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Stuck brake drums

jnj

jnj

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I just picked up a 14BFF that has been outside for the last two years and can't get the drums off. Yes I took off the spindle nuts but the drum only wobbles and doesn't turn. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Kurt
 
If you`ve remover the outer nuts and bearing and it wont slip off or turn then Id say either the shoes are rusted/stuck/glued to the drums from sitting. Id put the nuts back on lightly with outer bering,back off the adjusters all the way,this will assist with ruined drums and lining rivits possibly stuck in the grooves also, then spend some time tapping the drums all the way around lightly with a medium steel hammer for shock value and hopefully they will break free and slip off.
 
i used a bfh and a tire iron between the drum and backing plate.pry a lil on the drum while tapping the drum on the oposite side.it will slowly work its way off.my axle was sitting in a axle bin for who knows how long b4 i found it also.
 
With the drum facing you. Hit it on the top straight down on the outer edge facing you where it is thick. Good solid blows while turning it. That will usually bust them loose from the axle flange. If not. Heat the drum around the lugs with a torch.
Hit it again using the same method. If you do pry on the backing plate dont use much force you can bend it and that will screw up the brakes.
 
Actually just went through this. Whenever the truck was scrapped they Ebrake was pushed and it sat in the grass like that for however many years. So I made a relief cut in either side of the drum with a grinding wheel. After that a 20# sledge knock them off in a few hits with some PB blaster.
 
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HAMMER TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! as in BFH, i normally work my way around, hit the edges of the trum, then hit the face plate towards the axle, not hard enough to crack or chip the drum, but hard enough that rust gives way. then try to rotate the drum. To me thats critical. getting a stuck drum off usually is a process. I like getting it to spin free before trying to get it off. once its spinning (might want newspaper or something under it to catch all the rust/brake dust) then focus on trying to get it off. hammer and prybar is the process as described above.
 
i just removed some heavy rusted on 14ff drums. going disk so i dont care.

oxy cutting tourch and cut about 1-2" around backing plate flange on axle tube. then remove all hub nut parts. then few hits with hammer all comes off no problem. then bolt on disk stuff and go.
 
lol, yeah i was debating going disks till i saw the DRW D70HD drums in person..... now its a certainty. Especially when the PO said they had a habbit of doing this same thing that this thread is about. Just not a fan of those massive drums.... i suppose i could paint them and make flower pots out of them...... for tree's lol.
 
Thanks for all the input. The front axle from the same truck looks like it had a brake job before it was pulled, so I'm hoping the rear did also and want to save it. Money is tight so I'll have to make do with the drums for now. The biggest problem is the drums wont turn, seems like the shoes are rusted to the drums like Big Red mentioned. They will pull out about 1/8" then the shoe retaining springs pull it back. Been working it over with a 4 lbs. dead blow, will try heat this weekend. Thanks again.

Kurt
 
you can pry on the backing plate pretty good with no ill effects.mine were about 1/8 inch thick and hitting it with a 5 pound sledge while slighly prying came off in about 10 minutes working and rolling over axle a few times.i was also trying to save them,but after seeing how much they weighed,the 150 dollars to change it over to to disk and save that 150 pounds was the deciding factor.:wink1:
sorry 300 dollars.haha i forgot i needed a ebrake to be legal in pa so went cadillac calipers.so that added some $$.otherwise it can be done for about 150 with jy parts and a good set of brackets.
 
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What about the old method of cutting off the retaining pins from the back side? That lets you pull the shoes, springs and everything off with the drums. If your only problem was the drums rusted to the wheel studs this wouldn't help, but for most other problems it would.

You have been soaking it all with something like PB Blaster, right?
 
Blue85 said:
What about the old method of cutting off the retaining pins from the back side? That lets you pull the shoes, springs and everything off with the drums. If your only problem was the drums rusted to the wheel studs this wouldn't help, but for most other problems it would.

You have been soaking it all with something like PB Blaster, right?
Click to expand...

That may work but you may also have to remove the bolts holding in the wheel cylinder as well to get it to come off
 
They're free. Unbolted the pivot bolt and wheel cylinder and knocked the heads of the shoe retainers. After that the whole assembly slid right off, no hammering or anything. Thanks for all the suggestions.

Kurt
 
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