I am in the process of changing the (original) rotors on my 2002 Highlander. Having some trouble getting them off...does anyone have any tricks that they can share??

I am changing both front and rear...any info will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

use two correct bolts to screw into the rotors...yu will see the holes on the rotors .Just bolt them in equally and they will push off the rotors. Use some WD or similar to help. The bolts can be gotten at any hardware stor. I just don't know the size off hand.

Here are some more tips that may help anybody doing this! If doing rear rotors (Which I just did) there is an inner set of traditional "drum like brake shoes" which are for the emergency brake (don't forget to release the emergency brake!) so you will need to pull the rubber plug out of the hub on the rear rotor and this opens an access hole (turn the rotor until the hole is in the 6 o'clock spot) through which you need to put a long handled flathead screw driver to turn a star nut towards you by either pushing the points along the bottom of the starnut away from you with the point of the screwdriver or pull the points along the top of the starnut towards you. You will hear the shoes inside the rotor hub "loosening". Now on the face of the rotor hub there are two small threaded holes and you can see a backer plate behind them. Now, to help get the old rotors off the rusty wheel hub (which has the wheel bolts that the lugnuts screw onto) go to the hardware store (take a new rotor with you) and get two "metric" hex bolts (about two inches in length and maybe buy a third or fourth bolt to have in case one would snap in the old rotor) that freely thread snugly into the threaded holes and all the way through the holes and out the back side. Do not try to force the wrong threaded bolts into these holes, they are metric and you need metric bolts. Now once back home put these bolts into the threaded holes on the old rotor (after you have "backed off" the inner emergency brake shoes with the star nuts via the access hole in the rotor), then using a socket wrench alternate tightening each bolt into the threaded holes and you will then see and hear the old rotor "break free" from the wheel hub. Works like a charm, just don't force it and make sure you have backed off those inner emergency brake shoes enough. Remove the old rotor, and before putting the new rear rotor on check the emergency brake shoes and hardware and make sure everything is in place and spring clips all secured to hold the emergency brake shoes in place. Before putting the new rear rotor on, spread the emergency brake shoes apart by using that starnut that us poked through a hole in the old rotor to get at. Turn it the opposite way that you did in the steps way above. It is easier to do this with the rotor off than with the new rotor on and poking a screw driver through a hole and doing it "blindly". Don't go too crazy with that starnut. Stop periodically and try putting the new rotor on. You want to find the point where the new rotor still slips on while still providing just a very minor amount of resistance to turn the rotor on the hub. You don't want to leave the emergency brake shoes not adjusted or your emergency brake will not "grab" when engaged (and for those of you who never use your e-brake, save some future tranny park position wear problems by using that e-brake!) If any additional adjustment of the star nut is needed either slip the new rotor back off and do it or try using that access hole on the new rotor and a screw driver. Once you have everything all adjusted, make sure that new rotor is "seated" all the way on the hub and use two lug nuts to hold it in place while you put the caliper holder bolted back on and then compress that piston all the way back in the caliper with a large c-clamp (my experience is it's easy as long as you have the clamp seated just right to push that tight fitting piston back into the caliper). Put in the new brake pads and don't forget to take the "hardware"(such as the anti rattle spacers and the wear indicator) off the old pads and put it on the new ones. If you were not methodical in removing the old ones and placing them in a way to remember which pads went where, (even though the 4 new pads are all the same, the hardware is different) use the "dirt marks" on the old hardware which will show which went against the piston side and which against the outside of the caliper. Put the pads in place in the caliper holder against the new rotors and then put the caliper back in place and tighten its bolts. After everything is back together and wheels back on, take a careful test drive, realizing the first stop of the brakes will experience some "soft pedal" while the pistons "get situated" to the new pads. Also stop and put the car in park and check that e-brake by engaging it, putting the car in neutral or drive with the emergency brake on and see how it "holds". If any adjustments are still needed, do them as you did above. Hope any of this helps make your own brake job easier!