I have a 1989 f250; my left rear brake drum will not come off the axel/hub. I have read the Hayes manual and it make a reference that if the axel is heavy duty, then I need to pull the axel out.<O</O

How do I know if I have a heavy duty rear end? The truck is 4x4 with 8 lugs per wheel.

I have rotated the star wheel as much as I can, (the star wheel is shut and need to be replaced). With the rear end in the air the tire removed I can rotate the drum by hand with not brake drag. The drum seems to be frozen to axel hub.
<O
Any help would be appreciated.
<O
Matt

 

Look at the factory information tag on the door post. If the GVWR is 8600 lbs, then you have the HD model. Course with mine, all you have to do is ride down the road. Jars your teeth out and rides like an old buckboard.

 

BFH, or, Big, ummm, Hammer. Seriously. I wailed on mine with a 22 oz. framing hammer and they wouldn't come off. So I went and got my 4 lb engineer's hammer, gave them a moderate whack and they popped right off. Sounds like you probably have a pretty good groove worn into the drums.

Jason

BTW, if you have a HD rear axle, such as the Sterling 10.25, your GVWR on the door sticker will be around 8800 lbs. Otherwise, it will be something like 7500 lbs. For the Sterling full-float axle, you don't have to take apart the axle to get the drums off.

 

The drum has rust welded itself to the rest of the rear end. As already stated, take a hand maul and give it several good whacks at 12,3,6,9 o'clock positions and it will come off.

 

Or better yet take the oxy/acteylene torch with a big cutting tip or preferrably a heating tip and go around the center of the drum, just outside of where the hub sticks through, and run it around on there. It will usually "crack", sometimes barely something you can hear, sometimes a loud "CRACK" and then all you have to deal with is the shoes being in the groove and holding it on. With heat, remember, you don't run the risk of ruining bearings by beating on things.

 

Your axle should be a Sterling 10.25". Like others have said, the axle does not need to come out. Whack it with a hammer until it pops free. And make sure the e-brake is off.