Basic question, pulling a front drum.

Phil · Post by **Phil** » June 19, 2007, 7:03 am

Is it like a regular drum brake vehicle (leaves the studs on the spindle)
or do you need to take the spindle nut off and pull it as an assembly?

Backed off my shoes but the drum seems really stuck on there.
Didn't want to force it without asking.

kraquen · Post by **kraquen** » June 19, 2007, 7:24 am

been a couple of years since I last did it.. but I'm pretty sure that I had to pull the axle nut off.. i think that the drum forms the outer race for the wheel bearings

Hawkrod · Post by **Hawkrod** » June 19, 2007, 8:33 am

Heavyhauler wrote:Is it like a regular drum brake vehicle (leaves the studs on the spindle)
or do you need to take the spindle nut off and pull it as an assembly?

Backed off my shoes but the drum seems really stuck on there.
Didn't want to force it without asking.

Well, you have me stymied here. You say "Is it like a regular drum brake vehicle (leaves the studs on the spindle)" and yet a regular drum brake vehicle does not normally do that on front frums or even on rears if it has a seperate hub and axle assembly (old cars, since the mid 60's most American cars have a one piece rear axle). The only way to normally remove a front drum from the hub is to remove the wheel studs as they are usually peened over to retain the drum to the hub. Hawkrod

willy3486 · Post by **willy3486** » June 19, 2007, 8:53 am

Well I am now throughly confused with this post.

I don't know if it is going to help but I just worked on my front brakes a few weeks ago. What I did was to take the wheel off. The threaded studs that the wheels goes on stayed on the drum. I then took the dust cap off. I took the key out of the nut on the spindle and then took the nut and its adapter that keeps the key in place off. Then I tapped the drum and wiggled it until it came off. I have a f100 66 and thats the way every vehicle I have worked on that wasn't disk brakes came apart. Maybe I just an old fart and only worked on old junk made that way. Thats all I remember the way they were made.

Phil · Post by **Phil** » June 19, 2007, 10:04 am

willy3486 wrote:Well I am now throughly confused with this post.

I don't know if it is going to help but I just worked on my front brakes a few weeks ago. What I did was to take the wheel off. The threaded studs that the wheels goes on stayed on the drum. I then took the dust cap off. I took the key out of the nut on the spindle and then took the nut and its adapter that keeps the key in place off. Then I tapped the drum and wiggled it until it came off. I have a f100 66 and thats the way every vehicle I have worked on that wasn't disk brakes came apart. Maybe I just an old fart and only worked on old junk made that way. Thats all I remember the way they were made.

Helps!
Sorry I wasn't clear.

I meant like any modern rear drum car. The drum comes off and leaves and axle flange with the studs still on it. The drum comes off alone with holes for the axle hub and wheel studs.

Sounds like the drum comes off with the studs still attached then.
So remove spindlenut, washer, outer bearing, pull off whole assembly right?
I need to replace a wheel cylinder that is leaking.

Max · Post by **Max** » June 19, 2007, 10:14 am

From my 1964 Ford Truck F100-350 Shop Manual p.2-18:

1. Raise truck and install stands.
2. Back off the brake shoe adjustment. Remove hub cap and/or dust cap.
3. Remove the spindle nut cotter pin, spindle nut, and washer.
4. Remove the wheel assembly.
5. Remove the front wheel to hub retaining nuts or rim and tire retaining nuts. Remove the wheel or rim and tire from the hub and drum.
6. Remove the brake drum retainers and retaining bolts, screws, or bolts and nuts.
7. Remove the brake drum from the hub.

banjopicker66 · Post by **banjopicker66** » June 19, 2007, 11:08 am

The front drum is separate from the hub, but with corrosion, peened over studs and the like, they often have to be removed together to get them separated.
Try soaking overnight the face of the hub/drum with PB blaster or equivalent, especially around each stud.
Then, heat the face of the drum where it mates to the hub while tapping the face with the peening end of a ball-peen hammer.
DO NOT USE anything hotter than a propane torch or you will warp the drum.
I have found this to be very successful.

If this doesn't work, remove them together, then punch out the studs. The drum will come off then.

By the way, I hope to replace my front drums with discs on my '66 Sweet Southern Comfort this summer. I rebuilt the front brakes with new drums, wheel cylinders and brakelines 3 years and less than 3,000 miles ago, if anyone is interested in them.

Phil · Post by **Phil** » June 19, 2007, 11:49 am

well, so far I am up to $258 with hoses, front cylinders, Stang MC, fluid.

I still need hardlines, Pblaster, rear cylinders, Budweisers.

I know I should just do a disk swap but it would have to be $250+ more.
I just don't have the cash and I need to get the truck all stoppy.

Maybe I'll just do that wheel cylinder and not actually drive it.

Are the rears just as much of a hassle?

banjopicker66 · Post by **banjopicker66** » June 19, 2007, 11:58 am

Rear brakes can be as bad, yes.

I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend you plunk the money down for the REAR rubber brake hose, and change it out now. That's for the one between the frame and the rear axle.

Phil · Post by **Phil** » June 19, 2007, 12:06 pm

banjopicker66 wrote:Rear brakes can be as bad, yes.

I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend you plunk the money down for the REAR rubber brake hose, and change it out now. That's for the one between the frame and the rear axle.

Done! Comes in the 20th

Slick Fan · Post by **Slick Fan** » June 19, 2007, 12:07 pm

With front drums, I always pull them off with the hub, mainly to avoid self inflicted brain damage...unless the drum happens to fall free of the hub when I take the rim off...which hasn't happened yet.

Rear drums? There's usually only two things holding them on, rust around the studs & center axle hump, or a massive ridge that catches the brake shoes from a badly worn drum.
Otherwise, they should slip off slicker-n-snot.

Garbz · Post by **Garbz** » June 19, 2007, 12:24 pm

Early drums have retaining screws that hold the drum to the hub. You typically will need a impact hammer type screwdriver to get them loose.

Garbz

Post by **Greg D** » June 19, 2007, 12:41 pm

You could go disc for the about what you will have spent on repair parts. Just an FYI. Going disc is alot more if you buy a full kit but you can save a ton of $ if (except for the brackets) you buy all the parts local rotors are about $25, calipers the same, $20 pads. A full parts required list comes with the brackets from Custom Performance Products, brackets were $95. Mine are due to arrive today.

Phil · Post by **Phil** » June 19, 2007, 2:27 pm

Greg D wrote:You could go disc for the about what you will have spent on repair parts. Just an FYI. Going disc is alot more if you buy a full kit but you can save a ton of $ if (except for the brackets) you buy all the parts local rotors are about $25, calipers the same, $20 pads. A full parts required list comes with the brackets from Custom Performance Products, brackets were $95. Mine are due to arrive today.

Hmm I'm thinkin.
Greg, can you send me a copy of that list when you get them?

I may go this route.

6Slick5 · Post by **6Slick5** » June 19, 2007, 4:20 pm

It has been awhile but I thought the front drums were cast one piece units that could only be removed by taking off the spindle nut.

The rear drums are separate and when removed the axle with the wheel studs stays in the rear end.

At least that's what I remember from 30 years ago and all the brake jobs I did when working at a real service station. That's when High Test was all of 69 cents!

Have Fun!
Marty

Basic question, pulling a front drum.

Basic question, pulling a front drum.

Re: Basic question, pulling a front drum.