Rear drum removal

azhudson

Ok, I have been watching this forum for years and never commented but enoyed the information. I have been working on my pacemaker for the past few months after having it for the last 15 years sitting in the garage. Making good progress but now I am stuck along with my rear brake drums. I know I have seen posts in the past that answered all my questions but cannot find them anylonger. I have used a hub puller for a four wheel drive but it does not seem to work. what do I need to do to get these drums off?

StillOutThere

The drum is on a tapered axle and requires a puller that can pull with the lugs and push on the axle end. After removing the axle nut and washer, put the nut back on until flush with the axle end so you don't mushroom the end with the pressure. It is for your safety that the nut goes back on because you may need to apply very significant pressure to pop it loose at which time the drum and puller come flying off. The best "pull" is when it is absolutely centered so keep the legs of the puller as even /equal as possible when the puller is installed. In worst case scenarios it may be necessary to play heat from a torch on the hub to break the rusted press fit on the taper. Correct puller type pictured. Mopar hobbyists up to the mid '60s also have to deal with tapered axles as well as V8 Ford guys so ask around and possibly borrow one.

Jon B

Paul Schuster very kindly illustrated the entire operation a few years ago, and uploaded it to our Hudson photo album on line: http://hudsonpix.multiply.com/photos/album/52/REAR_WHEEL_PULLER

DocHornet

I just wrestled both mine off. Rented a heavy duty hub puller fro an auto parts store, as described above... sprayed the hub area liberally with PB Blaster, then pounded away with the most gonzo air impact gun I could get my hands on. It took 3-4 days leaving the hub under the tension of the puller, and cranking away on the impact gun before each finally gave way. I had to apply heat with a torch on one to loosen it up, still took another couple of days before it let go.

And yes, definitely leave that axle nut screwed on to full threads while working, otherwise that brake drum is going to take flight when it finally does come loose.

Finally, I doubt you would ever get this off with just a breaker bar. You're definitely going to need to heftiest impact gun you can get your hands on (Harbor Freight need not apply!)

Jon B

One trick I've heard of, is to remove the cotter pin and just loosen the nut a few turns. Then, drive the car around (slowly, around the block, or around the yard; NOT out on the highway!) The various forces (especially sideways) of the tire / wheel against the drum, will tend to loosen it up on the axle shaft, and will make it a bit easier to pull off. Not guaranteed, but one of several ideas that may help.

I would add that, as a safety precaution, you would want to replace the cotter pin after loosening the nut, if you haven't backed the nut so far off that the pin no longer holds it.

lsfirth

If all else fails, and you're willing to buy new drums, you can grind off the rivets that hold the drum to the hub and then remove the drum. This allows access to the backing plate bolts so you can remove the axle and hub as an assembly, then put it in a hydraulic press and push the axle out. I did this a few months ago...it took a LOT of load to press the hubs off the axles, but it worked. Here's a picture of the hubs afterwards....

If you are carefull, you could probably grind the rivets off without damaging the drums. Then you'd need to re-rivet the drums back to the hubs afterwards. Good luck....let us know how you conquered this beast!!

Lee

azhudson

Still working at it. They have to come off somehow. Thanks for all the responses. It does help to know I'm not the only one with this problem. I don'tfeel completely stupid. I put so much pressure on the puller that the bolt pushing on the axle nut bent, at the same time I had the torch heating the hub. Nothing moved at all. Tomorrow is the day.

Kay

Jon B

Yet another thought. When you've tightened the puller pretty tight, try tapping the brake drum around its perimeter with a heavy hammer. This sets up a vibration and -- with the "pressure on'' -- it will sometimes break loose. Hey, by the way....your brake shoes are not holding the drum, are they? You can turn the drums, right?

Uncle Josh

Jon might be on to something. Remove the large (15/16 socket) nut on the top behind the drum. It holds the anchor pin that might be holding the rusted shoes to the drum. Shoes and drum will come off as a unit, breaking the little pins and then you can release the shoes on the bench and replace the pins.

StillOutThere

The absolute worst tapered axle drum removal I ever experienced was a '49 Super 6 sedan (not that make/year/model make any difference!) that had sat outside a few years at a car dealership in a damp area of Wisconsin. I don't think the rears had ever been off the car since new and they were rusted on tight in the taper. I didn't have torch access but I kept tightening the puller with the help of a breaker bar and using my father's 10 pound sledge hammer! When that drum finally let loose neighbors on each side of us came running because they thought I had shot myself in the garage. Sorry to disapoint; just a little maintenance on the old Hudson !!!

Lee ODell

It took two days before one of my brake drum and hub let loose. Lee O'Dell

PAULARGETYPE

YOU HAVE TO GET MEAN AND REALY BEAT ON THE DOG BONE IT'S NOT FOR THE LITTLE GIRLS HIT THAT THING GET MAD IT WILL COME OFF AS A THOUGHT BE SURE AND ANTISEIZE THE INSIDE WHERE THE KEY GOES IN THE DRUM AND THE KEY BEFORE INSTALLING THE DRUM BACK ON THE AXEL M,AKE SURE EVERY THING IS CLEANED UP BEFORE PUTTING ON THE ANTISEIZE

azhudson

Progress.. One off one to go. Thanks for all the input. Everything else on this car has been easy. I guess there had to something to try my patience. I will definently clean like a crazy man and use antiseize. Dont want it to be like this again if I can help it. Thanks again

Kay

StillOutThere

I believe you will find that every shop manual for every brand of car with a tapered axle will state that the drum /hub should be reinstalled DRY - no antiseize compound or grease should be applied. If the book does not state it, it is understood and implied.

WHY you may ask. Because the interference fit of the two tapers (internal the hub and external the axle shaft) was engineered to be steel on steel, as tight as possible, with a very high torque figure given (ck your book) for tightening the axle nut. Putting anything between the two, especially something with body substance like antisieze, technically moves the hub out and ANY outward movement means you have less contact on the axle key and minimal interference fit.

Now think about this. If the fit is lubricated by antisieze or grease, you are now trying to move your two tons of steel by pushing it with the axle key ALONE and this is particularly a concern because none of these Hudsons yet had the advantage of limited slip differentials to drive both wheels as the introduction of this mechanical advantage to the industry was in 1955-56, so you are pushing two tons with a quarter inch square of steel about 2.5" long only at the right rear wheel. However if the taper is dry and properly torqued, you are pushing with the full circumference and width of the tapered surface which is a few square inches.

We have all seen axle keys that the hub has significantly gouged with this push, this torque. Sometimes this is because someone previously lubricated the taper. In the worst case scenario, the axle nut was not fully torqued and the axle key can literally be sheared off - I've seen it.

If you respect the torque of your big Hudson 6, do NOT lubricate the taper. Oh, and go to the parts house and get new axle keys if there is ANY sign of damage on the old original key(s)

hoggyrubber

wow, i had not thought of it that way. good to know. i did notice paul large type mentioned just antisiez'n the keyway and key not the taper, that might be ok and still help removal, i don't know.