Removing Rear Brake Drums

[homer2105]

How can you drive it around when your pedal goes to the floor? Have Fred Flintsone in the car with you and take the floor out.

[homer2105]

I have a friend whos dad has one of these and I'm borrowing it as we speak. I still cannot get that drum to let go. I've tried loosening/ tightening the bolts on the backing plate at the 10:00 and 2:00 positions. Which way is tightening/loosening? The drum does not move. Should it be loose? There are no brake lines on the car now as I'm replacing them too so there is no pressure on the shoes. I also noticed the studs are stripped (left hand thread) where can I get these replaced? Thanks, Bruce. Anyone in the far west Chicago land area?

[homer2105]

If what Tod suggests does not work then you brake shoes are adjusted too tight. Back off on the minor shoe adjustment cam. The drum should then come off very easily. No puller required. Using a puller on the front drums will most likely cause damage such as bent shoes or other parts.

Are those 3/4 inch nuts (at the ten o'clock and two o'clock postions) the shoe adjusters on rear drums? Tightening or loosening them makes no diiference as far as the drum being able to move at all. I can tighten or loosen them until the nut is just turning and doesn't appear to be doing anything. I think it's time for a little Chevis on the rocks with a touch of soda water.

[Young Ed]

Its been a while but what you are turning at 10 and 2 is a cam. I belive to tighten them I put the wrench out to the side and push down. Both sides. The problem with some of this ancient stuff is the wheel cylinders get so crusty inside that they physically won't allow the shoes to retract. Add that to the fact you may have a broken return spring in there and you can see the issues. I've never had one not come apart but some were really nasty requiring the use of the puller well beyond the initial POP of the drum off the taper on the axle. And if your studs are really stripped you won't be able to attach the puller well so you're really stuck!

[homer2105]

Finally got drum off. took that special tool, some heat and some pounding but I got it. I was reading somewhere about a tool you can build that will check to see if your shoes are centered. Does anyone have this? I'm sending my shoes to Tennessee Clutch and supply. These guys are the cat's butt. Really cheap compared to what I've seen other places. One place was about $270 for four wheels! These guys are WAY cheaper than that. I would appreciate a drawing or picture of this tool. Thanks a bunch for all your help and suggestions. Slapz

[homer2105]

The Plymouth Bulletin #229 (March-April 1998) has an article on how to build a low cost replacement MT-19H. Thanks, Slapz

[Dodgeb4ya]

You might give the shoe reliner the drum measurements so they can arc your shoes to each drum size. It will make your shoe fitting and pedal feel high ,firm easy to accomplish and accurate. The brake shoe reliner guy I use always does it for all old fixed anchor and bendix shoes.

Bob

[47Mopey63]

Be sure to re-install the castle nut backwards onto the end of the axle and put it flush to the end.  This will keep the puller from flaring out the end of the axle making it impossible to get the nut back on.

[jmooner3]

One more input..I just pulled my rear drums from a 49 b1b with a rental puller from Autozone. It's actually a FWD hub puller I think it was <$30 buy same to rent.  It did bend one each of lugs as the hole pattern is not perfect.  I think you could eaisily machine the mating surface and make it flat so as not to bugger lugnuts.  It has a 3/4" hex head nut on the center tensioner, I put my air hammer to it and bam! Thanks to the sound advice from the forum I did have the axel nuts loose but in place. The pass side came off pretty good, the drivers I hit with the air hammer and had to go to a breaker bar with 3"pipe assist pretty good bam but I'm into the brakes.

[Don Coatney]

Puller works every time.

[linus6948]

Advance Auto has a "Free Tool Loaner" program. I had to put their available universal hub/drum puller on a credit card and I have 90days to return it for a full refund. It worked great using an impact gun and some penetrating oil on the rears to remove my drums that were really frozen in place. On the drivers rear I had to remove the lower retaining nuts and tap the major adjuster bolts inwards before the frozen shoes finally retracted enough to get the drum off.

Edited July 10, 2014 by linus6948

[linus6948]

I had great success with the universal hub puller from Auto Zone but I will be returning it today as I found a period appropriate puller on ebay for $25 delivered. It now sits on the shelf next to the Ammoco 1750 that I discovered among the boxes of  "old-car" stuff that I got with the car back in 1987.

 

 

 

Paul

[rustydesoto]

Heavy Duty Rear Hub Puller For 46-86 Jeep & Willys.  This is what  I use on my '51 Desoto.  Got it from JC Whitney a few years ago.  

[countrytravler]

This is my 1st attempt on doing a video.

[Stagger]

Hi
You could try to release the pressure from the Wheelscylinder, probably your brakeshoes is stuck against the drum.
just open the bleeder and let the brake fluid out.
after that you could try with the puller, it worked well for me.

 

but do not take away the axle nut, let it stay at the top of the axle, align it with the puller and axle.
It will work as a great support for the puller. This is so that you dont mess up the "threads" on the axle.... i have done it before and there were plenty of job to get it back straight.

 

Excuse my English, i am from Sweden

Edited August 19, 2015 by Stagger

[bwengler]

You can go to Autozone and rent/borrow (for free) a rear hub puller. Soak with penetrant and let set a while, smack with a lead hammer occasionally, put the hub puller on, a few smacks with a lead mallet and pop, she comes loose (at least mine did). I was unable to get mine off until I used the hub puller. My rear drums were on the truck for 38 plus years when I finally took them off. Autozone, O'reillys, Advance... all have loaner tools.

[dmartin_egroup]

Hammering on the head of the puller main screw, I am quite sure will do harm to the axle thrust bearings.

[Phil363]

Hammering on the head of the puller main screw, I am quite sure will do harm to the axle thrust bearings.

 

bwengler I think was suggesting that after turning the hub puller a few turns you give the head of puller screw some "light to medium" taps with a hammer.  The vibrations from this tapping releases the tension from the built up torque from tightening the hub puller.  My drum slide off a few millimeters at a time this way from tapping on the head of the screw ... versus shooting across the garage as can happen if the drum breaks free all at once. This will not damage the threads or bearings of the axle.

Now if you took a 5 pound hammer and gave it very hard hits .. that would at the very least damage the end of axle threads.

Edited December 28, 2015 by Phil363

[countrytravler]

I have pulled 100s of these drums and never had one go flying or doing damage from pounding on the puller with a hammer.

[deathbound]

Keep the axle nut on....loosely, to avoid the drum from "flying" off AND protect the end of the axle threads, which I'm sure has been mentioned.

[old rookie]

My first post here, and I have to say, you folks know your stuff! I am getting ready to do the same thing to my 49 Special Deluxe for the first time, and I have a question: Taking the rear drum off sounds fairly straightforward (now that I've read about it), but what about reinstalling it? Will simply retightening the axle nut do the trick? Does it have to be torqued? Does the drum have to be pressed or hammered back in? I've gone through the manual, I've read your posts about removing the drum, but I can't seem to find anything that covers reinstalling the drum.

[P15-D24]

I put a very thin coat of brake grease on axle taper and key, then torque the axle nut to 150 ft pds, 

[old rookie]

I put a very thin coat of brake grease on axle taper and key, then torque the axle nut to 150 ft pds, 

That will do nicely. Thank you!

[countrytravler]

Pullers that I have used getting the rear drums off. Never had one not come off. I have pulled drums from cars that sat for 50 plus years outside.

[countrytravler]

Pullers that I have.