Front rotor hold down screw removal

03wgn5spd

Veteran Member
Joined
May 7, 2022
Location
Virginia
TDI
2003 TDI Wagon 5spd 2002 TDI Sedan Auto
I am not the guy who is ok with keeping them off. I like them in place.

Unfortunately the driver's one snapped off when using my Milwaukee 1/4 impact at a low setting and had to be drilled out which was not fun.

I am going to be replacing the passenger one shortly. I have been soaking it with penetrating oil nightly.

Any suggestions on not breaking them? I have the updated torx ones handy but don't want to break the screw.

Thanks.
 

03wgn5spd

Veteran Member
Joined
May 7, 2022
Location
Virginia
TDI
2003 TDI Wagon 5spd 2002 TDI Sedan Auto
I use a manual impact driver. Clean out the head best you can, put the tool on and give it a whack.
Thanks. I have 2 manual impact drivers and the crazy part is they have never moved anything for me ever. I must be doing something wrong lol.
 

BobnOH

not-a-mechanic
Joined
May 29, 2004
Location
central Ohio
TDI
New Beetle 2003 manual
They work great. They can flip from loosy to tighty without notice.
Hammer the screw with a flat punch hard before you start.
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
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Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2002 Golf 6MT; 2015 Sportwagen 6MT; 2016 A3 e-tron 6DSG
There's always the "tighten them a couple hits first before trying to loosen" trick - works sometimes.
But yeah - the manual impacts are pretty good for stuff like this because they exert vertical force in addition to the rotational force.
(If it never works for you, make sure you're turning it as you hit it - like you have to be holding it as if you're unscrewing, and then while holding it against the "stop", hit the impact.)
 
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03wgn5spd

Veteran Member
Joined
May 7, 2022
Location
Virginia
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2003 TDI Wagon 5spd 2002 TDI Sedan Auto
Ahh ok. Tool misuse then for me but noted. Broke off the other head on the other rotor. Nice.
 

Pedalsteel

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Nov 2, 2018
Location
United States
TDI
Unicorn
Small punch with the end small enough to fit in one of the phillips grooves and a small lightweight hammer...angle the punch so that when you hit it you are trying to get it to rotate...light tap on those grooves working your way around and this should break it free and not destroy the screw
 

tgray

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2004
Location
Marengo, IL
TDI
'02 Beetle, '05 Golf, 2000 Jetta, 2001 Jetta, 2002 Jetta
These screws are soft and with a center punch you can drill out the piece in the hub with a drill a little smaller than the threads. Usually a tap will clean out the rest or put in a larger screw with new threads. It is no big deal if some of the threads are lost in the drilling. These really don't do anything once the tire is mounted anyway. They are just an installation helper. The biggest problem is if they break off and stick up and then put the rotor back on in the wrong place.
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2002 Golf 6MT; 2015 Sportwagen 6MT; 2016 A3 e-tron 6DSG
I used to spend time cleaning them out and getting them ship-shape again. Now, if / when one breaks, I just use a wheel hanger.
You can just cut the head off a Mk4 subframe bolt, which has the M14x1.5 threads - same as the lugs - if you don't want to buy one.
 

P2B

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Location
Toronto & Muskoka, Canada
TDI
2002 Jetta, 2003 Jetta, 2003 Jetta Wagon
I have a collection of unused torx screws because my manual impact doesn't have the right bit. I'm still rocking the original Phillips head screws, always installed with anti-seize and removed with the impact.
 

ZippyNH

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2015
Location
Southern NH
TDI
2015 JETTA TDI SE
Had the same issue on my Mini... assuming it's the same on a VW
Was told that are only there to keep the disks from falling off on the production line before the caliper are installed...
After the time I spent removing one...then finding the other stuck...I went to a biddy who was a professional mechanic...
He ended up using a torch, a big hammer/punch to bang a slot in the other one to remove it after he rounded it out....a real 2 man job, seriously. Took him 15 extra minutes vs the hour plus I took drilling it out. Worth every penny.
Suddenly it was worth not replacing them.
 

Lug_Nut

TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 20, 1998
Location
Sterling, MA. USA
TDI
2015 GSW 6M in S trim the other oil burners: 1967 two stroke Sonett 1988 Bolens DGT1700
There's always the "tighten them a bit ..."
My technique for Phillips head screws as well.
be sure to install the new ones with anti-sieze
And not just the threads, get the underside of the head as well. The area and the radial distance of the head are most of the friction during removal compared to the smaller radial distance of the threads. Doesn't help this time, but next.....
 

03wgn5spd

Veteran Member
Joined
May 7, 2022
Location
Virginia
TDI
2003 TDI Wagon 5spd 2002 TDI Sedan Auto
Drilled the other old one out starting with

a pilot bit and a punch to center the hole.

The screw wouldn't give up the ghost until I got to a 7/32 drill bit.

Heat and cobalt bits along with 20 minutes of drilling.

Crazy.
 

Seatman

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 23, 2010
Location
Scotland
TDI
2014 Skoda rapid elegance 1.6 cr tdi
I always fit a correct fitting bit then give the end of the bit a few sharp hits with the hammer, rarely failed me so far.
 

wonneber

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 12, 2011
Location
Monroe, NY, USA
TDI
2014 Jetta Sportwagon,2003 Jetta 261K Sold but not forgotten
They work great. They can flip from loosy to tighty without notice.
Hammer the screw with a flat punch hard before you start.
I've had good luck with reverse drill bits.
Often the screw would come out with the drilling.
2X on using anti seize on the screw and tighten to the correct spec.
 

Zak99b5

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2021
Location
Albany NY
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI
I find the rotor screws handy to have, but if they strip while using a hand impact screwdriver, I just drill and happily live without them. A while ago I bought the torx ones from IDParts, but they didn’t fit for some reason where the Phillips were before.

I use a wheel hanger every time I put a wheel back on anyway.
 

mittzlepick

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2001
Location
union maine
TDI
2004 jetta wagon (365k)2001 wagon tire burner 6spd 2003 wagon(417k)
Hand tight on install. Reposition drill and tap a new hole.
 

wonneber

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 12, 2011
Location
Monroe, NY, USA
TDI
2014 Jetta Sportwagon,2003 Jetta 261K Sold but not forgotten
I doubt there's a specified torque - it's a screw - but any more than barely snug is unnecessary.
If I'm not mistaking there's a torque or procedure for every bolt or screw in the car.
ID Parts sells a list (large poster size) with them.
Don't know what I did with it since I retired and don't work on my cars any more. :(
 

Genesis

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Location
Sevier County TN
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon
The reason the screws are present is that when you rotate the tires without them the rotor can lose contact with the hub. IF there is corrosion/debris in that area it can fall between the hub and rotor and now you have runout. This can (and will) lead you to believe the rotors are "warped" when fact they're not.....

Incidentally the Gen3 Mazdas are notorious for this.... and don't have the screws. Yeah.
 

Prairieview

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Jul 9, 2017
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Too close to Sturgis 'ithole
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Two 2000 Beetles, 2002 Jetta, 2002 gas avh Jetta, fleet of older 1.6 turbo and non's
My wrists and elbows must have that chart memorized. They always know just what to do and I am totally devoid of all these Gomer Pyle problems/issues I see on these pages.
 

Zak99b5

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2021
Location
Albany NY
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI
B5 Passats don't use a rotor hold-down screw, and VW supplies a (plastic) wheel hanger in the tool kit that lives by the spare. Of the 4 B5 cars I've owned, exactly zero have had any issue with crud getting stuck under the rotor hat and causing a misalignment.

The hold-down screws are convenient, but 100% unnecessary.
 

CanadianALH

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2023
Location
Canada
TDI
2002 Jetta 5spd 2006 Jetta DSG (wifes)
B5 Passats don't use a rotor hold-down screw, and VW supplies a (plastic) wheel hanger in the tool kit that lives by the spare. Of the 4 B5 cars I've owned, exactly zero have had any issue with crud getting stuck under the rotor hat and causing a misalignment.

The hold-down screws are convenient, but 100% unnecessary.
I think I broke mine on my mk4 anyway brakes work well without them. Maybe one day I’ll drill it and fix it but probably not.
 
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