Re: ihc-digest V5 #72 Removing the rear drums

[Steve Stegmann <stegmann@domain.elided>]

I've just gone through this.  I used a time honored technique that my Dad 
showed me 30 years ago.

There are two things holding the drums on.

1  You must get a brake adjuster (bent screwdriver works fine) and 
release the brakes.  Have some old fart like me show you.  Anyone who has 
worked on cars for a while can show you.  If you don't the shoes will 
hold the brake drum on no matter what you do or say.  **DO THIS FIRST**

2  If you take the rear wheels off you will see a small (maybe 2.5 in 
dia) stubby cylinder sticking out of the drums maybe a quarter inch.  
This is part of the axle and is used to properly position the drums.  It 
is a tight fit in the drum.  Guess what, the drum is rusted to the axle.  
To fix this sit on the ground facing the drum and get a 3 lb hammer.  Hit 
the drum around the edge.  Go all around the edge where the plate over 
the lug studs joins the cylindrical part of the drum.  Just haul back and 
give a half dozen good whacks.  The idea is to brake the rust between the 
axle and the drum. This make take a while.  My Dad used to get a 2 x 12 
mayber 10 ft long to do it.  Scared me silly watching him do it to my 
first car.  He almost knocked it off the jack.  The drum will eventually 
just fall off into your lap.  *providing you have backed off the 
adjustment enough.

My Scout has the same brakes as a Ford.  Any good parts man can get all 
the parts you want, cheap.   They're on millions of Fords.

Same for the front calipers (79).  I paid $18 for rebuilt at Auto Value.  
Again the same brakes are on millions of Ford trucks/vans.

Steve


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Steven A. Stegmann
     _/_/_/    _/      _/_/_/ "No free man shall ever be debarred the use
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 _/_/_/  _/     _/ _/_/_/         Thomas Jefferson, June 1776
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