Removing brake drums

[lukecp]

I need to remove one of the brake drums on my '72 C10. I put in a new rear, and one of the drums has alot more drag than it needs to have.

Now, usually to remove them i stick a screwdriver in through the hole on the face of the drum and back off the adjuster. Well, the drums on my new rear don't have any adjuster access holes in them. They do have two holes on the backing plate, but they are too far outward. It looks like i could maybe pry up the brake shoes from the holes, but i dunno. I haven't tried yet.

The brakes work fine, and stop well, but the first 1/2" or so of the peadal is a little squisher than i like, and i would like to inspect the brake componets.

I tried beating it off with a hammer.....but i didn't hit it too hard. I don't want to crack the drums.

Thanks for any help

[krue]

Make sure the drums don't have knock outs for the holes, I have seen some that you had to knock out. Seems like if you pried up one side of the shoe the other side would tighten up.

[jmanz69]

My adjusters were frozen when I went to take off my drums. I had to use a pry bar between the backing plate and drum. Ended up popping off one of the shoes, but they had broken springs anyway. I would double check about the knock-outs. They should be there.

[lukecp]

Ok...i will check for the knockouts again.

The drums had heavy rust over them...i didn't see them, but i guess i could hit up the edges with a wire cup chucked in a drill and look.

[Injected68LS1]

If you cant get them to budge and you can't find those knock outs try this. There are two shoe retaining pins that go through the backing plate. You can try cutting the heads off of these. They will be at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions. That should allow you to pull the shoes out farther. Maybe then you could get access to that adjuster.

Just a thought. Never tried it myself.

When you get them off replace everything with disc brakes so you never have to deal with them again.

[da-burb]

I don't think you have to worry abut breaking the drums when you hammer on them. I have used a sledge hammer with all the force I could muster and never broke one. When it finally lets go you have to be out of it's way because it can fly. I have seen them fly 5 to 10 feet.

[cwilli84]

Oh, you can break em alright. I tried to break some wheels loose ona 64 chevelle that had been sitting in a field. cracked one not once but twice and it still wouldn't move.