2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Advice on stuck rear brake drum.

[tmacc]

Anyone got some advice on dis-lodging a stuck brake drum? I've soaked it w/ penatrant. No luck so far. I've wacked it a few times w/ a 2 lb hammer. I didn't think to put any anti-sieze on when I did them a few years ago. My bad.

 

[Turbo Tim 1]

I've got an axle sitting in the garage that I can't get the drum off either but in my case it is a stuck e-brake that won't back off, I'm afraid I am going to have to break the drum to get it off. It will turn but I can tell the shoes are holding it on.

 

[QWaller]

I have had the best luck hitting them around alternating sides with 2x4 end to end (hitting wood on the end) and a hammer. As long as the shoes are backed off enough that it will physically pass over the ridge.

 

[tmacc]

Q,

Are you suggesting hitting it out as in the direction it would come off or on the side towards the axle?

I'm wondedring if I give it a good soaking and then drive it to warm things up if that will help. Works on front hubs when I have to do the ball joints.

 

[TSRAM]

I've heard of putting the rear on jack stands, removing the tires, putting a couple of a lug nuts on a few threads to keep the drums from flying off. Just put in gear to get the rears spinning a bit then stab the brake pedal.

Never personnally tried it, but I've heard of drums flinging across the garage when its done without the lug nuts on.

 

[DMcLeod]

I've done what TSRAM described. It works good. Search this forum for more info, I know it's been discussed before. Good luck.

 

[EKlem]

Jacking up the rear end and stabbing the brakes works.

If that worries you, hammering them off will eventually work. I would recommend a hammer much larger than 2lb. When mine were stuck on, I broke the handle off the 8lb hammer so I switched to a 15lb which immediately broke them free. You don't necessarily need to hit the drum in the direction that it needs to go(this can be quite hard). The idea of the hammer is just to break it free. As always, be careful where you are hitting, it would be a shame to break a brake line or mess up the threads on a stud.

 

[junkerman]

I had same problem I used propane torch and hammer.

 

[WDixon27]

after fighting the stuck on wheels for a hour or two the stuck on drums seemed easy when i did mine the first time, wound up using a porta power to jack the wheels off as kroil and fowl language wasn't getting the job done, penitrating oil and a BFH got the drums off without damaging them, probably used a half bottle of antiseize going back on :-laf

 

[AndyMan]

first off KROIL is the cat's meow for penetrating lube...



secondly. . I use a BIG dead blow mallet and whack the daylights out of it. all around the sides a couple of times will usually bust it off the hub. It seems to me that is where it catches most of the time. If you don't have a big dead blow mallet, use a short piece of 2x4 and a 5lb sledge. Hit it all around the outside of the drum. It'll knock loose after a while.

 

[Larry Willard]

tmacc

Hows things going out there?

I hit it in between each of the lugs, get behind it and start hiting in the direction it comes off, alternating around the drum. Make sure the shoes are backed off as far as you can.

Larry

Larry

 

[tmacc]

Thanks Guys,

I think I've got enough suggestions that something is going to work. I'm not familiar w/ KROIL, but I have plenty of "Oil well in a can" penetrating oil. Now If I could just find the time to do it.

 

[tmacc]

Hi Larry,

Long time, no see. OK, I have seen you in the TDR mag a few times.

Things are great out here. Love it. Don't regret the move one bit. We've done a bunch of traveling. Rowed a raft for 3 weeks down the Colorado R. through the Grand Canyon. Awesome trip!! Bought a cataraft this spring and did an eight day trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon in ID. We go down to Moab several times a year and do a little mountain biking and 4 wheeling w/ Pam's Xterra to check out Anasazi petroglyphs, etc. Just a cool, cool place down there.

We live up in the pines in a pretty cool neighborhood. It use to be cabin country, so it not your typical cookie cutter development. Tons of moose running around. We snowboard and snowshoe in the winter. Hike to surrounding peaks in the summer.

Business is good. We've developed a nice remodeling business here. The inspectors like us because we pull permits. Pam quit computer programming to help w/ the business. She's turning into a really good trim carpenter and general all round hand. Thank god she took over the book work too. Life's Good!

I don't know how you go to MM, but we're only about 2 hour or so north of I70/I-15. Snow's usually gone by mid-late April, so the'd be room to park the RV. It's a straight shot east on I-80 from our house to Frederick or west from Frederick.



Oh yeah. Probably start w/ the hammer/dead blow and then the rear end on jacks thing.

Later, Tom

 

[TDeSteuben]

sorry guys,, ive never taken the drums off before, and the other day i was down there with a screwdriver trying to spin the star on the adjuster rod and it seemed to spin fine both ways,,, which way am i supposed to spin them? It seems like the drums are stuck on so i want to make sure they are backed off before i start beating the crap outta the drums

 

[jkalchik]

Talk about bringing a thread back from the dead... ... BTW, the adjusters spin one way on the passenger side, and the other way on the driver's side.

I had this issue twice now, and finally figured out a good way to handle it. I took the entire hub off the end of the axle tube, and dropped the whole assembly 4-6", studs down, on the concrete. The drum popped right loose.

 

[S.Morris]

Excellent home grown penetrating oil that has amazed me numerous times if soaked 2-3 times over a day or so= equal parts of diesel,auto trans oil,mineral spirits,and laquer thinner (I use 1 qt of each and keep in a metal sealed container) lasts a long time at a fraction of the cost of store bought.

 

[surfbeetle]

After many boat launchings in salt water and at the time, 12 years of original rear brakes, my drums too were stuck. I searched here and ultimately was successful putting the rear up on jackstands, loosening the lugnuts. I got the speedo up up over 30 mph and stabbed the brakes. Worked like a charm!

 

[fest3er]

As long as the shoes are backed off, apply nearly any penetrating lube (most any liquid that will work into the joint to reduce friction) to the drum/hub joint. Doing this work safely means you have the rear end up on jack stands, so run the speed up in reverse and stab the brakes, then run it up in forward and stab the brakes (as Surfbeetle said). You may want to loosely install a lug nut or two just to be sure the drum doesn't launch itself. Then apply a 5# mallet to the inside edge of the drum going around in 1/2s to 1/3s. The drums can take a lot of hand pounding; I've seen mechanics take a full two-handed swing at drums with a mallet. But I'm still squeamish about hitting it so hard.

Another idea just came to mind. If you have a nice, husky piece of steel the right length with suitable notches on each end, it might be possible to place it between the drum and the leaf spring or shackle bolt at a small angle (maybe 5-10 degrees), then turn the drum to zero the angle. Call it a poor-man's press. Hmmm. I'll have to remember this.

Before you re-assemble, wirebrush the joint areas to bright metal and apply a miniscule coating of anti-seize compound (or metal protector). That should be enough to keep rust to a minimum.

 

[cojhl2]

I've applied heat around the bolt circle and then hit the drum smartly with a hammer to vibrate it.



Never had to apply much heat, just enough to cause the drum to exand a little at the bolt circle.

 

[kenny61]

sorry guys,, ive never taken the drums off before, and the other day i was down there with a screwdriver trying to spin the star on the adjuster rod and it seemed to spin fine both ways,,, which way am i supposed to spin them? It seems like the drums are stuck on so i want to make sure they are backed off before i start beating the crap outta the drums

Im 70% sure you need to rotate them down towards the ground. As stated in another post I think one is l hand thread and the other is r hand you don't want to mix them up but they still go in the same direction to adjust them