Satan's Brake Rotor Screw

[Hagasan41]

Ok the title is a bit dramatic but what should have been a simple 30-45 minute job turned into a nightmare. Between running to the hardware store and waiting for Amazon this project took 2 days!

I decided to finally install my Future Classic spacers as I just had Michellin PS4's installed last week. Super easy as I've installed spacers a number of times as well as completed brake jobs and never had any issues. After soaking the screw with penetrating liquid I used a new 3/8" 5mm hex socket and managed to round out the head on the screw. This thing felt like it was welded onto the rotor hat! I tried all the usual suspects including PB Blaster, liquid wrench, heat, torx and tripple square bits and it still wouldn't budge.

Made a run to the hardware store and picked up 2 different extraction kits that claimed to "easily" remove damaged screws. The only thing they did was round out the screw more as neither had enough bite to extract the screw. Complete waste of time and money. (I know I could have installed the spacers without the retaining screw but my OCD wouldn't let me do good enough.)

What ended up working was the manual impact driver with a torx bit and a few blows from Thor's hammer!

Lessons learned for sure. Use the right tool for the job and make sure to use anti-seize or in my case, make sure the tech uses anti-seize to avoid future headaches.

The manual impact driver (new favorite tool) made easy work of the remaining 7 rusted and seized screws. Installation of the FC spacers is straight forward.
-Clean up the hubs with a wire wheel, dremel or scuffing pad and apply anti-seize.
-Line up the retention screws and lug bolt holes and torque everything to spec. The Future Classic spacers seem great so far. On a quick test drive I had zero vibration... mission acomplished!

[Idfkman]

Had a similar pain in the ass getting those rotor screws out while installing my FC spacers. Car looks great!

[Hagasan41]

Originally Posted by Idfkman

Had a similar pain in the ass getting those rotor screws out while installing my FC spacers. Car looks great!

Thank you. I should have known better from my expereince with Honda/Acura but I thought it can't be on that tight. LOL

[djsilverjohnson]

It’s not just BMW (although BMW is better than most at making it more difficult than needed). When I changed rotors on my S2000, I broke 2 “impact rated” tips before I just drilled the head out. After I removed the rotors I could turn the threaded stub out with my fingers! The replacements definitely went in with never-seize, especially under the heads.

[dickchow]

I was in the same situation and I have to ultimately replace my front hub. With this experience, I found out that a high quality, high fit hex tool would save the day especially the Wera Hex-plus, which "revents wear inside hexagon socket screws. Hex-Plus provides larger contact zones in the screw head thus reducing the notching effect to a minimum and protecting the profile."

The Wera works like a treat and took off all the rest of my rotor screws in seconds.

[Davisca455]

Originally Posted by djsilverjohnson

It's not just BMW (although BMW is better than most at making it more difficult than needed). When I changed rotors on my S2000, I broke 2 "impact rated" tips before I just drilled the head out. After I removed the rotors I could turn the threaded stub out with my fingers! The replacements definitely went in with never-seize, especially under the heads.

I had the exact same experience.
Carefully, gently, drilled (5/16" drill) the head until it juuuust popped off, which left enough meat to grab onto to the threaded piece and get it out with no drama.

[BayAreaE93]

Funny timing! I had to deal with this yesterday as I was replacing my front rotors/pads. Ended up drilling a larger hole and then hammering in a large hex socket. Then attached a ratchet and hammered on it as I slowly applied pressure counter-clockwise, which did the trick.

[Hagasan41]

Originally Posted by BayAreaE93

Funny timing! I had to deal with this yesterday as I was replacing my front rotors/pads. Ended up drilling a larger hole and then hammering in a large hex socket. Then attached a ratchet and hammered on it as I slowly applied pressure counter-clockwise, which did the trick.

Nice you got it done!

[Ajolives]

Originally Posted by Davisca455

I had the exact same experience.
Carefully, gently, drilled (5/16" drill) the head until it juuuust popped of, which left enough meat to grab onto to get the threaded piece out with no drama.

That's definitely not your first time drilling out a fastener. Any aviation/machine shop experience?

[Davisca455]

Originally Posted by Ajolives

That's definitely not your first time drilling out a fastener. Any aviation/machine shop experience?

Yes.
After barely graduating High School ('79), one of my friends got me a job at a local manufacturing company named DiscoJet (later split into two entities Moller Corp/Moller International).
The company manufactured Exducers and SuperTrapp mufflers, but the owner's pet project was a "Flying Car".
I did lots of sheet metal and tube fabrication, learned to TIG aluminum, steel, stainless and Inconel.
Became an Apprentice machinist.
Was later hired away by a pair of former co-workers that started a subsea robotics company (Schilling Robotics), where I continued machining and added Titanium to my welding skills."
Eventually they turned me into a Mechanical Engineer, but I still get to machine and weld things on occasion.

[InnerBlueSkies]

I ran into the same issue. Soaked with Liquid Wrench and then used an impact driver. Not sure how or why it worked but the solution was offered up on youtube after some research.

[Ajolives]

Originally Posted by Davisca455

Yes.
After barely graduating High School ('79), one of my friends got me a job at a local manufacturing company named DiscoJet (later split into two entities Moller Corp/Moller International).
The company manufactured Exducers and SuperTrapp mufflers, but the owner's pet project was a "Flying Car".
I did lots of sheet metal and tube fabrication, learned to TIG aluminum, steel, stainless and Inconel.
Became an Apprentice machinist.
Was later hired away by a pair of former co-workers that started a subsea robotics company (Schilling Robotics), where I continued machining and added Titanium to my welding skills."
Eventually they turned me into a Mechanical Engineer, but I still get to machine and weld things on occasion.

Holy crap, that's an impressive resume!! Thanks for sharing. So what you're saying is you did this with your eyes closed, lol.

[Rabidcat77]

Just wanted to say thank you! I figured those retaining screws might be a problem, and sure enough 3 out of the 4 in the front got stuck, so I used a larger torx style bit and hammered it in, then used my battery-powered impact driver to zip them out. Worked like a charm.

I'll probably tackle the rear brakes tomorrow, hopefully those screws come out easy!

[Hagasan41]

Originally Posted by Rabidcat77

Just wanted to say thank you! I figured those retaining screws might be a problem, and sure enough 3 out of the 4 in the front got stuck, so I used a larger torx style bit and hammered it in, then used my battery-powered impact driver to zip them out. Worked like a charm.

I'll probably tackle the rear brakes tomorrow, hopefully those screws come out easy!

You bet! Good luck.

[amrazM]

I drilled them out on my car and ended up changing the front wheel bearings, this was before I knew about a hammer impact driver.

[drwankel]

An impact screwdriver is absolutely the tool to use here to prevent rounding out a rotor screw.

If it doesn't easily come out with a normal screwdriver, an impact screwdriver will get it out in 2-3 hammer taps. I did this hundreds if not thousands of times when I worked as a mechanic.

Years after my time working as a mechanic, I was doing a brake job on my RX-8, and bought a harbor freight impact screwdriver in preparation for the job. Each screw fought me, but they all came out. One screw simply would not go. Hammer blow after hammer blow on the impact screwdriver, it wouldnt move. Finally got it to go, and in the process completely shattered the bit on the impact screwdriver. But you know what? That screw was not rounded out, and could be re-used. Cant say the same for the harbor freight bit.

It's true what they say about harbor freight. One time use tools, but they work.

[nah dude]

I ran into this as well, ECS/Turner makes a steel version of the rotor retention screw which should prevent this from happening in the future.

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-ecs-part.../001359ecs01a/

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-ecs-part...ach/6-ecs-001/