Can't the drums off!!!
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Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Northeast LA
Can't the drums off!!!
I'm in the process of changing my drum brakes on the back of my daily driver 1999 Isuzu rodeo. I have backed the star adjusters off and the drum spins freely but it will not come off of either side! This is about to drive me crazy I have sprayed them with penetrating spray and wacked them with the hammer more than a few times. I figure the drum is rusted to the axle flange and won't let go. Have any of you had this problem and what did you do to finally get the drum off? I have been outside messing with it for 2.5 hours and all I have to show for it is the back wheels off the truck.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2005
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From: Kiefer, Northeastern Okla
Patience and a rubber mallet (do NOT use a metal hammer, it sucks to have the shrapnel taken out of your eyes 
). Cast iron will shatter. Give the penetrant time to work. If the shoes were worn bad enough (metal-on-metal) they've probably worn a groove in the drum deep enough that backing the adjusters off isn't far enough. Btw, is the parking brake disengaged? 
Pete
). Cast iron will shatter. Give the penetrant time to work. If the shoes were worn bad enough (metal-on-metal) they've probably worn a groove in the drum deep enough that backing the adjusters off isn't far enough. Btw, is the parking brake disengaged? Pete
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Joined: Jan 2008
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From: Trenton, MI
Did their look like this? http://www.quadratec.com/Assets/Images/6002/6002-md.jpg
you see 3 small hole? Did you remove bolt for that? Bolt hold drum to axle.
you see 3 small hole? Did you remove bolt for that? Bolt hold drum to axle.
Cranky Old Guy
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,562
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From: Raphine, Virginia
First of all, I know nothing about your specific vehicle. That being said, I have came across more than a few that I have broken loose by starting lug nuts on the studs and driving them in about an 1/8" to break them free. When the wheel is put back on, impact wrench will pull the studs back out to where they belong.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Northeast LA
I got it off!! I guess I was just rushing the pb blaster! I just got done getting it all back together! This was my first attempt at drums. It was just rusted because the drums have never been off in the 10 years we've owned that truck. It has 113,000 miles on it and surprisingly the shoes weren't that bad. It wouldn't have been bad if the drums had come off at first, the job wouldn't have taken but maybe an hour or a little over, but it turned into a five hour job. I did replace two wheel studs too, that have been broken since 2003. Oh well, if I ever have to replace the shoes again I'll know exactly what to do and stuff so it shouldn't take as long. Thanks for all the suggestions and hopefully this will help someone else who has a similar problem.
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,473
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From: Lafayette, IN
On my '93 F250, when I did the rear brakes, I was wailing on the drums with a 22-oz framing hammer--not a lightweight. The drums wouldn't budge. After quite a few full swings with that hammer, I went and got my BFH, a 4-lb engineer's hammer. One tap from about 12" away, and they popped right off.
Just something to consider. Oh, and I wouldn't use a rubber mallet--bounce-back can be just as bad as iron shattering. You should have safety glasses on anyway.
Jason
Just something to consider. Oh, and I wouldn't use a rubber mallet--bounce-back can be just as bad as iron shattering. You should have safety glasses on anyway.
Jason
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 29,941
Likes: 46
From: Drummonds, TN USA
Two thoughts here:
CLEAN AND PAINT the hub and insides of the drums.
Also invest in some anti-sieze compound.
*Sometimes in very old abused drums you have a situation where there is a ridge formed around the edge of the drums. The shoes wear a track just short of the edge, and that makes for a major hassle especially if there are rusted fast adjusters that won't let you turn the shoes all the way back retracted...
Broken parts inside can also make a mess.
FYI: You can get brake spring kits with every spring your drums are supposed to have inside of them brand new in a bag (for both sides) for about ten bucks.
CLEAN AND PAINT the hub and insides of the drums.
Also invest in some anti-sieze compound.
*Sometimes in very old abused drums you have a situation where there is a ridge formed around the edge of the drums. The shoes wear a track just short of the edge, and that makes for a major hassle especially if there are rusted fast adjusters that won't let you turn the shoes all the way back retracted...
Broken parts inside can also make a mess.
FYI: You can get brake spring kits with every spring your drums are supposed to have inside of them brand new in a bag (for both sides) for about ten bucks.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Northeast LA
Yea the new springs for mine were $10 bucks and the Lifetime warranty shoes were $16.99. I did clean, but I didn't paint the inside of the drums. I did put new brake grease on the adjuster and friction points though.
Luckily my adjusters were fine and turned freely, I knew I had the adjusters turned all the way in so the shoes should not have been contacting the drum or any ridge that had been created at all. It was just rust on the axle flange. I was using a framing hammer too! LOL I wasn't hitting it very hard at first either, but after the PB blaster sitting for over an hour I wacked it pretty good that's when it finally came off. All in all not a bad job at all.
Luckily my adjusters were fine and turned freely, I knew I had the adjusters turned all the way in so the shoes should not have been contacting the drum or any ridge that had been created at all. It was just rust on the axle flange. I was using a framing hammer too! LOL I wasn't hitting it very hard at first either, but after the PB blaster sitting for over an hour I wacked it pretty good that's when it finally came off. All in all not a bad job at all.
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Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Saratoga, NY
Rookies! Man, you guys got it easy living in the southern part of the country. The rust is so bad here you'll be lucky to get more than 30k out of a set of disc brakes and the drums have to be beaten off. My tool of choice is a 42 oz Snap-on ball peen deadblow hammer (the biggest they make). Sometimes they are so bad you need a prybar to get drums off along with all the brake guts inside. I have never seen a brake drum SHATTER I've seen some have broken. Besides you should be wearing some safety glasses anyway.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 29,941
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From: Drummonds, TN USA
Shucks - I had a bright red snapon dead-blow completely destroyed by a boy taking the drums off of a galaxy 500 one year. It was just about the last tool I ever loaned anybody.
*1979 I think that was
*1979 I think that was
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Saratoga, NY
It wasn't like mine cause I can beat the hell out of anything with it. Mine looks like this Correction mine is a 40oz not 42oz
HBBD40, Hammer, Dead Blow, Ball Peen, 40 oz.