The new 60 chevy I bought has been sitting in a field for the last 30 years and the drums are rusted to the shoes anyone have good ways of getting them loose so I can get the car to roll. One drum is real bad because they took the wheel off then set the suspension on the ground and the mud had over taken the hub when I looked at it. I thought of using a torch and heating the drum to try and see if that would work kind of like heating a rusted bolt to get it loose. I sprayed some pb and some other kind of rust loosening spray on it but it hasn't worked yet. Just looking for what you people have done on your vehicles to get them loose. Has anyone tried CLR? (calcium, lime, and rust remover) I know its a house hold thing but I might try it. Any Ideas would be appreciated.
VW's are very bad about that. Just beat the hell out of them all the way around until they unstick. You can try heat, but use the hammer method first. Good luck and nice project by the way!
You can try a big gear puller with a flat plate on top of the studs for the center. Or a big slide hammer. Or do like everyone here plagerised from Molester Jackson and Beat it just Beat it. Useless
I needed to bring home my old 35 International pickup and it had been sitting in the mud for about 30 years too. I knew the drums were gonna be junk, even if I got them to turn. In the interest of saving time, I just torched them off the little truck...around the edges and then across to get the bands off in 2 pieces. Took about 30-40 minutes and I lost nothing valuable.
If you want to save the drums, you are best off banging on the drum with a hammer (careful not to crack, or to bend the lip). Then spray Rust Eater inside as much as possible and let soak. Repeat as necessary. Bear in mind it will be TOUGH if the shoe rivets wore grooves into the drum, or if the shoes went metal-metal before rusting solidly in place. Helpful tip: back the shoe adjusters off as much as possible. Slide hammers and pullers often damage the drum. I myself have a gigantic 3-jaw puller that destroys drums but gets 'em off. I wrap a big towel around the whole puller and drum setup before turning the screw, because it puts a LOT of pressure on. The drums often look like they started to turn inside out, LOL
If you want to save the parts, put plastic garbage bags around them so as to make a bladder. Fill the bags with common household vinegar (cheap by the gallon) and wait a few days. Another way. Pull the outer bearing cover, cotter pin, and nut, cut the rubber brake line, and wrench or torch the backing plate bolts. Pull and tap a little and the whole assembly will fall in your lap. Soak all the parts in vinegar or metal prep (Much more expensive), and put back together. Easiest way out of the field is to hire a tow truck. They're not THAT expensive. pigpen
Penetrating oil soak first. Give it a going over with a 2 pound hammer and see if it will break loose. Heat with a torch and give it more hammer blows. Carefull not to set any grase on fire. I've gotten some wheels/drums to brake free by pulling the car. If the wheel can get any traction it will try to turn. Pulling it up a hill works best.
Pigpen is right about the vinegar, I use the white vinegar for tough jobs. Full strength though, it is very aggressive against rust and grease. I would check after sitting it overnight, give it a few light taps then submerge again if need be. Afterwards, clean the parts with a scrub brush , rinsing in a mild version until clean. The clean residue (a grey finish) will wire brush off and for fine stuff, you can use steel wool. Toss the parts in a bucket of water and some baking soda to neutralize the vinegar afterward.
[ QUOTE ] Pigpen is right about the vinegar, I use the white vinegar for tough jobs. Full strength though, it is very aggressive against rust and grease. I would check after sitting it overnight, give it a few light taps then submerge again if need be. Afterwards, clean the parts with a scrub brush , rinsing in a mild version until clean. The clean residue (a grey finish) will wire brush off and for fine stuff, you can use steel wool. Toss the parts in a bucket of water and some baking soda to neutralize the vinegar afterward. [/ QUOTE ] It's also good for freeing up pistons that are rusted in the cylinder block. Might take a few days though. pigpen
You can try prying the drum off from the back wit some screw drivers. I tried it once worked for me, but I would try to smack it loose. Also make sure the emergency brake is off
Back off the adjusters. Then, unless the wheel bearings are rusted stuck the wheel/hub will turn. If the adjusters are rusted stuck try to knock the adjusters out of the shoe, take a big screwdriver or something that will fit thru the adjuster slot on the backing plate and take a hammer to it.. You will bend the shoes but they are no good anyway.
The shoes are what's rusted to the drum. The shoes are secured to the backing plate, though. Try this--remove the shoes, and take the drum with it! What secures the shoes to the drum are those little nail head/pins that go through the backing plate and then a spring secures to them, putting pressure on the shoes to hold them in place. At the top there is the cylinder and it's two little pistons/arms, at the bottom is the star wheel--also usually rusted all to hell. From the back of the drum, take as thin a pry bar as you can (Sears makes a nice small 6-inch pry bar that is PERFECT for this job), pry the nail head out away from the backing plate (overcoming the spring's tension that holds it tight to the plate), and then cut the head of the nail off with a huge side cutter or chisel. After the two nails that hold the shoes are removed, you can pull the drum off, taking the shoes and hardware with it. The arms at the top will also come out of the cylinder. I've had this work very well for fronts--on rears, I've often had the problem of the axle register being seized to the drum. For that, big hammer, or a torch for heat if you've got one. I don't have a torch, so it's big hammer and cursing. -Brad
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