2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Stubborn Brake Drums

[Cooker]

Unfortunately the rear brake drums on my 2000 are being pretty stubborn.



I already tried jacking up the rear (with tires removed and a couple lugs loosely back on the studs) and hitting the brakes several times in both forward and reverse. They didn't budge. The self adjusters are loose. I beat on the drums with a 5lb hammer and this didn't seem to help either. I'm thinking a little bit of persuasion from the fire wrench may be necessary.



Are there any other tricks to getting these *******s off. Thanks.

 

[Regcabguy]

Unfortunately the rear brake drums on my 2000 are being pretty stubborn.



I already tried jacking up the rear (with tires removed and a couple lugs loosely back on the studs) and hitting the brakes several times in both forward and reverse. They didn't budge. The self adjusters are loose. I beat on the drums with a 5lb hammer and this didn't seem to help either. I'm thinking a little bit of persuasion from the fire wrench may be necessary.



Are there any other tricks to getting these *******s off. Thanks.

If you back off the adjusters a bit(probably 10 clicks) and bash the heck out of them,they'll come off. I took mine to a brake shop and the guy showed me the procedure:BRUTE FORCE. When you get them off,try the Chevy wheel cylinder replacement. I tried the one-ton D/C trick with no improvement. EGR finally gave me braking.

 

[VicR]

Had the same problem when I changed the wheel seal in my 99 a few weeks back. This was the first time the drum had been off since new, 78,000 miles ago. Like you I tried the trick of using the brakes to force it off without any luck. I sprayed it with a lot of penatrating oil between the drum and housing and let it sit for the night, and picked up a bigger hammer on the way home from work the next day and after a couple of hits it came right off.



Oh yeah, and also make sure the e-brake is releasing all of the way.



-Vic

 

[KYOUNG]

I usually do the slam brake method, but one time had to use a torch. .

 

[cruiser_2]

There is a drum puller at Auto Zone that you can rent for free and it beats the heck out of workinf so hard to remove them... . I speak from experience... including using penetrant and fire!

 

[whistle]

First, I want to thank everyone for getting me thinking in the right direction. (The big, expensive Dodge Shop manual was no help: "remove brake drum" was as detailed as they get, and it doesn't even show a picture of the brake/drum assembly for the Dana 80 axle. )



I tried all the recommendations, including a home-made puller. I found that slamming the brakes with the rear end jacked up didn't work because the ABS prevented the brakes from locking up.



This does work: stomp real hard on the brakes, engage 1st gear and ease out the clutch, almost till the engine stalls. Do the same thing in reverse. It may take a time or two. The popping sound you hear is the drum breaking loose from the hub. You can do the same thing with an automatic, but you might have to use the accelerator to generate enough torque to bust things loose.

 

[Joe Mc]

whistle - good advice! And, welcome to the TDR (1-post and such a good one) or, welcome back?

As many times as I've sharred the "up in the air - jog from R to D w/foot on brake, or let em spin then hit the pedal" method of drum removal I never thought to mention "you might have to give it some fuel too - duh - "the things you just don't realize that should be said . . . usually until it's too late".

:--) I think I just figured out what my wife has been talking (or should I say yelling:-{}) about for the past 17 years - I won't tell her I figured it out if you all don't :-laf

 

[Willys]

Be careful when you're using that driving it while lifted trick- make sure you have a few lug nuts on the studs a few turns to keep that drum from coming off. I had done it a few times in past brake jobs and it worked fine 'til one day, BANG! the drum rolled off onto the concrete floor and made one heckuva sound in that shop. :-laf



The last brake job I did, on a recently purchased '95, the bonehead that did it before couldn't get the drivers side drum off, so they just didn't do it. The passenger side shoes were brand new, but the axle seal was leaking so I had to do replace it. When I got to the driver side, it was stuck on so tight that nothing would free it, we had to pull the drum and axle shaft as an assembly. The shoes were completely worn down to the metal, and were starting to wear the drum. I managed to get it turned down enough to reuse, and replaced both seals while in there.

 

[Cooker]

I finally had to use a little hear to get one side off. The other side did pop loose with a little power breaking while having the back end off the ground with the tires removed.



Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Hammer]

A heavy slide hammer with a end made to fit the back lip of the brake drum is the easiest. Most shops nowadays do not have them for some reason. It took me a while but I found one while at a auction at a local old garage which was closing..... Andy