Need help removing drums from olds/pontiac rear

Thanks again everyone. Got the other one off and only took about a half hour. It looked way worse but surprisingly came off a lot easier. There is basically no pads left on the shoes and the lines you see in the pics are actually grooves in the drums. Anyways got all the brakes off and one axle pulled. Waiting for some of the fluid to drain out before I do the next side.

 

Pontiacs are worse than any other car I've dealt with for some reason. Even getting the wheel off can be a bitch.

I had one stuck drum on a '64 Catalina that was driven daily. Beat it between the lugs with an air chisel with a dull punch, noisy but it loosened it.

Bob

 

Back off the brakes shoes. Those holes on the back side of the backing plates are so you can back off the shoes. Insert brake spoon or screw driver and turn the self adjuster on the bottom. The shoes are catching the ridge they have created in the drum.

 

Another trick to try "next time" - wheels off, rear end in the air so the drums can spin. A couple loose lug nuts installed to keep the drums from rolling down the street.

Put it in gear and spin it up drive/top gear. Get off the gas and hit the brakes. The drum will be stopped by the shoes and the axles want to keep spinning. If you hear a "click" it worked. Since there is a little play because the lug nuts are loose it shifts the drum to axle position and breaks loose the rust bond.