Help in getting brake drum off - rusted to hub!

[Bob B.]

Hi all,

I am having trouble getting a brake drum off. The drum spins freely, so it isn't stuck on the pads. The space between the hub and the hub hole in the middle of the drum is pretty tight, so the little bit of rust has frozen it in place. I have soaked it with WD, banged on the hub with a hammer, banged on the back edges of the drum with a hammer and block of wood, and I even tightened the lug nuts down and took them off again to see if that would help free the drum, but it's still stuck.

Any ideas! I don't want to break the drum.

Thanks,

Bob

[Clem Z.]

Re: Help in getting brake drum off - rusted to hub!

Hi all,

I am having trouble getting a brake drum off. The drum spins freely, so it isn't stuck on the pads. The space between the hub and the hub hole in the middle of the drum is pretty tight, so the little bit of rust has frozen it in place. I have soaked it with WD, banged on the hub with a hammer, banged on the back edges of the drum with a hammer and block of wood, and I even tightened the lug nuts down and took them off again to see if that would help free the drum, but it's still stuck.

Any ideas! I don't want to break the drum.

Thanks,

Bob

heat around the center of the drum with a torch to expand the bore and see what happens.

[Larry M.]

Re: Help in getting brake drum off - rusted to hub!

heat around the center of the drum with a torch to expand the bore and see what happens.

I agree...... Keep a couple of lugs nuts LOOSE on the studs when doing this, so that when the drum brakes free it will not pop completely off the axle flange. Then get a propane torch and heat away. Should take just a minute to achieve SUCCESS.

Larry

[Terry M.]

Re: Help in getting brake drum off - rusted to hub!

I doubt propane will be hot enough, but it is worth a try I guess. I usually go for O/A for real heat. No sense horsing around.

We have a tool for the air hammer at school. I think it is a Kent Moore tool, but might be Snap-on. It has hardened cups in several sizes to fit between the wheel stud bolt holes and the center locating circle on the brake drum. A center hole accommodates a tool that fits into the air hammer. This allows some significant rattling of the brake drum right in the area of the center locating circle -- right where your rust is. I just looked in the Snap-on on-line catalog and I don't see this tool. Probably because drum brakes are a thing of the past.

Where are you at Bob? I could "borrow" that tool for the Summer, but you will need a good source of shop air.

[Dick W.]

Re: Help in getting brake drum off - rusted to hub!

I doubt propane will be hot enough, but it is worth a try I guess. I usually go for O/A for real heat. No sense horsing around.

.

I have used a bit similar to this in an air hammer http://bit.ly/L7ReWv If that is not available, the flaming Blue Point works pretty well

[William P.]

Re: Help in getting brake drum off - rusted to hub!

I doubt propane will be hot enough, but it is worth a try I guess. I usually go for O/A for real heat. No sense horsing around.

We have a tool for the air hammer at school. I think it is a Kent Moore tool, but might be Snap-on. It has hardened cups in several sizes to fit between the wheel stud bolt holes and the center locating circle on the brake drum. A center hole accommodates a tool that fits into the air hammer. This allows some significant rattling of the brake drum right in the area of the center locating circle -- right where your rust is. I just looked in the Snap-on on-line catalog and I don't see this tool. Probably because drum brakes are a thing of the past.

Where are you at Bob? I could "borrow" that tool for the Summer, but you will need a good source of shop air.

Coul you post a picture of the tool you mention ?
I've never seen or heard of one and am curious .

Regards Bill

[Terry M.]

Re: Help in getting brake drum off - rusted to hub!

I searched the Internet (admittedly not for long) for a picture with no success. The only way I am going to be able to do that is to photograph the one we have at school. We just shut down until the start of Summer School. I think that begins early in June, but only for two days a week. I will get there as soon as I can, but for the moment my access is limited.

[Dick W.]

Re: Help in getting brake drum off - rusted to hub!

This is another air hammer bit that would work. I bought it to remove torsion bars in Kenworths but it should work on a brake drum BTW, it is a Snap On tool

[Stuart F.]

Re: Help in getting brake drum off - rusted to hub!

Are you sure you have the shoes backed off enough to clear a possible groove/ridge worn into the drum? I assume you have accessed the star wheel either from the backing plate (early) or through knock outs in the drum itself to do this. Maybe I'm being simplistic, but that was always the first thing we used to have to do on every drum brake car.

Stu Fox

[Paul J.]

Re: Help in getting brake drum off - rusted to hub!

Bob, heat will do it, as the others have suggested. If you don't have a torch, try a penetrating oil, rather than WD-40. Kroil is the favorite here, but PB Blaster is good. Spray the holes where the studs come through the drum as well as the center hole. Then wait a while (several hours) and use a big hammer (2 lbs. or larger), tapping it from behind in different spots. It will come off in after several blows.

Paul

[Loren L.]

Re: Help in getting brake drum off - rusted to hub!

Upgrade from WD to PB Blaster is a must. Got a portable sand/bead blaster? Do the hub and the studs, PB, and repeat as necessary.

[Justin B.]

Re: Help in getting brake drum off - rusted to hub!

Depending on the year (C1's) the front hub assembly is mounted to the drum with rivets

[Dick W.]

Re: Help in getting brake drum off - rusted to hub!

Two pound stick of 60% is guaranteed to work

[Bob B.]

Re: Help in getting brake drum off - rusted to hub!

Hi all,

My brake drum has long since been removed. I purchased the special brake drum puller and put it and and turned the screw and the drum began to bow out, so I nixed that. I got a screwdriver and sharpened it and carefully tapped it between the edge of the drum and the hub. Then I sprayed it with penetrating oil. Then I tried the puller again till it started to bow out. Then I let it rest with the penetrating oil. I repeated this process a few times until finally the drum popped off using the puller. Rust is really good glue!

Bob

[Joe M.]

Re: Help in getting brake drum off - rusted to hub!

Stu gave great advice!

Stuck to the shoes.....the hammer traditionally used to pound drums off would have taken care of the rust connection