Help Please BMW Z3 Rear disks problem
Discussion
Hi
I am trying to change the rear disks on my Z3. They are not playing ball. I removed the calliper and carrier as well as the screw holding the disk to the hub.
However the disk would not come free and looked like it had never been replaced which is not a surprise as the car has relatively low mileage.
I have applied wd40 to try loosen things up and tried whacking it with a rubber mallet as well. It now will spin on the hub as you can put the car in gear and then rotate the disk but it still will not come off. If I give it a relatively decent whack it will move away from the hub around 2-3cms on one side but will not come free.
What am I missing here? Its really really odd. It feels almost like its on a spring.
Any help or advice much appreciated.
I am trying to change the rear disks on my Z3. They are not playing ball. I removed the calliper and carrier as well as the screw holding the disk to the hub.
However the disk would not come free and looked like it had never been replaced which is not a surprise as the car has relatively low mileage.
I have applied wd40 to try loosen things up and tried whacking it with a rubber mallet as well. It now will spin on the hub as you can put the car in gear and then rotate the disk but it still will not come off. If I give it a relatively decent whack it will move away from the hub around 2-3cms on one side but will not come free.
What am I missing here? Its really really odd. It feels almost like its on a spring.
Any help or advice much appreciated.
If this is like other BMW cars of that era E39, E46, E36, you will need to retract the handbrake shoes which use the centre of the hub of the disc.
If they are the original discs I'm assuming they will have a considerably lip which will prevent removal, I'm assuming you can pull the disc forward a few millimetres until they catch.
The process should be easily found via a Google search
Thanks
John
If they are the original discs I'm assuming they will have a considerably lip which will prevent removal, I'm assuming you can pull the disc forward a few millimetres until they catch.
The process should be easily found via a Google search
Thanks
John
There are handbrake shoes inside, and these are probably caught on an inner lip.
Have a read through this-
http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/techarticles/E36-E...
You might be able to screw in the brass expander and that might get the shoes in a little more, or if that doesn't work, you'll need to look on the back side of the splashguard.
In the middle of each shoe is a spring loaded bolt with an allen head.
The rear of this is a T which pokes through the splashguard and with a quarter turn, locks in place
That's them in the middle.
If you can get to where they poke out and give them a quarter turn, they'll fall though the splashguard, allow the shoes to move more and hopefully the disk will pull off.
Brute strength can just tear them through the splashguard as it is only thin metal, but they are awkward to replace.
Have a read through this-
http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/techarticles/E36-E...
You might be able to screw in the brass expander and that might get the shoes in a little more, or if that doesn't work, you'll need to look on the back side of the splashguard.
In the middle of each shoe is a spring loaded bolt with an allen head.
The rear of this is a T which pokes through the splashguard and with a quarter turn, locks in place
That's them in the middle.
If you can get to where they poke out and give them a quarter turn, they'll fall though the splashguard, allow the shoes to move more and hopefully the disk will pull off.
Brute strength can just tear them through the splashguard as it is only thin metal, but they are awkward to replace.
ts to remove. mark.c said:
Before you throw in the towel, did you back off the cables inside the car?
Que??Handbrake off. Disk freed up. Removed caliper and carrier. Turned little pins behind splashguard which promptly fell into the whole assembly. Managed to pull the disk far out enough that I could see the little wheel as in above pictures but could not figure out how to turn it or which way. Just not able to get enough torque on it.
AFAIK the Z3 has the same or virtually identical rear brakes to a Rover 75 / MG ZT.
I replaced the rear discs on my ZT last weekend and came across a similar problem - one disc was being a right pain to remove.
I backed off the adjusters on the handbrake shoes through the holes in the hub for the wheel bolts but even then it was tough. I just backed it off, then kept rotating the disc and tapping with a hammer to loosen.
Having replaced my handbrake shoes the next weekend (I changed the disc to find I had a knackered handbrake shoe, which of course I didn't have spare!), I wouldn't recommend removing the retaining pins - but you've done it now so nevermind!
The handbrake on the Rover 75 / MG ZT is well known for being terrible and adjustment is quite common - to slacken the shoes you need to wind the adjuster in. The direction you need to turn it is "down" on my car, however on ZT / 75s at least it seems to be random down to how they were manufactured - some cars have both pointing the same way, others dont. If you adjust it one way and the disc stops moving - then you've probably adjusted it out to the disc. Wind it back in the other way and it will slacken off.
I hope some of this makes sense!
I replaced the rear discs on my ZT last weekend and came across a similar problem - one disc was being a right pain to remove.
I backed off the adjusters on the handbrake shoes through the holes in the hub for the wheel bolts but even then it was tough. I just backed it off, then kept rotating the disc and tapping with a hammer to loosen.
Having replaced my handbrake shoes the next weekend (I changed the disc to find I had a knackered handbrake shoe, which of course I didn't have spare!), I wouldn't recommend removing the retaining pins - but you've done it now so nevermind!
The handbrake on the Rover 75 / MG ZT is well known for being terrible and adjustment is quite common - to slacken the shoes you need to wind the adjuster in. The direction you need to turn it is "down" on my car, however on ZT / 75s at least it seems to be random down to how they were manufactured - some cars have both pointing the same way, others dont. If you adjust it one way and the disc stops moving - then you've probably adjusted it out to the disc. Wind it back in the other way and it will slacken off.
I hope some of this makes sense!
Jakg said:
AFAIK the Z3 has the same or virtually identical rear brakes to a Rover 75 / MG ZT.
I replaced the rear discs on my ZT last weekend and came across a similar problem - one disc was being a right pain to remove.
I backed off the adjusters on the handbrake shoes through the holes in the hub for the wheel bolts but even then it was tough. I just backed it off, then kept rotating the disc and tapping with a hammer to loosen.
Having replaced my handbrake shoes the next weekend (I changed the disc to find I had a knackered handbrake shoe, which of course I didn't have spare!), I wouldn't recommend removing the retaining pins - but you've done it now so nevermind!
The handbrake on the Rover 75 / MG ZT is well known for being terrible and adjustment is quite common - to slacken the shoes you need to wind the adjuster in. The direction you need to turn it is "down" on my car, however on ZT / 75s at least it seems to be random down to how they were manufactured - some cars have both pointing the same way, others dont. If you adjust it one way and the disc stops moving - then you've probably adjusted it out to the disc. Wind it back in the other way and it will slacken off.
I hope some of this makes sense!
ThanksI replaced the rear discs on my ZT last weekend and came across a similar problem - one disc was being a right pain to remove.
I backed off the adjusters on the handbrake shoes through the holes in the hub for the wheel bolts but even then it was tough. I just backed it off, then kept rotating the disc and tapping with a hammer to loosen.
Having replaced my handbrake shoes the next weekend (I changed the disc to find I had a knackered handbrake shoe, which of course I didn't have spare!), I wouldn't recommend removing the retaining pins - but you've done it now so nevermind!
The handbrake on the Rover 75 / MG ZT is well known for being terrible and adjustment is quite common - to slacken the shoes you need to wind the adjuster in. The direction you need to turn it is "down" on my car, however on ZT / 75s at least it seems to be random down to how they were manufactured - some cars have both pointing the same way, others dont. If you adjust it one way and the disc stops moving - then you've probably adjusted it out to the disc. Wind it back in the other way and it will slacken off.
I hope some of this makes sense!
At this point the wheel has been on and off about 5 times so I have had enough it goes to my mechanic tomorrow and he can do it.
jimmybobby said:
mark.c said:
Before you throw in the towel, did you back off the cables inside the car?
Que??Handbrake off. Disk freed up. Removed caliper and carrier. Turned little pins behind splashguard which promptly fell into the whole assembly. Managed to pull the disk far out enough that I could see the little wheel as in above pictures but could not figure out how to turn it or which way. Just not able to get enough torque on it.
There really is no need to turn the pins on the backplate, all that does is allow the whole assembly to fall inside the disc out of alignment making matters worse.
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