OK I am FINALLY getting on to doing something with my Chevy and I'm trying to get the rear drums off to check out the brakes. I have the little flat washer thingys removed off the wheel studs and the drum does not want to come off! Am I missing something here? The manual says to just remove them? I think I will go buy a multi arm puller tonight and see if that helps, any tips would be greatly appreciated as always. Ted
Ted, give the face/edge a frickin gert clout with a big old hide hammer! excuse my ignorance if there's somethin else holdin it on.....but it sounds like thats it. Kev. How are ya? hows work.
Damn Chevy rear drums, If all else fails use a torch to heat it up a bit where it fits over the hump on the axle. A propane torch will work, it just needs to be warmed. Hope that helps ya.
Kev I've tried smacking them with various hammers, but I don't want to tear up the rear axle bearings if the drum does not want to come off. They turn freely and are not bound up by the brakes so I'll try the heat and then go rent a puller if that won't do it.
If it still had the retainer washers on it? It may have NEVER had the drums off. If so they might have the shoe rivets burried in the drum holding t on. That means you'll probably need new drums anyway so it doesn't matter how you take them off. If there's any rust on the hub where the drum goes on, sand it all off so the drum can come off. also if there is any dings in the axle hub or mushrooming from "someone" beating it with a hammer, file them down Shoot some liquid wrench type penetrant in there to crack it loose from the hub. Do all the other suggestions above about backing off the brake shoes. People have been known to sacrafice the backing plate to get shoes to let go of a drum... if all else fails and you can get some more, cut the backing plate so you can work from the back. or Yank the whole POS torque tube rear end and install an open drive 9" or 10 bolt rear end along with a mo-modern engine and tranny.
Use an old Case 500 tractor and a chain with hooks on the outside edges of the drum. Worked just fine on my 58 Pontiac. Only pulled the car about 4 feet sideways before the friggin drum came off!
Take the wheels off & drive the fucker round the block on the drums, bet they come loose then....
Most likely the drum have a wear ridge/lip and the shoes are adjusted down in it,Here is one that works , pound a screwdriver or small pry bar between the drum at 12 + 6 oclock,You can get em there a bit,but not to far!,you'll bend the drums, next heat or grind off the 2 pins on the back of the backing plate that anchor the shoes(usually 3/8" flatheads at 3+ 9 oclocks,it'll pop loose even if the shoes are rusted tight _THEN you can get inside to disconnect the emer. brakes and/or springs,another is to torch the adjusters , but its a shop thing only and you still have to get em off some to get in there.Still tight? WACK it w a BFH!NOT a clean n neat job this and wear a particle MASK!,them old shoes are ASBESTOS! most were ,at least in part. Oh ,an weasel piss (WD40)+ heat on the center hole helps too.
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