86IROC112

OK, it's starting to really annoy me. I have removed hundreds of brake drums in my life but these WILL NOT come off.


Any tricks or something I'm missing here? God only knows how long it's been since they were last removed but C'mon.. I've tapped and beat on them with a rubber mallet but they won't budge. Remove wheel and pull off drum, right?


WTF?

Bob88GTA

iTrader: (2)

The corrosion around the center of the hub and axle is probably keeping it on. Or your shoes are corroded to the drum. Did you remove the little retaining clips found on your lug bolts?

86IROC112

Little retaining clips around lug bolts?? You mean the studs themselves? Don't see any retaining clips?

86IROC112

OK, WOW. Been working on it for over two hours now and it won't budge. I have both rear wheels off the ground now and it spins freely so I doubt it's a brake shoe. I've tapped on it, pried on it, heated it, prayed for it, and nothing is budging this damn drum. I hate to take it to a shop for such an easy job...

Bob88GTA

iTrader: (2)

Spray some PB Blaster around the center of the hub and let sit overnight. Also, they used to put little round spring washers on one of the studs to hold the drum/rotor on. That don't seem to be the case. Corrosion is holding it on. I played over an hour with my 85 after I bought it. It'll come, use a bigger hammer on the sides all the way around and tap the back side lip of the drum. Just let the PB Blaster soak.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

It's the rust on the hub.

Use a 3-jaw puller.

Of course, that'll ruin the drum; but they're so cheeeeeeeeep anyway, hardly matters.

And don't forget to wire-brush all the rust off once you get the drum off, and put a light film of anti-seize around the hub to reduce it happening again.

572_Rat

Back off your adjuster, a lot of times the brake shoes groove the inside of the drums, and by backing off adjuster you give it that extra room to remove drums

86IROC112

Finally got it popped loose but it still wouldn't clear the hub. Got pissed and cut the SOB off! Praying the other side is not this difficult. It is soaking as we type.


Any easy way to install that wheel cylinder retainer? Seems you need three hands to do it. Why not just bolt it in place?? I wonder about the designers of these cars sometimes..

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

The designers of these cars made it eeeeeeezy for the original assemblers to put it together. VERY smart guys. (maybe girls too) but I'd bet my left nut that NOT ONE SINGLE ONE had ever in his/her life worked in a shop, or been a hobbyist. Had they been either of those things, they might have thought differently. But they weren't, and the parts are, so....

So yeah, looks STOOOOPID to us out here; but was GENIUS to the ivory tower folks. Not much point in bitching about it now though. It IS what IT IS at this point in time. (antique) It's kinda like, time to just shut up and deal with it, all yer bitchin is just annoying.

Installing the WC retainer is EEEEEEEEZY. Taking it apart without destroying anything is the tough part. Once you've got it apart, and the parts aren't ruined, all ya gotta do is, push the retainer back onto the cyl. Not much of a challenge really.