Two Mech Issues

[gen3wagon]

Gen 3 wagon 5sfe 165xxx miles, I drive the hell out this car, holds up real well.

Issue #1: I was chaning the rotors today, local auto parts store got me a deal, worked out to be bout 22 bucks / rotor (yeah taiwanese steel). Changed both fronts and the back left with no problems. The back right rotor, however, isn't budging.

I've got the caliper removed and sitting on a cinder block, since the rear left came freely off I doubt its the ebrake drum holding it on - the rear rotors are discs - , but I loosened the brake cable from the interior by the lever which had no effect. The rotor's pretty badly rusted, could it be rusted on? I'm thinking of trying to hammer it off with a mallet

Ideas?

Second Issue: Has anyone with high miles specifically noticed their steering developing excess freeplay, becoming oddly light? As I said I drive the piss outa the car (just took the suicide knob off ), but I can now move the wheel a good 2 inches with little effect. Problem with the pump? Bearings wearing out? Didn't find any info in the repair manual.

~Josh

[Silver Streak]

Issue #1 - There's two holes where you can screw two bolts in there and it pulls the rotor off. It's probably super rusted on, I had the same problem. Go to the delearship, ask for these two bolts, they gave them to me free last time. I used a combo of WD-40, rust remover, a crowbar and a hammer...took me 45 minutes.

[Nick]

or you could go to an autoparts store and rent a puller, something like a wheel hub puller would work, (you still need those bolts though

[gaak]

it might be rusted, so a mallet might work, but just be careful to check that you're not damaging anything as you're pounding it off.

[Nick]

if you're replacing the rotor you can beat the shit out of it