You don't need to disconnect the caliper to remove the rotor....just hang it
up with a coat hanger with the brake line connected.
Karl Batzler
84 Vanagon
La Quinta, CA
-----Original Message-----
From: Jeffrey R <Oxroad@AOL.COM>
To: vanagon@VANAGON.COM <vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
Date: Tuesday, November 17, 1998 12:05 AM
Subject: disconnect brake line to remove caliper?

>hello folks--
>
>I need to replace my front wheel bearings. Am I supposed to disconnect the
>brake line from the caliper to remove the caliper to remove the rotor?
>
>There is a steele (or at least metal) length of brake line directly off the
>caliper which is attached to a metal bracket hooked to the front end
>suspension. This keeps the caliper from being moved without bending the
brake
>line or the bracket. On the other side of the bracket, toward the master
>cylinder is a rubber brake hose, then brake line and so on. From my
experience
>checking the bearings the only way to move the caliper clear of the rotor
is
>to temporarily bend the bracket or disconnect the brake line. The latter
means
>I have to bleed the brakes after installation, and seem like a bit of a
pain.
>Bending the bracket risks breaking the bracket.
>
>Am I missing a way to clear the caliper from the rotor without
disconnecting
>the brake line? My guess is bending the bracket holding the brake line
isn't
>the best idea since it could fatigue and break. And it seems like that
bracket
>is welded to the body, or rather suspension, and therefore can't be
unbolted
>or temporarily moved.
>
>If I have to disconnect the line and bleed the brakes do those one-man
brake
>bleeders that have a pump on them actually work well (like the bleeder I
see
>in Rocky Mountain Motorworks catalogue)?
>
>Thanks for any information.
>Jeff
>83.5 Westy
>NYC
>