I was changing the brakes a while back on my truck and my dad was showing me some tricks. Back in the day he used to be a mechanic at a Do*ge garage. He told me that the brake tools i'm using are his from 20yrs ago. They have saved me from many broken knuckles. Then it came to the brake drums. I hit it with a 10 pound ford wrench, didn't work. So he gets the torch out. I told him "won't that melt the drum?" He said just get back and watch. He took the torch put it in the ajustment hole in the back I sat there and wondered what he was doing. He turned the accetylen on and filled up the drum. He said watch out and lit a Match in the little hole. And KABANG! off comes the drum. Sometimes it pays to take tips from these old school mechanics. So any of you have some simalar stories?

 

Your dad has some big ones. With my luck I'd blow that drum clear thru the wall.

 

Sounds like it might be a little rough on the seal.

I might just think about trying tha though, I have a homemade "cheetah" (used for blowing up stubborn tubeless tires) and if I replumbed it, well, it might just work....

Birken

 

with ipumps luck the hurtling drum would go thru the wall but with my luck it would take off my head.

 

I dunno man! Some old tricks that work are best not copied. Lots of cons attached to that method. I would not do it.

It's kind of like the old trick of sticking a penny in your fuse box (the old screw in type) when the fuse blows, no need to replace the fuse. It works, but it ain't smart.

Nuthin' against your pop, now. Just my opinion.

 

Glad that the explosion method worked for you, but that's a very dangerous method IMHO. Since you've obviously got a torch there anyway, try heating a little around the wheel studs and center hole. A couple taps with a hammer and they'll pop off. The brake drum that is. Using the other method, it could be a limb or head that pops off. Might not be quite as fast, but much safer. I've used this method many times with great success.

 

I totally agree with Raul.

Nothing personal, but I would not try it. Just like the day I had a gas leak in my apartment, called the manager and they sent a guy out. He promptly took out a lighter and started holding it around the fittings. I was out of there like you know what.

Everyone has different ways, and some work for them and don't work for the rest of us.

I always used a BFH. Never seen one that if the shoes were backed off just a little that didn't come off with a little beating like a red-headed step child.

Anyway, cool idea, but I think I'll pass.

 

I still have a pair of rear brake drum spoon-claw type tools. Like these:
http://eastwoodcompany.com/images/P261.jpg

 

I agree with heating them up-even a propane torch does it, keep sweeping the hear around the axle and the lugs. Followed by a huge hammer buffered by the edge of a 2,4. I squirt the studs and axle down with some penetrating oil first-you're goning to clean everything up, anyway, right? You ALWAYS have to back the shoes down ahead of time, or you'll be fighting them holding onto their goove thing for dear life.

 

Don't beat on the axle or drum. See those nice little dents the hammer you were using left... There are now about 10 of those little dents where the axle bearing ***** were slammed into the race. Or little lines if you have tapered bearings. The little dents and lines ruin a bearing.

NEVER BEAT ON BEARINGS!!! Never press parts thru bearings either. If you need to seat the outer race press on the outer race etc.

 

I used this for years. I've had one vehicle that lasted with me 277,000 miles using this technique. Of course I didn't bang the drum with a big hammer, just tapped it a few times patiently and walla the drum is off everytime. I used to crank a wrench for a formula car team before I drove for them. Anyway, no way in the world would I ever use the gas explosion method...I might never find the drum without my head.

 

Thanks Walnut, and welcome to FTE!

 

C'mon guys, give the kid some credit. I've used the gas explosion method before, just recently actually. We were taking out a cracked windshield, and couldn't get the gasket to let go, so I put a BBQ grill tank (20lb'r) in the back seat and opened the valve. After 20 seconds, just throw in a match.

The new windshield went in ok, now today we're going to put the other windows back in, after we put the doors back on.

 

I recently spent some quality time trying to remove brake drums from the back of a 56 Ford Fairlane. Heat, tapping, prying, soaking in Liquid Wrench and PB Blaster. I wish I thought of filling it with propane and blowing it off. It would have saved a lot of time.