if it looks like the center hole is stuck to the axle? ...then get a BIG hammer and belt the outer edge of the drum at a 45 degree angle. Rotate the drum a half turn and repeat on the harder ones. That should do it.
WRONG!!!! NEVER, EVER use any kind of lube on a taper. They are intended to be ***embled clean and dry. They are supposed to be difficult to separate, that is why the correct pullers are needed and were made in the first place.
Travis, yes, maybe so. But a guy has to be careful not to beat the end at the wrong angle & just make it splay outward. That, then, makes it that much harder to get off.
You said you tried heat...propane or Oxy Acet? You need to cherry it right near the axle protrusion. Want to get it off the brutal way? and don't have Acet?... take a 3/4" wide chisel and place the blade aligned with the center of the axle right where the drum sheetmetal meets the axle flange, and the other end of the blade pointing away from the center, and wail it. what you will do is spread/stretch the hole in the drums center. It is pretty caveman, but if done right it won't hurt squat.....plus you mave have already bent the drum with the jaw puller or hammering the wrong way. rusted in Arizona??? maybe the car came from here in the salt belt
The car is from El Monte Ca. and Arizona. But spent about 10 years in Seattle back in the 80's which accounts for any minor rust. It's mostly been garage kept before I got it. The drum doesn't look bent. We try not to be too caveman on the stuff as to avoid a major expense. My dad supplied some 2400 max degree butane torch from Mac tools. That might have been a problem too.
I missed this thread until now, so I am probably too late to add any thing very important. I have seen many a Studebaker rear brake drum chipped (and worse) aroung the edges where somebody had tried to improperly remove the drums from a typical Studebaker tappered axle. As has been said the proper puller is essential. Also needed is a proper hammer, not a rubber one, a good sledge. I got my puller at a swap meet many years ago. Good ones are not cheap although there are deals out there. I was never as glad as when I bought my '65 and found it had flanged rear axles -- no more pounding on a puller!!!
I can definitely say that I have a REAL friend in the HAMB net in Carl la Fong (the "Kiek in the Kok guy, yeah, my bud). When he heard my plight: (1) back out again, (2) '38 Plym w. ALL FOUR drums seized up w. rust 'round the shoes, AND (3) gotta move the car out of the farm where it is before winter or LOSE it . . . Carl (real name, HAMBER John) offered me his own old-style puller for FREE, shipped it from Cal. to Oh. Now that my back is a tad better after a solid MONTH of warm weather missed, I got down there and managed to get two of the four drums off, gutted the wasted brake parts out that were seizing the drums, cleaned and repacked the spindles, bearings, etc., and got two wheels a-rollin' again! GOD BLESS Carl la Fong AND the HAMB! I think I'd have been screwed to the max without fellow rodders' help (including Gigantor, BTW!!!). Lots of encouragement, ideas and TOOLS when needed! BTW, the Plym drums were 2-piece, like a lot of the '30s cars. So I was able to split the hub from the drum and put the drums aside. After all, all I need to do is be able to PULL the car up a bank to the road, so I can pull it onto a trailer . . . and AWAY WE GO!
Awww, gee whiz. Now you've gone and spoiled the image that I've been trying to establish. I'll have to go to my profile and change my occupation. Glad the puller worked for ya. I'd been tripping over it for 20/30 years without ever using it so I figgered it was time to p*** it along. I'll probably find a kick *** deal on a MoPar next week that just needs brake work. D'OH!!!
If you want now go one step further, and drill out the rivets holding the drum onto the hub. Then the next time you need to deal with te brakes, you remove the wheel, then pull the drum off leaving the hub on the axle just like a real grown up car. the lugs are pressed into the hub and should leave the drum free after the rivets and aligning stud are removed.
Plym46, get your point. But the '38 Plymouth wheels don't use rivets at all but welds. To make matters worse, the rust (which was causing the wheels to be jammed against the shoes) was DEEPly pitted into the drums, so I put them aside, since I doubt they are worth trying to recon., honestly. Oh! And Karl la F., HOW did the penile-reduction op go? LOL
Question for everyone. I was able to get my rear drums off my 50 Desoto this weekend without issues (thanks to this great information on the hub puller). When I took the hub off there was a small rectangular piece of metal about 2 inches long and maybe 1/8 of an inch thick that fell out on both sides. Does that fit into the keyway when I put the hub back on?
That is the key to keep the drum from rotating on the axle shaft. When reinstalling, be sure the drum and axle grooves are both lined up with it. Do not use lube or anti seize on the taper. ---John
The key locates the drum but the taper holds it in place. There is a wedge action when properly tightened that prevents it from moving (as you found out lol). It must be good and tight or the axle will turn in the hub, ruining them. The shaft and hub must be clean and tightened good. I forget the torque spec but it is about 200 ft lbs.
Thanks for this information everyone. I looked last night and with your help I now know how everything goes back together.
Best way is to use the puller tool shown in # 10. BTW,...Do not use that kind of puller for early Ford read drums . 4TTRUK
"GOD BLESS Carl la Fong AND the HAMB! I think I'd have been screwed to the max without fellow rodders' help (including Gigantor, BTW!!!). Lots of encouragement, ideas and TOOLS when needed!"
The Jalopy Journal
