1955 F 100 Back Brakes - HELP PLEASE
#2
06-08-2013, 10:27 PM
Laughing Gas
#3
06-08-2013, 11:13 PM
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Get a rubber mallet and just work your way around the drum hitting it with the hammer until you break it free. the drivers side of mine was a bear to get off first time I worked on it. Took about 30 minutes to get it off. If you are going to redo them, may be able to squirt some WD40 into the back of the drum and around the holes where the lugs come through the drum.
#4
06-09-2013, 11:25 AM
Stuck brake drums can be rough. 
But you do not need to pull the axles on our old trucks.
Removal of either Front or Rear drums is as Follows:
You'll need gloves and safety goggels, penatrating oil, a brake spoon (could use a common screw driver but it's harder), small screw driver, pry bar, rubber mallet, and a ballpeen hammer. If you have air tools you could use a air hammer as well. WARNING
old brake shoes may contain asbestos!!!! Do not blast off your brake system with compressed air!!!! Use a wet product like Brake clean to prevent the brake dust from becoming air borne.
Using penetrating oil, lube the center and all lugs.
Ensure the emergency brake is released and not holding the brakes engauged.
As stated above remove any drum securing washers. They should unscrew but if they won't then cut them off. They were used at the factory to keep the drums on during production.
Backing off the brakes:
Using the brake spoon (or screw driver) move the star wheel, adjustment is accomplished thru the access slot in the baking plate. There may be a rubber plug in the slot. Sometimes you need to push a small screwdriver in the slot to disengage the self adjusting lever (may or may not have one).
If you hear the self adjuster clicking when you turn the star wheel you don't have it disengaged. If there's not self adjusting lever there isn't any thing you can do to prevent the star from contacting the bottom spring that holds the two shoes together on the bottom.
When assembled correctly you should move your spoon from top to bottom turning the star wheel clock wise on the drivers side and counter clockwise on the passenger side. This only applies if the brakes were assembled correctly, I've had many where the adjuster were assembled on the wrong sides by DIYers.
Sometimes the shoes are worn to the rivets and keep the drums from coming off.
If the drum won't come off:
With everything loose and backed off and the drum won't come off, then try the rubber mallet, if the rubber doesn't do it use the ballpeen but don't hit around the outer lip in the back.
SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY Cast iron can break and has a tendency to spring (some might even say explode) sending fragments in unpredictable places. Soft flesh is no match!!!!!!!
If the drum starts to come off and stops use a pry bar to remove the drum. Don't worry about damaging the shoes or springs, you need new ones if you've had to go this far.
It takes time and energy but you'll be able to get off even a stubborn drum (from our old trucks) using this procedure.
Hope this helps.
BJ
But you do not need to pull the axles on our old trucks.Removal of either Front or Rear drums is as Follows:
You'll need gloves and safety goggels, penatrating oil, a brake spoon (could use a common screw driver but it's harder), small screw driver, pry bar, rubber mallet, and a ballpeen hammer. If you have air tools you could use a air hammer as well. WARNING
old brake shoes may contain asbestos!!!! Do not blast off your brake system with compressed air!!!! Use a wet product like Brake clean to prevent the brake dust from becoming air borne.Using penetrating oil, lube the center and all lugs.
Ensure the emergency brake is released and not holding the brakes engauged.
As stated above remove any drum securing washers. They should unscrew but if they won't then cut them off. They were used at the factory to keep the drums on during production.
Backing off the brakes:
Using the brake spoon (or screw driver) move the star wheel, adjustment is accomplished thru the access slot in the baking plate. There may be a rubber plug in the slot. Sometimes you need to push a small screwdriver in the slot to disengage the self adjusting lever (may or may not have one).
If you hear the self adjuster clicking when you turn the star wheel you don't have it disengaged. If there's not self adjusting lever there isn't any thing you can do to prevent the star from contacting the bottom spring that holds the two shoes together on the bottom.
When assembled correctly you should move your spoon from top to bottom turning the star wheel clock wise on the drivers side and counter clockwise on the passenger side. This only applies if the brakes were assembled correctly, I've had many where the adjuster were assembled on the wrong sides by DIYers.
Sometimes the shoes are worn to the rivets and keep the drums from coming off.
If the drum won't come off:
With everything loose and backed off and the drum won't come off, then try the rubber mallet, if the rubber doesn't do it use the ballpeen but don't hit around the outer lip in the back.
SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY Cast iron can break and has a tendency to spring (some might even say explode) sending fragments in unpredictable places. Soft flesh is no match!!!!!!!
If the drum starts to come off and stops use a pry bar to remove the drum. Don't worry about damaging the shoes or springs, you need new ones if you've had to go this far.
It takes time and energy but you'll be able to get off even a stubborn drum (from our old trucks) using this procedure.
Hope this helps.
BJ
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