Hey fellas. 3 of my brake drums are stuck on. Yes i removed the 2 retaining bolts that the 53 Cadillacs have. And I released the emergency brake. And I tried PB Blast penetrating oil on the 5 wheel studs let it work for 12 hours. Sprayed again and tried after 2 hours. Still nothing. I tried hitting the flat spots between the wheel studs with a hammer. Nothing. It’s not even like it’s jiggling a little and i can’t quite get it off. Its frozen on there. Any tips? Thank you fellas!
Your picture shows the retaining bolts still on? Heat the drum with a hair dryer or propane torch, don’t need super hot! Take crayon and apply it at the bolts and the axle stub sticking out the wax will wick into the areas that are stuck I presume from rust. Again it doesn’t need to get super hot maybe 250 or so degrees. As soon as it cools to the touch you should be able to tap off with a rubber or wood mallet. Dan
Hey Ted I think Pete is off line. I don’t know anything about 53 caddy’s however if you post a photo of the backing plate someone will be able to help. On all drum brakes I’ve worked on there is a slot on the backing plate with a rubber plug. By removing the plug you’ll get access to the adjusting star. By moving the adjuster arm away from the star you can turn the star to release the shoe pressure on the drum. you will know if you are turning in the correct direction if the star won’t move easily or gets tighter you’re going the wrong direction, simply go the other direction. I’m probably clear as mud. There are several videos on how to adjust drum brakes. If Pete shows back up I’m sure he can explain better than me. Oh if you can find a factory service manual or Motor manual for your car it will be very helpful. Dan
I usually have good luck getting drums off by heating the edge of the drum where it meets the register on the axle or hub, like the yellow circle I added to your picture. Heat about a 1/2 to 3/4 inch section red hot (real oxy/acet torch) working your way around the whole register a section at a time. The "expanded rust" bond should be broken and a few blows should free it up. Once in a while, I'll have to make a second go around to free the drum.
Agree, but first be sure the drum will rotate. Shoes stuck to the drum are common and must be fixed before loosening the axle to drum point.
Pete ***umed the guy knew about adjustable drum brake shoes used into the 60’s. It’s sad but normal if you weren’t at least 60 now you didn’t realize the maintenance needed for drum brakes especially on the front. I hit the outer front edge to loosen up the rear drums, and I don’t worry about using a single jack for the hits. The one in the photo shows the centering purchase on the axle is tight. It’s going to take some damn good swings every 30-45* around the drum.
All the wheels spin freely. Is the idea of “backing off the adjuster” because there can be a lip developed on the very outer edge of the brake shoes and its hard to pull of the drum because of that lip? I saw a video of a guy mentioning something like this. Man I’m so grateful for everyone’s help. I’m a 54 year old fella who found his holy grail car an a semi-finished project that I could actually afford and now I’m having possibly the best time of my life getter her on the road. Many thanks.
If the drum is not loose from the hub of the axle and spins free, the shoes are not your problem. It is still stuck on the hub. Heat and PB Blaster around the center and studs will eventually free it up. And a bfh.
Yep, considering they turn freely, the only things that could keep them from coming off is rust to the axle or a lip on the backside of the drum from wear which I doubt considering all you have mentioned in other threads about what has been done to the car. Be careful smacking the drums with a big hammer. I have broken the back edge doing that. A dead blow type hammer is much safer to smack the drum with. I try focus on the area mentioned by Rich B above in his drawing since that is likely all that is keeping them from coming off.
A few have mentioned hitting the outer edge of the drum. I'm not sure if they mean hitting it from the backside to drive it off or not. That rarely works as the drum is most likely siezed at the axle pilot hole. What you want to do is hit the drum on the outer edge radially to make it flex at the axle pilot hole in the center. This helps break the rust at this area. You can also take an air hammer with a flat anvil and hammer on the face of the drum around the pilot.
I wire brush around the axle pilot stub to get it clean, then use some penetrant there. Then use a hammer backed with a piece of wood to smack the backside of the drum, rotating the drum as I go. Can't think of a time that didn't work. The drum register hole is usually tapered to the inside, so the drum will slip on easily, but sometimes won't slip off easily, especially when dirty with rust. I've found cleaning the drum/ axle register is the key to getting the drum to start to move off the axle. Good luck!
There’s the cut off wheel method. But that’s an extreme measure where the you cut the drum in half and remove it . I had to do that on the 1958 9” that had been sitting on the ground since 1968 .
Like all all ready said Back off adjustment 5 or so clicks turn Wire brush on drill around studs & register, Little heat & Penetrate oil Lite to mid taps with hammer on face To vibrate drum & axle flang Take bolts out soak with Penetrate oil , rotate drum so it oil can work between drum & axle . Worst case a puller on drum little pressure & mid blows with oil . My self rare have drilled a few holes on face of JUST drum to spray penetrating oil
I strike them from the wheel side on the outer edge of the drum. This will get the drum rocking side to side to brake that rust seal at the center hub.
Yep; 16 years old, in the driveway, first time doing a brake job, educated by old Mechanics Illustrated magazines from the Salvation Army store, stuck drum on a '61 Chevy, pulled the axle, laid it on some 2x4s across our burn barrel, couple of whacks with the neighbors sledge on the end of the axle, and it came off. Thought I did good.
Always back off the brakes shoes . its not the initial issue but it will be a issue one you get the drum if there is any lip from wear . . Id try hitting it hard between the lugs and if it is not even moving id toss some heat on it around the center and repeat . I have used a air hammer on them with big flat point between the lugs before saves a lot of swinging a hammer. If you used penetrating oil and such already have a fire extinguisher handy or at least a bucket of water or wet towels before getting the torch out .
Yes, the possibility of that wear lip on the drum is the main reason you back the adjustment off and I have adjusted plenty of "self adjusting " brakes along with backing those off too. You just have to come up with a little tool to push the self adjuster lever out of the way to turn the star wheel easily . It helps if you shine a light in the slot and figure out which way the threads on the adjuster bolt go so you are backing the star wheel off rather than tightening it. When you put it together tighten the shoes up until you can't turn the drum by hand and then back it off 11 clicks and you can feel the star wheel click against the spring. Then it is correctly adjusted. That was what I was taught in 1962 and what I did during hundreds of brake jobs over the years and probably adjusting a thousand set of brakes all told . I also taught several hundred students to do it that way over 13 years. As far as getting the drums off after the shoes are backed off, you do what you gotta do. BFH applied in the right place (in 60 years I have only broken one brake drum with a BFH) a bit of heat or some rust breaker concoction.
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