Help! How do i get the rear drums off? Tapered Key way

So im new at the tapered keyway axles, kinda like the old ford style. How do you get em off? I was afraid to take a torch to the hub incase anything got warped. Any tips or tricks???


Thank you,
Marty

 

I'm new to it also But I believe you need a big puller or perhaps a slide hammer?

 

Yup - you need a special puller that has five legs
Undo the big nut on the end of the axle shaft enough to show some thread but do not take it all the way off. Bolt the puller legs to the drum and wind away. Mopars are the same. Most of the time you will fight to get them off however with (gentle) persu***ion they will come!! And sometimes they are right royal *******s to let go.
By undoing the nut part of the way you stop the thread from being damaged and also restrain the drum from breaking off at speed and going through the wall of the garage - I kid not. I have seen early diffs get 15 tonne of pulling power put on them to break the drums off and when the break they go with a bang. Good Luck

 

Is it stuck? After the castle nut is removed it should pop right off. If not your best bet is to order a rear hum puller. I got mine from ebay for $50 and it's awesome!!! Just put it on crank it down and it'll pop right off no matter what's keeping it on!

 

What kind of axle?
A puller and BFH are the way to go for the Ford.

 

You can also give a couple taps with hammer to the axle while the castle nut is still on but be careful.

 

A little heat never hurt. A little and not enough to change the color of the steel. Make a "Bingo" using an old axle nut with good clean threads and weld a steel slug onto it at least a 1/2" piece of steel. Thread the Bingo all the way on until the slug bottoms out on the axle end. Find a good heavy hammer, a cross peen or a big ball peen work the best.

This is where you have to have a little skill- after warming the taper on the hub firmly and controlled hit the Bingo square and the axle should move back enough to be loose and pull the drum off.


Now this is the easy way, if it's got rust in it then you may have to invest in a good puller which grabs the taper, or a puller which grabs the studs and centers on the axle end.


BE PATIENT- you can really screw things up fast if you get in a hurry or apply too much force. Also Kroil is your friend if there is any rust.


Good luck,

Tim

 

back the axle nut off, flip it around and put it back on half way. hit it with a heavy hammer.

 

I little vibration helps to. Wrap on the hub with a hammer, or us a air hammer with a blunt bit. They make that tool where you take the nut off and screw this piece on the axle to beat on. Pretty muck a puller works the best.

 

http://www.plymouthbulletin.com/rearbrakes.htm


If you have a tapered axle on anything you own, your need a drum puller.

 

Here's a link to the one I bought. Works absolutely awesome!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford...ptZMotorsQ5fAutomotiveQ5fTools#ht_1192wt_1167

 

I had "rear hum" last night after TMT (too many tacos). Didn't need a rear hum puller at all, the hum came out quite easily on it's own.

OK, so much for the fun. Another method is to just loosen the nut about one turn and put the cotter pin back in to keep the nut from turning off any further. Then drive the car around the block. If it doesn't come loose after that, maybe lean into the corners a little harder the second time around the block. This has worked for me a couple of times on older Mopars. Not familiar with the Ford arrangement, but sounds like it's similar.

Of course this ***umes you have a driveable vehicle. Towing might work as well....

 

A hub puller is the only way!!!!
No big hammers, no heat.
Don't listen to those butchers.

 

Last I checked, repeatedly shocking a puller with a BFH and tightening the screw does more good and less damage than just trying to use the puller on a resilient hub.

 

Finally! I was to the point I was going to take my 50 Plymouth somewhere to get the brakes done because I couldn't find this info. Everything I read, even on P15-D24, said to shave the rivets and I was wary of doing so.

Now my next dilema is, where the heck can I find one of these heavy duty pullers at? I've tried the local parts places and while they all know what I'm talking about none of them have it available for rent. I'm not wanting to buy this tool for a one time use unless I absolutely have to so does anyone have any ideas?

What are my options on changing out the rear axle completely for a more easily serviceable brake setup?

 

ebay, online, I went through this whole ordeal.

 

i got the pitman arm puller from harbor frieght and trimmed it to fit. costs like 8 bucks

 

If the car is driveable, back of the nut a turn, put the cotter pin back in and drive it. Making some turns, you should hear a pop wich will indicate the drum has loosened from the taper. If not driveable use the puller. Excess heat will screw up your axle seals and usually will ot help the release process.

 

You could try loosening the nut a few turns, put the cotter pin back in and take it for a very short drive around the block a few times. The lateral forces from turns should pop the taper. NOTICE, I SAID A VERY SHORT DRIVE. If that doesn't work, buy a hub puller!

 

Thats funny , we were typing the same thing at the same time!

 

sometimes Equipment Rental businesses have tools to rent also...

 

Butcher here- you can do more damage with a big *** hub puller on a stuck drum as it will bend the flange you Hack


Tim

 

Proper puller, proper technique......................done.

Frank

 

puller and a little heat until it 'pops' off the taper. if you warp something you're doing it wrong.

 

Here is what I've done on 39-48 Fords. Pick one side (say the right), take out the cotter pin and back the nut off till its even with the end of the threads. Then go to the opposite side(left) and do the same thing. Then jack the left side up, putting the weight of the car on the right side. Then hit the center of the nut on the left side with a good sized hammer, hit it square on and the right side drum will pop off and stop at its loosened nut. Switch sides to do the other drum....it works!
An old mechanic taught me that and its never failed to work.

Murph

 

great timing with this thread. Got stuck right there on my Ford last weekend. Have been sitting and staring at it every now and then trying to figure out where to go next.

thanks, y'all!

 

Picked up this cute little hydraulic hub puller at my local chiwanese tool
store. It popped the hubs off my Hudson with no sweat or hammers
involved. Sticker on it says its a snark???

 

READ THE THREAD BELOW. On 40-48 Fords the best puller to use is the KR Wilson style made by Winfield Tool Works. Won't bend the axle. Won't ruin the threads. Won't warp the drum. Well worth the money.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25912&highlight=winfield+tool+works

 

And, whatever you do, when you get to the point where you are ready to re install the drum, DO NOT put any anti seize, oil, grease or anything on the taper. Tapers are designed to go together clean and dry. They are supposed to be difficult to remove. That's why there are special pullers to remove them. They weren't intended to be used as a last ditch effort to get the drum off, they are to be used every time.

 

I use one of the Winfield Tool Works hub pullers. As 19forty stated, won't damage any component parts. Well worth the investment.