Technical Tips for removing heavily seized brake drums?

So on my 58 Impala rear end I got for my 53 I got serious about starting teardown to clean it up etc. Had soaked everything in penetrant for days with no budge. Managed to get passenger side mostly free with creative taps and prying. Luckily inside axle didn't have a speck of rust. Go to the driver side after patience levels dropped and just decided to go full on John Henry on it. Once I saw how rusted the inside of the drum was I didn't feel bad about smashing the drum. But there has to be a better way than just going caveman lol. Had already planned on replacing drums and backing plates

 

I’ve found heating it up the around the the drum flange helps. That’s where they seem to get rusted solid.

 

OH, so you DO have a BFH, after all ? Yeah, I don't believe that little 2 # dead blow would have done the job. Not trying to be a smart ass, but you know that a little heat from a flame wrench on that drum would probably made it a lot easier to get off? Just saying!
@RmK57 beat me to it.

 

I’ve had luck with penetrating oil, heat with torch then get your BFH and give it a few wacks. Repeat if necessary

 

Heat and beat !!! Heat and beat !!!

 

Here I thought wacking one with a 2-1/2 lb hammer was overkill. I'd be pulling the axles and third member to make sure that one hadn't been sitting under water for a while.

 

I have always had good luck drilling 3 holes in the drum right up against the axle . Squirting penetrating fluid in the holes . Then cutting the hold down pins off and whaling the hell out of it

 

BTDT. Sawzall and expanding the drums to get over the shoes was the only way. Rearend had been sitting for 20 years. Some of the time inside some of the time outside…

 

Been a long time since I dragged home anything that rough, but yeah, hammers and torches and saws do the trick. Then you have to figure out how to get all the parts to put it back together.

 

So basically precision cave man?

 

I'd read somewhere that 55-64 rear ends can use the same brakes as a 53 Bel Air has all the way around..... hoping that's the case because I'm disc brake swapping the front of my 53 and the current front drum brakes are mint with nice asbestos shoes and new wheel cylinders. My 53 drums are in great shape too

 

I actually already had pulled the passenger axle. Mint inside seal. I think It just sat outside a few decades lol

 

Check the brake shoe width, the cars went to 2" wide shoes on the rear in 58?

 

That sounds right. But id imagine if the backing plates do bolt up i should be ok as long as I swap all related parts. As least I'd think so lol. Worst case scenario I just hunt down some 58-64 brakes

 

Of course, you could just weld it all back together .

 

I think it was Bob Bleed who told the technique of soaking the assembly in water to soften the rust. I’ve never tried it.

 

Well at least the drums are the same between 53 and 58

 

I used to cuss the hell out of those damn Chevy rear drums. They stick on the center nub of the axle and the harder you pull, the tighter they stick. The worst of the drums on any car that used removable rear drums had a bit of an angled center hole about an 8th of an inch around the center. The drums fit pretty snug on the axle to begin with, but with that little flared out portion around the center hole, it would clamp itself tighter and tighter. This was all on brake jobs with no rusty parts. The amount of rust in that '58 rear is simply amazing! You have my sympathy.

 

Makes sense to me. Water caused the problem, should help loosen it up. I know that I've sprayed a lot of water on a number of semi-trailer rear axle sliders that were rusted up to where you couldn't pull the pins. Beat the pins out of the sliders and sprayed the rails with water while someone else locked up the trailer brakes and tried to get the rails to slide. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

 

Yeah center hole was main spot that wouldn't break loose.

 

If the rear end was that toasty, I might consider pulling the axel and going caveman on it on end, studs protected, down, with copious amounts of penetrating oil.

 

Im going to replace the studs anyway

 

Pull the axel out of the housing and beat it!

 

And looks like they only went to 2" on the front in 58

 

Looks like they got 2" rear shoes in 59.

 

And this rear has an early 58 date code

 

That post # 1 photo, shows some serious rust.

 

The three holes allow for a bit of expansion , on the axle flange . I know it’s sounds like WTH , give this a try , a very old mechanic passed this on to me and really does work well .

 

I have had good results pulling the axle and brakes as a unit. I then hold it up a couple of feet and drop it with the drum down. Usually works if there is anything worth saving.

 

Add in some citric acid and give it 2-3 days.