72 3/4 ton camper special rear brakes - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Beefcake · 03-29-2004, 10:12 AM

I tried to open up the rear drums to find out why I have no rear brakes... Man this thing is HUGE!-Got discouraged when I couldnt even take the drums off. I guess this is a dana 66 open knuckle??? The inside 8 bolts will allow the axle-spindle to come out.

Also how the heck do I take this drum off???

thanks so much!!

Beefcake · 03-29-2004, 01:05 PM

anybody????

**CPNE** · 03-29-2004, 01:12 PM

You need to pull axle shafts first, as you found out. Once out, there is a nut inside that needs to come off. This nut requires a special tool you can get pretty cheaply. Once this nut is off, you can pull drum. There is more too it but this will get you looking in the right direction. I'm sure someone else can fill in all the details I've omitted.

Beefcake · 03-29-2004, 01:29 PM

awesome! Thanks for the info.

zyggy72 · 03-29-2004, 01:36 PM

If the rear is a Dana 60, which it probably is, you have to unbolt the center 8 bolts and pull the axle out. You'll want to keep a large pan handy to catch some of the rear end fluid that will spill out. Now look into the hub where you pulled the axle from, you will see a very large nut. There should be a washer with some tabs bent toward you and away from you to lock the nut from backing out. Be careful and tap the tabs back and remove the first large nut. Remove the lock washer and then remove the second large nut. Once you have gotten to this point, you now should try to slide the whole hub & drum assembly off. Go slow!!! As you start to pull the assembly off, the outter bearing will drop out (that is normal!!, if you can, give the drum a tap with a hammer and pull the outter bearing out so it doesn't get contaminated with any dirt or junk). Now you can pull the hub & drum assembly off the rearend. Now you can inspect your rear brakes. For reassembly, reverse the order.

breeh · 03-29-2004, 01:46 PM

Just to confuse things some more, not all Dana 60's require that you pull the axles. On some (like mine) there are 2 screws that hold the drum on and you don't touch the axles. Good luck!

Beefcake · 03-29-2004, 01:55 PM

Thanks guys!

Stout72 · 03-29-2004, 04:24 PM

My rear Dana 60 is now how breeh describes above. Before that, the drums and hubs were virtually one, held tight together by the lugs being pressed thru both. If you find that your drums are toast (like mine were), consider trashing the hub/drum assemblies, go to your friendly-local-neighborhood junk yard and pick yourself up another set of hubs. Have new bearings pressed in the hubs, then buy new drums (my local auto parts store had them in stock for $90 ea.) that have lug holes that are just a tad larger in diameter than the lugs themselves. They slide nicely over the lugs, and center on the hub with two large countersunk screws (be sure to get these screws at the junk yard when you get the hubs). This setup will make life way easier later down the line during the next brake job... No more having to pull the axles.

03-29-2004, 10:12 AM	#1
Beefcake Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Motor City Posts: 540	72 3/4 ton camper special rear brakes I tried to open up the rear drums to find out why I have no rear brakes... Man this thing is HUGE!-Got discouraged when I couldnt even take the drums off. I guess this is a dana 66 open knuckle??? The inside 8 bolts will allow the axle-spindle to come out. Also how the heck do I take this drum off??? thanks so much!! __________________ 72 GMC Camper Special 2500. currently has 350/350/14 bolt. 383 and 400 tranny is in the works. Last edited by Beefcake; 03-29-2004 at 11:29 AM.

03-29-2004, 01:05 PM	#2
Beefcake Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Motor City Posts: 540	anybody???? __________________ 72 GMC Camper Special 2500. currently has 350/350/14 bolt. 383 and 400 tranny is in the works.

03-29-2004, 01:12 PM	#3
CPNE Resident Curmudgeon Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: NH Posts: 6,662	You need to pull axle shafts first, as you found out. Once out, there is a nut inside that needs to come off. This nut requires a special tool you can get pretty cheaply. Once this nut is off, you can pull drum. There is more too it but this will get you looking in the right direction. I'm sure someone else can fill in all the details I've omitted. __________________ Currently on or near the homestead: 67 Chevy SWB 2WD stepside 350/3 on tree (Pat's) 67 GMC SWB 2WD Fleet 402/auto (Brian's under construction) 67 Chevy 3/4 ton 2WD 402/auto (Business Hauler) 67 Chevy 1 ton dually 2WD 396/4 speed (Former business hauler, Needs TLC) 68 Chevy 1/2 ton Suburban 2WD 250 six/3 on tree (Brian's Needs TLC) 70 Chevy 3/4 ton 4WD 350/4 speed (Pat's - Disguised as a 68 GMC) 71 Chevy SWB stepside (Crushed by tree - parts donor) 72 Chevy 3/4 ton 4WD (Parts donor) 72 Chevy 3/4 ton 4WD Suburban (Parts Donor) 72 GMC 3/4 ton 4WD 292 six/4 speed (Mine - Disguised as a 67 GMC) 81 GMC 4WD Dually Dump Body 350/4 speed (Business Hauler) 82 Camaro Z/28 355/Super T-10 (Pat's toy) 93 Caprice 9C1 (Brian's Cop Car) 02 Toyota Camry (Reliable but a souless steel and plastic hulk) 2011 2SS RS Camaro M6 Factory Hurst Shifter Maybe I need to sell some of this crap Yet another Bozo with a sawz-all

03-29-2004, 01:29 PM	#4
Beefcake Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Motor City Posts: 540	awesome! Thanks for the info. __________________ 72 GMC Camper Special 2500. currently has 350/350/14 bolt. 383 and 400 tranny is in the works.

03-29-2004, 01:46 PM	#6
breeh Recovering 67-72 Addict Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: North Bend, WA Posts: 1,788	Just to confuse things some more, not all Dana 60's require that you pull the axles. On some (like mine) there are 2 screws that hold the drum on and you don't touch the axles. Good luck! __________________ 68 Short Fleet 4x4; 427; BTO Level 3 700R4; NP205; Dana 60 front and rear; 4" lift with 35's; Disc brakes; AGR variable ratio steering; factory bucket seats; factory tach and tilt. "Friends call me cruzer cuz I like fast cars and fast women"

03-29-2004, 01:36 PM	#5
zyggy72 Can't kick the addiction! Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Riverton, CT 06065 Posts: 402	If the rear is a Dana 60, which it probably is, you have to unbolt the center 8 bolts and pull the axle out. You'll want to keep a large pan handy to catch some of the rear end fluid that will spill out. Now look into the hub where you pulled the axle from, you will see a very large nut. There should be a washer with some tabs bent toward you and away from you to lock the nut from backing out. Be careful and tap the tabs back and remove the first large nut. Remove the lock washer and then remove the second large nut. Once you have gotten to this point, you now should try to slide the whole hub & drum assembly off. Go slow!!! As you start to pull the assembly off, the outter bearing will drop out (that is normal!!, if you can, give the drum a tap with a hammer and pull the outter bearing out so it doesn't get contaminated with any dirt or junk). Now you can pull the hub & drum assembly off the rearend. Now you can inspect your rear brakes. For reassembly, reverse the order.

03-29-2004, 01:55 PM	#7
Beefcake Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Motor City Posts: 540	Thanks guys! __________________ 72 GMC Camper Special 2500. currently has 350/350/14 bolt. 383 and 400 tranny is in the works.

03-29-2004, 04:24 PM	#8
Stout72 Not my good side. Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Fairfield, California Posts: 222	My rear Dana 60 is now how breeh describes above. Before that, the drums and hubs were virtually one, held tight together by the lugs being pressed thru both. If you find that your drums are toast (like mine were), consider trashing the hub/drum assemblies, go to your friendly-local-neighborhood junk yard and pick yourself up another set of hubs. Have new bearings pressed in the hubs, then buy new drums (my local auto parts store had them in stock for $90 ea.) that have lug holes that are just a tad larger in diameter than the lugs themselves. They slide nicely over the lugs, and center on the hub with two large countersunk screws (be sure to get these screws at the junk yard when you get the hubs). This setup will make life way easier later down the line during the next brake job... No more having to pull the axles. __________________ 72 Chevy K20 Custom Camper, 350/350, 4" lift, dual shock suspension front & rear. Daily driver and a work in progress. 00 Suburban LT 90 Camaro RS 79 Yamaha XS1100 Special (Ol' Reliable)

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