Hot Rods How do you remove rear drums on Hudson (49)

I have the center nut removed but the drums won't budge. This is on a working rearend. Nothing is frozen. Thanks

 

Check here: http://forum.hetclub.org/

This is THE forum for all Hudson questions!!

p.s.--I think it takes a puller, like many Mopar products

 

I am a memeber there but for some reason I can't log in.

 

Most rearends I have seen with a removable hub have a tapered axle and you will need a puller. They not only are tight due to the taper, but also corrosion make sit tight.

I have also heard a low-buck method, put the nut back on and then loosen a little bit, like 1 thread. Drive the car around the block and make some turns to side load the hub. You should hear it pop when it comes loose. Then go home and take it apart.

Never done the above method myself, but it might work if you do not have a puller.

Another method is to put a long fairly heavy chain on the studs, the whip the chain. It works to get an axle out of the housing when the bearing is kind of stuck, and may work on your hub.

 

you need a hub puller, do not do what I did on my tapered axle Dodge and try a 3 jawed puller as you will bend the drum. many auto parts stores will rent you one if you don't want to buy one. you put the puller on, put the nut back on a couple turns and beat the puller with a big hammer, it will pop off, which is why you put the nut back on, either that or wear steel toe boots.

 

Yup, like said you need a hub puller. Rent one, or you can usually find them on the ePay.

On my Studebaker, which has a similar axle, even after trying the correct puller, I had to use the drive-around-the-block-with-the-nut-loose trick to loosen it up. Depending on how tight the last guy out on that nut, you may have to as well. Just back out the nut just enough that there is a gap but you can still put a cotter-pin back in, just incase something weird happens.


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Hopefully it comes off with a puller driving it isn't an option at this time. Thanks guys.

 

My bud Jim Rose had a beautiful Washington blue '40 Ford Coupe. Wheel cyl was leaking, I said there was a puller ('C' flange type) that would grasp the hub, push the axle in, and Pop!
Jim was stubborn...an old timer told him about the 'loosed the nut and drive it' trick.
Jim loosened the nut, pulled out of the driveway, and popped it right off!
(popped a HARD axle key, too...peeled the axle slot halfway around!)
"Hey!...I told ya..."

 

Heard of one case on an old car with tapered hubs, the guy got a big puller and tightened the hell out of it. No dice. Came back the next day and gave it a few more whacks. Did this every day for a week, finally it popped loose and flew 20 feet across the shop. Luckily nobody was in the way. Moral of the story, put the axle nut back on loose. Turn it around and screw it on flush with the end of the axle, this will save the threads and prevent the axle from mushrooming.

 

I have been thinking of just grinding the rivets off of my Hudson's. Then you could just pull the drum off and leave the hub. Only problem I can foresee is getting the wheel and drum mounted would be a little pain in the rear as there would be nothing to hold the brake drum on because these axles don't use studs. They use lug bolts with an alignment pin. I think it would work though.