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I have a 1985 F250, 4X4, 5.0L EFI, 151K miles on the odom. Truck has been siting for 6 years. I need to go thru the brake system and replace parts as needed. The bed has been removed. I can not get the rear brake drums off this truck. The rear axle is marked C34230 on the top passenger side and 60 on bottom. I have read several threads pertaining to rear drum brakes, but still stumped.
Thanks, Randy
Well do not have a 250 but if it were me YMMV I would spray the studs down with PB and the circle in the center. They are both are rusted pretty good and are probably what is holding the drum on. Let that sit for a few then beat the crap out of the flat surface and in between the studs careful not to hit the studs with a hammer and the shock should break free a lot of rust and should free the drum up.
Thanks for the reply roboto65. I will try the PB and use a bigger hammer next time. I will prolly end up breaking them and getting new drums, just didnt want to tear too much up.
You will have a hard time breaking them I would also add that if you can get something behind the drum to pry out slightly while hitting it with the hammer sometimes that pops them free. They will come off may even have to use a little heat but they will come off.
One other thing do you have access to the hole in the back does the adjuster turn?
One other thing be careful using the PB and heat stay away from the fumes.
I had a similar problem on an F150. Ultimately heat is what did the trick. After getting it off I found that the problem was a very tight fit where the axle hub goes through, and heating the drum around the hub, but not heating the hub, is what allowed it to come off. But, I had to pry against the backing plate from side to side to walk it off even then.
I saw a guy at the inspection station getting stuck drums off. What he did was get a big hammer and beat inward around the outer edge. This is the exact opposite of what you would think to do, but it broke it loose and it came right off.
See where that big square weight thing is in the picture above? He hit inward in that area all the way around the drum.
Interesting! That would tend to open up the hole at the hub, and maybe even make it walk outward a bit before closing back down. Enough of that and it would come off. Cool!
Thanks for the tips. Crappie fishing got in my way working on this truck. I did hit the drums with PB yesterday, I will try to remove drums after work today.
Thanks for the tips. Crappie fishing got in my way working on this truck. I did hit the drums with PB yesterday, I will try to remove drums after work today.
Well that's as good as any reason not to work on the truck, as Franklin2 stated, the way I have witnessed success was as he described, striking inwards to bust the rust around the center and the studs.
More Importantly is the patience to get it off. In my years, I have tried so hard to get something off right then and there so much that I have damaged more than I fixed, well much older now and realize that PB Blaster, time , heat and a few strategic strikes with the BFH are always more successful that going at it like a berserker on crack. Keep hitting it when you think about it, tap it a few times, spray it again and keep working it.
well I got'em off with the help of PB blaster and a BFH. hammered real hard on the outer edge and a little prying action from the back. Now to proceed with the rear brakes, I have new drums, shoes, hardware kits, cylinders, hard lines, and flex line. When I removed the old flex line the bolt that holds the block part to the axle broke off leaving a hole in the axle. How do I mount the new flex block to the axle, and do I need to plug old hole in the axle where the old block came off ? Thanks again for all the help.
You need to do something with that hole as it is the vent for the axle. So, you shouldn't plug it as the pressure in the system will force lube out past the seals when the pressure builds up from heat.
I'd use an eazy-out to try to get it out. But, you'll probably need to pull the axle to get the cuttings out.
That explains the slight air pressure sound it made when I tried to remove the vent from the axle. I did not know it was a vent, just looked like a bolt holding the brake line block onto the axle. I have no idea what it originally looked like. So, not sure what to replace it with. I gotta get the broke piece out for now and pulling the axle does not sound like fun.
That piece is hollow and there's supposed to be a hose connected to it which loops up to the bottom of the bed. I like to put an old fuel filter on them to keep stuff out of the axle. But, many of the hoses are rotted off, and then someone backs into a mud bank and plugs the fitting, and oil comes out, covers the brake shoes, and.....
There's no telling how long that vent hose has been missing. looks like the vent fitting is available at Napa for around $6. My project just went from a rear brake job to a holy crap how much junk have I sucked into my rear axle housing. I better check up front since it's 4X4. Gary, Glad I asked and thanks for the info.
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