Rear rake drum removal

[Sheehan]

Help please, I have removed the crown nut and washer form in front of the rear drum, attached a puller and tightened quite a bit but the drum does not break loose. The drum rotates easily so I know the brakes are not hanging up.

Any suggestion would be appreciated 

[bacelaw]

10 minutes ago, Sheehan said:

Help please, I have removed the crown nut and washer form in front of the rear drum, attached a puller and tightened quite a bit but the drum does not break loose. The drum rotates easily so I know the brakes are not hanging up.

Any suggestion would be appreciated 

 

I use a small sledge to rap on the puller (if you have the proper puller).  A couple good shots and it will pop.

 

[JohnTeee]

Remove the washer and keep the axle nut threaded on the end to keep it from flying off.

Keep the tension on it.

Get a bigger hammer.

Keep whaling on it.

 

John

[JohnTeee]

 

[andyd]

Also leaving the centre nut on the axle thgread protects the end of the axle from burring over as the puller is tightened onto the axle......generally you loosen the nut a couple of turns , say maybe 1/8 then tightened the pller, maybe give the centre bolt on the puller a wack, then retighten the bolt, wack again, retighten......etc, maybe leave it to consider its choice...lol..........retighten, wack retighten...........and it should decide that you know best.........lol...........andyd

[vintage6t]

You can also leave it under tension for a day. Then go back and try wacking it again. Repeat a few times if needed. 

 

Another method is to loosen the nut a few threads and drive in a circle until you hear it pop loose.

[Loren]

There’s a few things that are subtile.

Keys must always be pulled in such a way that there is no side thrust on the key. To illustrate, if you put the key pointing up you must pry at 6 o’clock or 12 o’clock. Never at 9 or 3 o’clock. ( this is for straight shafts. Hubs tapered and keyed but the side thrust rule still applies )

Now any puller you use on hubs must attach with the lug bolts and the heavier the puller the better. If one of the legs is damaged make certain it doesn’t pull against the key, if it does it will bind and you’ll never get it off.

If you buy a puller it is best to get a heavy one. The more heft the better. The one in the video above is a Snap-On Blue Point brand. They are good and are only found on eBay used. The one I have is very good too. It usually takes two licks with a 3 1/2 lbs. engineer’s hammer ( aka BFH ). Any puller lighter than those and you’ll be hammering all day.

At bottom of the photo is the piece you hammer on to tighten the puller. You can tap on the puller screw to set the puller as well but most of the hammering is on hammer piece. I have heated hubs, I have drenched them in penetrant oils and the one thing I have found that works is the right puller. Get the right puller and the job is a pleasure to do. I’ll never get rid of my tapered and keyed axles because I have the right tool.

[Sheehan]

19 hours ago, bacelaw said:

 

I use a small sledge to rap on the puller (if you have the proper puller).  A couple good shots and it will pop.

 

Thanks for the valuable information.

[Sheehan]

Thank you and I never thought about how the keeper key was positioned in regards to the puller. Good stuff thank you

[JBNeal]

additional information - rear brake drum removal

[kencombs]

IF you have an air hammer, I've found that using that around the center of the hub to help.  Hammer at  a right angle to the  axle.  I think it helps to release the tapers bond axle to hub. Can't hurt.  

 

Edit to clarify.   Do this with the puller installed and tightened.   Repeat tightening the puller screw afterwards.  

 

And, it is obvious I guess,but be sure the puller screw is well lubed, makes it last longer and turns more of the turning force into pulling force.

Edited Friday at 06:48 PM by kencombs

[andyd]

This is the puller I have had for 50 yrs....I bought it specifically for the original 1940 Dodge rear brake drums..........it has met other tapered axles over the years but has never met a tapered axle it didn't like....lol.......also its a good idea to closely check the key when the drum comes off.......replacing it if even a slight amount of wear is a good policy ...from memory I think the key is 5/16th , a length of key material is usually sold in 1 foot lengths ...........have fun.......lol....andyd  

[Sheehan]

I’m still having issues, there are some rivets that appear to be holding the drum to the axle flange. 
does the axle need  to be removed, it doesn’t seem like that would be the case

[Los_Control]

Removing mine was a chore .... use a proper puller and a small 3 pound sledge hammer.

Tighten the puller up by hand and then smack it with the sledge hammer .... then walk away for a hour and listen to your favorite radio program.

Then get your sledge hammer out and smack the puller again .... walk away and 30 minute later return and smack it again ....

 

You are not saying anything we have not heard in the past ..... not easy getting the drums to pop

Use the sledge hammer to tighten the puller .... let it rest then return with the sledge hammer and hit it again  .... keep it up and in a afternoon you will have the drum popped off.

 

This is nothing new that nobody has saw before, just a typical remove the drum from  a tapered axle ..... I prefer a 3 pound sledge hammer .... some may prefer a long handled 8 pound ..... your choice.

[LazyK]

2 hours ago, Sheehan said:

I’m still having issues, there are some rivets that appear to be holding the drum to the axle flange. 

There is no flange on the axle. The axle is tapered.

Just keep whacking the cross bone on the puller.

Edited Saturday at 04:18 AM by LazyK

[andyd]

AS mentioned there is NO flange on the axle, although as it "appears" there IS a flange that is rivetted to the brake drum.....this flange is what has the internal taper  and keyway that the centre nut holds onto the tapered axle.........so yes there is a flange BUT NO it is NOT like say a late model axle where the flange is part of the axle.......once the falnge & drum is loose it and its brake drum comes off the tapered axle it is separate to the axle.............what the puller is trying to do is pull the flange and its rivetted brake drum away from the tapered axle...............lol.........ain't life fun...........remember wack, tighten, wack, tighten.......discuss its parentage, ie its lack of a mother or father....more wack, more tighten............lol..........andyd   

Edited Saturday at 04:27 AM by andyd
more info.

[Sheehan]

Ok thank you, off to the store to buy a bigger hammer.

These things are a son of a bitch!!

[Kilgore47]

Here is a picture of the rear axle with the drum removed.  I was checking the end play after replacing the bearings and seals.  As you can see there is no flange on the end of the axle.  It's hard to see the taper in this picture but it's there.  Just keep working at it and it will eventually come off.

[Jerry B]

My advice is use  a heavy all metal hammer, not shot filled plastic

[Kilgore47]

One more thing - while you are working on the rear - check the vent on the housing to make sure it is clear.  

[Sam Buchanan]

I can be intimidating for the first timer to hit the puller REALLY HARD with a LARGE hammer but the shock of the hammer blows is part of the process in addition to the pressure being created by the puller. As has been stated before, always leave the nut on the axle while using the puller, when the drum releases, all that energy that has applied to the puller has to go somewhere and it can launch an unsecured drum in a way that can cause serious damage and injury.

[Los_Control]

There is a lot of force there .... when mine finally popped loose, the dog bone handle of the puller flew 3' and hit the side of the house.

So even though the drum is secured by the nut ... the puller handle is not .... probably best to stand to the side and not in front of it.

 

That was the driver side, when I moved over to the passenger side it came off really easy compared to the driver side.

[Sniper]

55 minutes ago, Kilgore47 said:

One more thing - while you are working on the rear - check the vent on the housing to make sure it is clear.  

 

I am going to play Captain Obvious here and add to Kilgore's post.  If the vent is not clear, pressure can build up inside the axle housing forcing stuff out the ends of the axle tubes, right on your brake shoes.