anybody know how to replace the front rotors of a '95 montero LS?
Please explain in details 'coz i'm new at this and could you pls make the terms "dumber" for my sake
thank you

 

Sorry, if you're asking from that level of experience, I can't in good conscience explain it to you. If you make one minor mistake, you're life is toast. My suggestion is to find a good buddy who knows how to do it and ask them to show you how so you'll know the next time around. BTW, are you sure you have to replace the rotors or just the brake pads?

 

I have changed the brake pads before but i'm having trouble getting the rotors out.
do i have to unscrew the philips screws to get the rotors out? i know that i need new rotors
because there are visible scratches (like the old playing records).
And thanks for your reply.

 

Its very easy after you know the one trick. If you have done the brakes thats the hardest part. To get the rotor off wipe the grease from the middle of the hub. You will see what looks like a "washer" clip with a hole in it. I learned the hard way by prying at the rotor and it just would not budge and eventually broke my ABS sensor. Anyway just stick a very small screw driver in the hole and trun it counter clockwise. This will unscrew the washer and the rotor pulls right off. I believe thats how it worked. Its been a while since I did mine.

 

In order to remove the rotor, you will need to dissasemble and repack the front wheel bearings. In order to do that you will need a 4x4 wheel bearing tool that only has two points on it. A chevy tool will work if you grind off four of the six points. After cleaning, repacking and reassembling the bearings, you will need to properly preload the bearings with a torquewrench. Then release and retighten them to the proper torque. If you have never done this you should get a book to help you.

When was the last time your wheel bearings were repacked? When was your timing belt last changed? Howe about your spark plugs?

 

Winshawn - thanks for the reply, I recently replaced timing belt a couple of months ago and also the spark plugs.
I am now trying to have a courage to do my own servicing since my montero is 10 yrs old. And I appreciate what you guys do
here and i learned a couple of tricks from reading this forum. Keep up the good work!

 

If you successfully changed the timing belt, changing the rotors is simple.

Have you changed your ATF lately? It is real easy to do a drain an top-up with these transmissions, since there is a drain plug. You will need about 6 quarts of new ATF to refil what you drain out. It will not be a complete replacement of the fluid, but it is a simple procedure that will add life to your tranny. Since you have the same truck as me, let me tell you a few things I do to keep it reliable;

-Change differential fluids and transfer case fluids every 30k
-Completely flush brake fluid when changing pads
-Drain and top-up tranny fluid every 20-30k
-Drain and refill coolant every 2 years.

Not excessive maintenance at all, but a lot of older cars/trucks tend to get their fluids neglected.

 

As Winshawn noted, change the ATF. It's easy enough to do although you won't get all of it out. If you want to get all of it out, then you'll need to go to a lube place and have them "power flush" it. This forces new fluid and at the same time, forcing all the old fluid out. It's done while your vehicle is running.

Whatever you do, MAKE SURE you use the right ATF fluid. If you don't you will DESTROY YOUR TRANSMISSION!

If you're not sure if the fluid you're buying at the parts store is compatible, go to a dealership and buy the Mitsu fluid. May cost you an extra $20 but that's cheap insurance that you don't burn up your transmission.