The saga continues...

This started as a brake pad/rotor replacement on my '12 JK. Long story short - rear rotors stuck on parking brake shoes. Pried and pried and beat on - no luck. Used a puller, got them off. Had to replace parking brake hardware and shoes as well.

The initial prying bent the right rear backing plate, to where it rubs and the parking brake shoes sit a bit crooked and rub. Tried to bend it back into shape - no way.

Ordered a new backing plate. Went to pull axle - three of four axle retainer bolts spun. I got the nut to turn one turn on each and blam! Spinny. One nut (facing the wheel, top right) came off ok.

So - what to do? The jeep is on jackstands. I do not have a welder - spot or any other kind, nor have I ever welded. I'm pretty rural and new to the area, fairly sure that my neighbors don't either. I could go BUY a welder (REALLY don't want to) for $150 - but then what else might go wrong that may need replacement?

I'm opened to suggestions. I DO have an air compressor and a 3" pneumatic cut off wheel. Do I use that to try to cut off the nut? Or take out the parking brake hardware (the new backing plate comes with it) and try to cut off the pressed-in head part (see pic for example of one)? Is there another way anyone can think of?

AND - then can I just buy a bolt/nut to replace them instead of having to replace an axle retainer? These costs are really piling up now, as is my upset/frustration factor.

Another option - just remove the parking brake hardware, cancel the new backing plate order, and do without parking brakes until I can drop $1k to have a shop do this job. BUT - does the rotor sit in a groove in that backing plate thing? CAN I bend that part?

I'm sick about this at this point - seems like it's fighting me at every step. But I definitely appreciate everyone's posts, help, and suggestions.

 

Haha come on man! You're hogging all the little annoying problems! This is some ride, I've never heard of those studs spinning. That plate is captive on the axle shaft, if I were you at this point I'd cut them off and replace the shafts. That's just me though. I don't see why you couldn't grind those heads off and use bolts instead, as long as there's clearance for them and there's room to get a wrench in to hold them to tighten the nuts.

 

Right? It's all uphill!!

Bunch of people in other threads mentioned them spinning, said most people spotweld them. Sigh.

Replacing the shafts - I can't spend that much. Unless it's to take the Jeep to a shop and have them replace that one shaft, and then... Well... That's quite a budgetary upset that means a LOT of consequences.

FIRST I'm going to remove the parking brake hardware. Then I'll see about reaching the heads.

I just f'ing KNOW that I'll grind the heads off, go to pull the axle, and have MORE trouble and need to replace a bearing or something like that.

That's why I've kind of decided to just pull the parking brake hardware and drive like that (hoping that the plate itself wasn't rubbing) for a while, until I can worry about it next year or something.

 

I have never had to remove the parking brake on factory rear axle so keep that in mind as I say this.....

If that were my pickle, I think I would hit the nuts on the retaining bolts hard with some penetrating lube and let it percolate. I would remove the parking brake hardware and then try to grab the back of that stud with some vice grips while I try to get the nut off the other side. If successful, then find a place to tack weld those in place on the new one so it never happens again.

 

Wait - three of those retaining nuts are loose now - even if taking off the parking brakes DID fix the rubbing problem - I still have to retighten the three bolts. Fuuuuu...

Anyone wanna buy a '12 Jeep? Sigh.

 

Yeah with three bolts loose, you're on the hook for getting them tightened again. Is there a mobile welding service or machine shop who could send someone to you? If that's not an option, I'd move ahead with the bolt plan. Check clearances and if it all works out you can grind those studs off and get it back together for a few bucks in hardware. You can replace those bolts without pulling the axle to avoid any further issues.