Why can't I get the drums off??

[Irby G.]

I bought these assuming that they are '63 t-arms. Could y'all check out the pics and make sure that I got what I think I got?
Also, I can't get that drums off of either one of them. There is no gap at the center hub for the drum to just slide off. It's almost as if the center hub is attached to the drum. What gives?

[Joel T.]

Re: Why can't I get the drums off??

Irby;

These appear to be correct for the 1963.. I just swapped mine. The drums are reproductions. The adjuster holes still have the blanks in them and should be knocked out and covered with rubber plugs.

If the drum turns, it should come off. A side to side wiggle will typically get them off without too much trouble. A couple of taps with a hammer won't hurt either. If the drum does not turn (which I do not see being the case), I would knock out those blanks and then back off the adjusters. A small screwdriver and brake spoon will do the job. With the adjusters backed off the drum should come right off.

Good luck,

Joel

[Stuart F.]

Re: Why can't I get the drums off??

I go along with what Joel has noted. It appears someone just painted them too well so that it looks like they are all one piece. Having the arms off the car reduces your MA (leverage) when working on them. The knockouts being in place is actually more like original as the replacements I've seen don't even have the knockouts as they were intended for passenger cars with knockouts in the backing plates. Makes them very difficult to get an intial set up on them, and is why I did not use them. I went back and cut my originals (w/i spec) and they work fine. Perhaps you need to clamp the assembly in a vice, back off the adjustment on the shoes, then convince them to come off with about an 8 pounder.

Stu Fox

[Paul J.]

Re: Why can't I get the drums off??

Irby:

All of these drums that I have worked on are usuallly tight, not only because of the adjustment screws but also because of a tight fit. Joel and Stu gave you the right info. Like a mechanic friend once told me..."You have to convince them to come off."

Paul

[Clem Z.]

Re: Why can't I get the drums off??

use a torch to heat the drum around the spindle as this will expand the hole in the drum and allow it to come off

[Michael H.]

Re: Why can't I get the drums off??

use a torch to heat the drum around the spindle as this will expand the hole in the drum and allow it to come off

I agree with the Clem. I think a propane may even work instead of a full on torch.

I wouldn't "knock out" the "knock-outs" on the drums. They're supposed to be there.

[Stuart F.]

Re: Why can't I get the drums off??

One other point; you didn't say you knew if the brakes were sintered metallic or standard. My first set of metallics "welded" themselves to the drums in Las Vegas. We had just come off the desert running 130+, pulled into a Motel on the outskirts of town and parked on an incline. We made the mistake of setting the parking brake and the rear drums had to be torch cut off and replaced, i.e. can happen.

As for the knockouts, I always considered them there to be knocked out for adjustment purposes when it came time to replace the brakes. They make both rubber plugs and metal clips to replace them. Seeing them still in place is just like a virgin.

Stu Fox

[Michael H.]

Re: Why can't I get the drums off??

you didn't say you knew if the brakes were sintered metallic or standard. My first set of metallics "welded" themselves to the drums in Las Vegas.
Stu Fox

Good point on the metallic lining. The shoes can and do rust to the drums too. Very common problem.

[Clem Z.]

Re: Why can't I get the drums off??

if you can rotate the drums they are not rusted to the shoes. after you get the drums to move when using the torch and you still can not get them clear off than i would back off the adjusters because the shoes may have worn into the drums and the is a lip on the drum keeping it from coming all the way off past the shoes

[Irby G.]

Re: Why can't I get the drums off??

Thanks. The drums do rotate, so I did as y'all suggested. I WD-40ed around the studs and holes, then waited a while to let it all sink in. I flipped it over with its front side down with a towel on the garage floor, lifted it up & held on to only the drum and gave it a good slam and off it came. Here's some pics of the inside. Are these the original cylinders and shoes? What do y'all think?

[Stuart F.]

Re: Why can't I get the drums off??

Irby;

Looks like you hit the mother lode. Those are sintered metallic shoes and they look great. Not sure about the wheel cylinders and hardware, but they look pretty good too. If mine had looked that good I would have saved them. Your's look like less than 25 or 30k on mileage, if that.

Stu Fox