Brake rotor rusted to hub (4wd). Any tips for removing it?

A '98 6-lug 4wd...anybody with this experience have any tips to get the brake rotor to release from the hub? I removed the other side a couple of years ago with some difficulty and gentle persuasion from a small sledge hammer, so I know the center part of the rotor between the lug bolts holes will tend to rust to the hub. But this side (driver side) seems to be even more frozen. I didn't want to wack the rotor too heavily with the sledge. Seems the logical point to hit/tap is around the center side of the rotor where it fits around the hub. I do it evenly on different sides. I also squirt some rust solvent into whatever gap there was around the wheel lugs and let it sit overnight.

 

brass hammer

 

If you have bolt holes like pictured below. Can screw some bolts in using hand tools. That should help free the stuck rotor.

 

Brake drum/rotor puller by otc. Try that if the hammer method doesn’t work.

 

PB blaster around the hub and smack it good with a hammer. Rotors are cheap enough and Amazon is always a keyboard away.

 

yeah.. PB Blaster, tapping the rotor around the hub... apply some heat to the rotor maybe? A few solid smacks with a 3 or 4 lb dead blow / sledge + wood block... If I did all that, and it was still stuck, I'd probably try to figure out some way to get the 5lb slide hammer on it- like some 2x4s from behind and even just tie them to the slide hammer...

 

If the holes to walk it off with bolts are stripped out then buy or rent the rotor/drum puller. It'll come right off with that.

 

If it's the drum make sure the parking brake is off ;-p Been there done that.

 

Finally got it to release. No holes in this disc to screw in a bolt. I think this is old rotor, maybe 20+ yrs old. Here's what I did, in case somebody has this problem in the future. Penetrating oil, overnight patience, heat, and a little persuasion with a hammer are the answers (Which you all suggested. Thanks!!) I agree, rotors are cheap but I was trying not to expand the project. A new rotor would of meant new pads (existing pads still had some significant life in them), and I would probably do the other side too if I was installing new pads on one side. Happily, I didn't have to go there.

1) I shot some WD40 into the small gap between lug bolts and rotor disc. Used WD40 because I had it on the shelf and it was 10pm at night. Key is to let it sit overnight. I left my initial post last night after applying the WD40 and whacking it, with no luck. Just needed the patience to let it seep in overnight, ....but there was still more....
2) It was still holding on tight this morning when I went back to it. I then used a small propane torch and heated the disk area around the hub. I tried to heat it evenly all the way around the center hub area but keep in mind the little torch did not really make it steaming hot, which is fine because I didn't want to cook the grease inside of the hub.
3) I have a large crow bar, 24" long. Was able to find a pry spot between one of the caliper mounting ears and the back of the disk. While applying some outward pressure on the crow bar, I also tapped around the rotor disk where it surrounds the hub (the area near the lug bolt bolts & holes). I just used a regular hammer, but it only took about 5 whacks before it popped off.

When it finally popped off, I could see that the WD40 did the job overnight by penetrating the area on the hub flange where the rotor disk is attached. But the heat and a few whacks were important too.

I've come across this issue before but this one was tough. To make things easier in the future, during assembly I put a small amount of anti-seize lubricant on the hub flange where it contacts the rotor disk. After a few decades of doing my own wrenching on various vehicles I still find things that frustrate me and slow down the project. I expect that pro mechanics must come across this type of rust issues all the time, especially for suspension parts.

 

I cheat I brazed a hunk of brass to a Air Hammer punch.The punch for knocking out the brake pins

i use Kroil spray good Go have a Coffee use the Air Hammer they pop right off