can do before i attempt to use my e brake? like spray it with some lubricant or somthn???

very good video

GOD BLESS YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH

This is a great video, thanks

great job. thanks for your help...

yea thats what i did (easyd it,no cleaner) and it works fine!thx

wouldnt it be better to not have the ebrake shoes not touching when the ebrake is disengaged? is it normal to hear that much friction when spinning it?

Thank You backyardmech !!!

If you don't want to damage the threads then why didn't you leave at least two of the lug nuts on in order to pry safely? Hmmm

good man.

So fucking happy I came across with this video!! Gracias

at 7:50.. your gloves aren't useful anymore :P. Thanks for the video. super nicely explain

Thank you for this video :)

If it tight will it cause the break light to stay on

Are rear wheel bearings in the rotor or does the rotor just slide on?

Great vid! Any advice on how to do this without the holes in the rotor to access the adjustor? I have an 04' Tahoe. I can definitely see some play around the studs when I try to move the rotor so I'm pretty sure the ebrake has created a groove in the rotor and wont let it release. Thanks!!

Does this happen if your car is in park? Would you have to place gear on neutral?

Thanks Gizmo !

i have one side rotor where the star adjuster won't turn. what should i do? i tried turned in both directions and it don't move.

thanks so much really help .

So the last guy that put the rotors on put it on wrong so i cant ajust the handbreak. What do i do?????

So you didn't have to replace the emergency brake shoes, correct?

Hello, I have Highlander 2011 4wd. How do you turn the rotor to get it to 6 O'clock position? Thanks