How do you remove the rear brake drums on a 1997 F-150? I have tried backing off the brake shoes with no luck. Is there a lock nut somewhere that I'm missing?

 

Welcome to FTE!

No, they are tough to remove sometimes. They hang up on the lugs and other times the linings. I've used a short piece of 2x4 spacer to hit with a hammer to dislodge them.

 

Take a hammer and hit the drum between the studs and work your way around the drum and it might breat loose or go to your local parts store that rent out tools and see if they have a brake drum puller.

 

Just beat the drum all over with a hammer (not too hard) and rust and corrosion should break loose. turn it some while you are hitting and that might help. they will come off, just be patient.

 

PB Blaster ... then just smack it around till it pops

 

If the drum is well worn (has an interior ridge), you can bang on it all day and it will never come off even if the rust on the hub breaks loose.

You really should release the shoes if the drum is tight. Use a thin screwdriver to push the start wheel lock lever back slightly, then use your adjuster tool to reverse the star wheel several turns.

A word of advice: Once the drums are removed, do only one side at a time. Do not diassemble both sides at the same time unless you have either a perfect memory or a correct diagram of how all the springs go back in there. Remeber that each side is a mirror image of the other.

Just did mine last week, the memory is still very fresh.

Steve