Removing a rear drum from a Lumina (OT)

[_shel_ny]

...

Edited September 20, 2011 by shel_bizzy_48

[Norm's Coupe]

Shel,

Use the BFH with a little more umph and it should come off. You probably have a build up of rust around the edge of the drum that is causing the grinding noise. About a year or so ago took my 95 Lumina APV into my friends shop to have the rear brakes checked. This guy is a big guy and he couldn't get the rear wheel off either, even with it up on the rack. So.......he walked over to the corner and came back with a sledge hammer. A couple of good whacks and it popped off. It was just rust holding that thing on there. Didn't hurt the tire or wheel in the process. Brake shoes were still over half the original thickness, so we just put the wheel back on.

Sounds like you have to do the same.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Isn't that car a front wheel drive..and if so just remove the dust cover like a normal car and pop out the bearing and pull off..if the shoes are locking it on due to a worn groove on inner lip..back off the shoe adjuster..make sure emergency brake is off also...

[Norm's Coupe]

Tim,

That won't work if it's got that ridge of rust built up around the lip of the drum like mine did. My mechanic friend tried that first. When it didn't come off, he put everything back, put the wheel and tire on and hit it with the sledge to break it loose. Remember, Shel and I are up here in rust country. It's probably a lot easier to get things apart off a southern car down by you, than it is a northern car. We have to use a little more umph and take more drastic action sometimes.

By the way we were inspecting the brakes for the same reason. I heard a scraping noise back there. After that, even though we didnt do any repairs, the scraping noise stopped. It was just a rust build up.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Oh yeah..got the picture...concentric hub...they can be a bear to remove..just be careful not to flare the hub...time to Whack it...

[Niel Hoback]

If youre crazy enough to listen this, it might work for you too. Penitrating oil on the center hole, back the shoes off all the way and put two HD screwdrivers 180 degrees apart between the edge of the drum and the backing plate. Alternately prying the drum out.

be gentle there, you can bend that cheap sheet metal backing plate.

[Tim Frank]

If you are still looking for options, you did say that salvaging the drum is not mission-critical.

I had the same problem years ago...ran out of time/patience/ideas and the drum had still not moved.

Someone suggested that I split the drum. Worked great.

Lower the drum onto a concrete block or rock or steel beam chunk/anvil or whatever...something really solid with no rebound. make sure that the car is still mostly supported on the original point... you only need a small percent of the weight on the bottom of the drum.

With the B(iggest)FH you have, give a the top of the drum a really sharp hard smack.

Took me two shots and the drum split in two pieces.

Gorilla-mechanics for sure, but we have the same salt/corrosion problem in eastern ontario and sometimes two pieces become one...

[Norm's Coupe]

Shel,

That way they make more money on the drum.

Do you have a small die grinder? If so, you probably could grind the flare smooth yourself. Then put the wheel back on, then hit the wheel with the hammer instead of the drum. The wheel will also help break it loose because you have a larger surface pulling on the drum when you hit the wheel.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Norm..the drum is on the axle flange..putting the wheel on will only make the unit more secure to the axle flange..there will be no movement ....

[1just4don]

You could take a smooth on both ends hammer,I buy those blue fiberglass handled ones,I call them Plough hammers here, could also be called a 2# small sledge(short handled) park one of them on the place it is real rusted together and hit it with the other. Doesnt flare or rivet things like a direct strike and keeps the studs from getting whacked. Both hands each on a hammer doesnt allow for getting ones fingers pinched either.

Is there 'any' room on the end of the axle to get even a old beater screw driver started in the 'crack'??? Or a very small sharp chisel? Even an old knife or putty knife with steel thru handle so a tap doesnt bust the handle off? Any small crack and some Kroil would do wonders. Or pry from backing and block in front?? 'Maybe' the drum can be reused after a clean up, would 'try' not wrecking it for now. Good luck it 'always comes sooner or later,with enough trying. Take it as a challenge, you win!!!! Perfect opportunity for adding to your tool collection, a hub puller. Have fun!!

[Norm's Coupe]

Shel,

Glad you got the drum off. Looks like they cross threaded that stud. I've had tire stores do that too. Of course they don't tell you the did that. I always loosen and re tighten with a lug wrench when getting home. That's when I find it, then have to go back and make them replace the stud.

I'm not surprised the brakes look good. Mine did too when I checked them after hearing the scraping noise. Prior to pulling the drum, I also had a thumping in the rears when I put on the brake. After pulling the drums and looking all the noise went away. Must be just rust building up back there that causes it, because we didn't fix anything.

[Norm's Coupe]

Shel,

When I buy tires for my Lumina van I pull the caps off myself before taking the van in. I keep seeing a vision of some idiot putting an impact wrench on the plastic lug on the wheel cover. Either that or trying to pry off the hubcap and breaking it.

By the way, not sure if your model year Lumina was involved in the recall or not. GM did recall certain model years from about 1996 or 97 through ? year because of the anti lock brake system not working properly. The recall was also limited to certain area's of the rust belt states. Mine is a 95 so I just missed it. The problem was that rust would build up in the brake system and cause the sensor not to work and allow the anti lock work. So, at times the antil lock system would not work because of that. So, if you didn't hear about that you may want to check it out for your area and model year.

My anti lock system started acting up about 2 or 3 years ago. Every time it's real damp or wet out, the dash light comes on saying "Check Anti Lock Brake". When that happens it means the Anti lock isn't working. As long as the light stays on without blinking you still have good regular brakes, just no anti lock so you just stop like you did without anti lock on slick pavement. If the light blinks, better check out the brake system, something is bad then other than just the anti lock. The fix for the sensor is to just clean the rust off the sensor and it will work again. I really don't care for anti lock systems myself so I never cleaned the rust off the sensor. That's why my light comes on when the roads are wet. Also according to the service manual for the van, even a tire that is low on air, or badly worn tire tread will cause the anti lock warning light to come on.

[Norm's Coupe]

Shel,

That's a real bummer if the lug wrench won't fit. Even if that was an old fix the tire shop did, I'd dig out my receipt and take it back in and complain like hell and make them put the right stud in. I'd tell them I didn't see it before because it was hidden.