'97 4x4 rear drum removal

[jpilk99]

These babies are rusted on there pretty well. Have tapped, wrapped, in between lugs ...liberally. Sprayed PB Blaster at lugs.

Wheels rotate so ...brakes aren't "locked on"? (if the pads were locked onto the wheel, she wouldn't spin, would she?).

Stuck a metal pry bar in behind lip of drum and hit from behind ...no budge. Got a pipe into the same lip and hit the snot out of that, rotated wheel, hit some more... NO BUDGE.

Ideas? I thought of spinning that "adjuster" to loosen brake pads, (but not sure what that will do if pads aren't impacted spin of wheel). Honestly, I don't even see where I'd spin/adjust the adjuster. There are, what appears, two oval spots where there MIGHT be openings, but, they've got covers in the way. They look like they could be punched out, but, ...not sure if that's the thing to do.

Thanks all,

Jay

 

[Joe w.]

My right side always gets stuck on you can try the adjuster if it will turn it maybe froze up itself. I've had to take a torch and heat them in past after all other options fail.

 

[jpilk99]

My right side always gets stuck on you can try the adjuster if it will turn it maybe froze up itself. I've had to take a torch and heat them in past after all other options fail.

Thanks Joe. Forgive my stupidity, but, ...how do I get to the adjuster? I don't see how to access

 

[Travelin Ram]

You pop the plastic cover off the oval hole. Reach inside with a brake adjuster tool (or a flat screwdriver in a pinch) and turn the adjuster wheel. Which on an old vehicle is quite possibly seized.

Use blaster all around the large hole where the drum mates to the axle center.

Some flame on the drum around the center hole to expand it.

And a BFH.

 

[jpilk99]

You pop the plastic cover off the oval hole. Reach inside with a brake adjuster tool (or a flat screwdriver in a pinch) and turn the adjuster wheel. Which on an old vehicle is quite possibly seized.

Use blaster all around the large hole where the drum mates to the axle center.

Some flame on the drum around the center hole to expand it.

And a BFH.

Thanks Travelin.

Yer gonna laugh hard on this one, but: When you say "pop the plastic cover off the oval hole" do you mean one of these bad boys in the picture?

 

[Travelin Ram]

Yep. Looks like they used the same part for the left vs right side backing plate, which is why there’s two holes. One will have the adjuster wheel behind it.

Looking at the pic those may have never been used. Looks like they’re stamped out but maybe the steel blank is still in place.

Usually that’s a complete hole with a plastic plug inserted.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Perhaps the drums are grooved so much that they spin freely but the shoes are not ale to slide past the lip. Back those adjusters off as much as you can.

 

[Robeffy]

Worst case scenario, get a zip disk, and cut the suckers off. Cut across from one side to the other, going right across the center. That is not thick, and a 1/16" zip disk will likely do it in minutes of cutting..

 

[jessyj]

There are no adjuster holes on these trucks . They have to punched out or ground off.