Rear Brake Drum Removal?

[Jamo]

Does the center cap need to be removed first before I can take the hub off?

Thanks

[Wade Nelson]

Take the hub off or take the rear drum off???

The trick to removing rear brake drums is to BEAT THE CRAP out of them. An air hammer works great. Knocks loose all that rust dust wedging them on.

(Assuming, of course, you've retracted the shoes as far as they'll go using the star wheel)

[Jamo]

Sorry, the drum. The center cap with the 4 tips on it? Does that come off first then the drum or does it stay on?

[JLPurcell]

Once the wheel is removed there is nothing else holding the drum in place but friction. You need to make sure the Emergency brake is off and back off the brake lining adjusters. Then hit the center of the drum between the wheel studs with a flat sledge hammer. Not so hard as to break the drum but hard enough to loosed the corrosion holding it in place it should pull off at that point

[Jeff G 78]

Assuming it isn't corroded together, you just need to back off the brake adjuster and slip the drum off.

If it is REALLY corroded, nothing short of destroying the drum will work. I've had to cut many parts car drums in half when the car sat for many years in a damp area. :tapemouth

Be sure to ALWAYS apply antiseize to the hub pilot prior to reinstalling the drum.

[Captain Obvious]

If it is REALLY corroded, nothing short of destroying the drum will work. I've had to cut many parts car drums in half when the car sat for many years in a damp area..

Woof. That's no fun at all. :sick:

I almost had to resort to that once, but thankfully I managed to get it off just before that point. I did mangle the shoes and return springs in the process though, but thankfully the drum was OK.

[Jamo]

Got it, thanks.

[EuroDat]

Sorry, the drum. The center cap with the 4 tips on it? Does that come off first then the drum or does it stay on?

Jamo, Are u talking about the cap on the mag wheel. Cant stop thinking "WTH is he talking about"

[Captain Obvious]

Cant stop thinking "WTH is he talking about"

He's talking about the raised center portion of the flange that the wheel studs are pressed through. The raised center portion of the stub axle that protrudes through the hole in the center of the brake drum.

He was originally thinking that center portion was a separate piece that might have to come off first before the brake drum could be removed. Now that he's seen pictures, he realizes the center portion is integral to the end of the axle flange. It's all one piece and that center portion does not come off.

[EuroDat]

Thanks captain. If you have never removed the drums you could mistake that for being a cap.

Chas

[71Nissan240Z]

man that sucks to have to destroy an orginal aluminum drum

[Jeff G 78]

I've had to do that on at least three different cars. Once the aluminum and steel corrode together, no amount of heat or force will break them apart. Even after the face of the drum is broken in two, the remains are still tough to separate from the hub. In each case, it was a parts car, so I just needed to get the wheels to roll so I could move the car without dragging the rear tires.