<VV> Rusted Brake Drum

[Tony Underwood]

At 12:46 PM 7/13/2007, D. Barry Ellison wrote:
>I pulled a LM car from the woods (after cutting down trees around 
>it) - trying to save as much as I can for rebuilding.  Brake drums 
>are rusted tight.  I was able to get one off and loose but of 
>course, I broke the rim pounding on it.  I was able to put the lug 
>nuts on and with a pipe wedged between the lug nuts, I turned the 
>axle.  That broke the rust enough for me to get it off.





Has anyone mentioned backing off on the adjustment star wheel to 
loosen the shoes?   If necessary, and if things are so stuck up that 
this won't help...  as in the rust is so bad the star wheel won't 
turn or the shoes won't release, grab the dremel tool (or a sharp 
chisel),  reach around behind the backing plates and cut the heads 
off the "nails" holding the shoes against the backing plate, and then 
after backing off the star wheel IF possible as much as practical, 
beat the Hell out of the drum with a large rubber mallet to help 
loosen things up.   Then simply pull the drum, shoes and all, off the 
axle.  With any luck, just loosening the star wheel and then beating 
with the rubber mallet will loosen stuff up so that the drum simply 
falls off.

If it stays stuck, you haven't beaten with the mallet enough.   Do 
NOT USE A STEEL HAMMER.   It's not necessary.


I've always gotten them apart this way, without tearing up studs, 
axles, or drums.   On the rears, you have to watch out for the 
e-brake cable etc. when you yank shoes and all with the drums, since 
it's gonna hold onto the linkage on its trailing shoe in all 
likelihood.   On the fronts, it's obvious.   Take the castle nut off 
the outer wheel bearing and remove the works.     The stuck shoes, 
once those nails are cut, *Will* come off the backing plate, shedding 
the brake hardware as they go, with no damage to anything of 
consequence other than *maybe* the springs, which are likely trash to 
begin with.   Leave the wheel on the axle/drum to give you something 
to yank on.    (no smart remarks)


I've done this dozens of times...  seems like any time I dig 
something out of the fields or the swamps at Richard Durham's place, 
everything is stuck.



tony..