Jump to content

Drum Brakes

c03camson
 Share

Recommended Posts

c03camson Enthusiast

c03camson

Posted
Posted

going to paint my stupid rear drum brakes and I cant get the damn things off. There is no retainer clip keeping them on so do i need to just beat them off or is there an easier way? I took the rubber plugs off the back and not really sure what im looking at in there.

Daryl LBZ Senior Enthusiast

Daryl LBZ

Posted
Posted

I think I always just hit them with a hammer on the front of the drum in about 3 spots. After that they would be loose enough to pull off.

desrtrat Senior Enthusiast

desrtrat

Posted
Posted
I took the rubber plugs off the back and not really sure what im looking at in there.

if you look in the hole, you should see a star wheel, and a latch on the wheel. if i remember right, take a small screw driver, or a pick and move the latch away from the star wheel, and with a med. size screw driver, turn the star wheel up 2-3 full turns. that will contract your break shoes enough to pull the drums off..

when your done :uhoh: remember to re adjust your breaks again, so you don't crap your paints the first time you apply your breaks.. :lol:

 

hope this helps.... :thumbs:

Matt_ Senior Enthusiast

Matt_

Posted
Posted

On a relatively new vehicle you shouldn't have to un-adjust the shoes to get the drum off. Give the hub surface a few good whacks with 2lb hammer in 3 equally spaced spots; this will break any bonds loose. At that point, you should be able to pull it off.... sometimes i find that its easier to pull off if you rotate it at the same time, so make sure you have the other side in the air and the wheel off.

Silverado4x4 Senior Enthusiast

Silverado4x4

Posted
Posted

They always freeze up at the axle hub, spray some wd-40 at that area and let it sit for awhile then the hammer method. You do have the parking brake off right? I have to ask because I have seem people wear them selfs out and figure out the parking brake is still on.

sc4808 Enthusiast

sc4808

Posted
Posted
They always freeze up at the axle hub, spray some wd-40 at that area and let it sit for awhile then the hammer method. You do have the parking brake off right? I have to ask because I have seem people wear them selfs out and figure out the parking brake is still on.

 

+1, I have seen the same thing.

c03camson Enthusiast

c03camson

Posted
  • Author
Posted

yeah parking brake was off. I was just trying to get them off so i could paint them. couldnt get them off so i just taped everything off, primed and painted them with the drums still on. worked like a charm. pissed me off though.

nqabigt Enthusiast

nqabigt

Posted
Posted
They always freeze up at the axle hub, spray some wd-40 at that area and let it sit for awhile then the hammer method. You do have the parking brake off right? I have to ask because I have seem people wear them selfs out and figure out the parking brake is still on.

 

 

+2 right side took a couple of taps, left side had to soak for a few minutes

FarmerDave Enthusiast

FarmerDave

Posted
Posted (edited)

Use a heavy rubber mallet, hit the drum on the farthest inboard edge of the drum in two spots across from each other. I clean my drums every tire rotation so mine always come off easy. But this is how I get the drums off transport trucks.

 

Edit: There are no retaining clips or any device holding the drum on other than the wheel + lug nuts.

Edited by DaveV
  • 5 years later...
danthesurferman New Member

danthesurferman

Posted
Posted

I second the two bolt method, although I have also had to use the small screwdriver to push against the locking tab and back off the star-wheel adjuster with a brake adjustment tool because the shoes were so far gone the metal was grooved into the drums. (not my truck). I recently made a YouTube video showing how to do it.

 

 

​

Janster Enthusiast

Janster

Posted
Posted

You can put some 'anti-seize' on the flat surface of the axle - where the drum comes in contact with it. I also put anti-seize on the lug nuts.

  • 5 years later...
DaveRave New Member

DaveRave

Posted
Posted

Size of the holes on my rear brake drums (2006 Silverado LS1500 V6 Std cab long bed 2WD 5spd) is 10 mm 1.5 thread and 25mm in length. You can probably get away with shorter ones like 20 mm. Took me two trips to HomeDepot to find this out since I misplaced ones I used previously. Mine will be free once again.

DaveRave New Member

DaveRave

Posted
Posted

Final caveat - this should pop (audible sound) the rust bond between the hub and drum. You can certainly help it along by applying penetrating oil or pounding on the drums between the studs. However if your drums are grooved you may still have to loosen the adjuster(s) to remove the drum(s). I would caution against using too much heat since the brake cylinders do have rubber boots around the pistons and the drums may be brittle or worn so go easy with the pounding also. If you are replacing the drums then by all means have your way with them. 

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • fondupot
      Exhaust heat while towing!

      By fondupot · Posted

      You can install tailpipes that direct the exhaust sideways vs the OEM one that goes straight back. There are several on the market, do you own research. HOWEVER, you need to make sure the Venturi vents are still intact, otherwise it will throw a engine code. There is a sensor somewhere that detects back pressure on the exhaust. And if it doesn't collect the correct metrics, it will throw the truck into limp mode. 
    • Atlas
      Wow I'm in a pickle. (Broke down truck) and a story.

      By Atlas · Posted

      "Teardown" is complete. Head surfaces are clean and ready, new intake is prepped and ready. Coolant drained and water pump is removed, radiator is removed, new hoses and pump are ready.   The replacement intake is also from a '95 (with I think 260k, the odometer said). Noticeably less pitting where it covers the rear coolant passages. I'm not sure if that's a tribute to more frequent use, more frequent coolant changes/upkeep, or if the intake was machined at some point. But it appears I found a good one.   My coolant hoses were original, and the lower hose still retained the factory spring inside. It's not really rusty, but it's got deposits all over it. Unsure if I should re-install it (will thoroughly clean it first). Someone said hose technology has gotten better since 1995 (has it?) and I don't need the spring. I think modern EPDM is what made those hoses last from 1995-2026, so it's a question of how much suction can the water pump really pull, and will it collapse the hose without a spring?   I'm stopped and waiting for parts, however.   When I first brought the truck home, the fan was intermittently hitting the radiator shroud. I could see someone had monkeyed with the shroud (put a bunch of cardboard as a spacer between the upper/lower shroud halves. Someone said the motor mounts have likely failed and the engine has sagged. I wasn't sure I believed that. The engine is really solid in its mounts: To remove the old intake I *just* nearly permanently welded to the heads with freshly cured RTV and gasket snot two weeks ago, I literally had to use the arms on my lift and a chain with a bolt attached to the intake to pull it loose. It almost picked the front of the truck off the ground before ....scuuuuuuuuuuup.... I could actually hear the gaskets tearing and it broke loose and the whole truck settled back down. Motor barely moved.   SO, those parts I'm waiting on... The lower radiator mounts/bushings had completely failed. The radiator needs to be insulated from the rad support, and the bushings help the rad stand at the correct height. The plastic "baffle" was also destroyed at some point. Someone had attached the shroud to it incorrectly, overlapping a joint that should have been underlapped, creating another suspect issue potentially causing things to hit the fan. Broken tabs, side is busted off, and it's perma-formed/bent where it was jimmied incorrectly.   The baffle? Unobtainum. Long since discontinued from GM, of course. Aftermarket/capa/chinese? Also unobtanium. In GM's infinite wisdom, it appears there are at least two different variations whether the Blazer is 2 or 4 door, and I can't yet tell if they shared the same part with the S-pickups. Plan B, if I can't find a viable used one, will be to create a bracket to re-assemble the critical joint I need to seal a gap with the shroud. But that will bug me, it won't be...perfect.   The water pump bolts appear to have been installed with...plumber's putty. I guess, sure, if it works...? I've found a few "backyard fixes" like that. Someone's been here before....   If I can't find someone to jam bamboo under my fingernails to fill my free time this week I think I'll install the driver's power window motor and replace the rear door speaker that's inop. I've got a genuine GM "9.5" ohm working replacement. Why GM used a non-standard resistance....nevermind. Of course they did, you can get more sound from a cheap factory amp that way.   And the saga goes on...
    • glenn27
      Different requirements for oil filters?

      By glenn27 · Posted

      // Thank you, also for your  response. More information is always good. This 2013 GMC is most likely my 'forever truck"-I'm 77 and retired...and truck only has 42K on it-very clean-so I try to keep it that way.  Tks again for your  response- glenn
    • smooth68
      Alternate wiring for Kicker sub with Bose system. (DO THIS)

      By smooth68 · Posted

      I started my install this weekend. Everything was pretty straight forward but I ran into one issue with running power through the firewall. The nipple grommet on my High Country already has a small harness running through it - has anyone else ran into this issue? And on the engine bay side, does the wire basically just penetrate the factory wiring boot? I did this on my '22 Trail Boss and it seems much easier but thats been a few years. My other thought would be possibly drilling a new hole adding a rubber grommet just to the lower left of the factory hole. Thoughts?   Has anyone used a T-harness off the Bose amp and obtained power from there? It seems a little odd that such a small amp needs 3 power leads
    • glenn27
      Different requirements for oil filters?

      By glenn27 · Posted

      ///// Ok--Thanks for that info--I could not find yesterday when I looked for the specs on that NAPA filter what I wanted. Their website is not very user friendly. I buy all teh filters for  our three vehicles once or twice a year. Have always run NAPA Gold on everything I own....I buy it thru my Son's account for his business-which he has a Heavy Equipment repair shop-one reason he uses NAPA so much-they have such a full line of coverage for just about anything/anywhere- He gets s  good discount because of volume bought. Anyway-Thank you -Sir for your response.   glenn

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...