When the brake adjusters are frozen, some people here have disconnected the brake line to the wheel cylinder and unbolt the WC from the backing plate. This lets the brake shoes move away from the drum.
What I did on my 1945 1/2 ton rolling chassis to get the drums off was to spray brake clean into the drum from the brake adjusting openings on the backing plate.
Used it as a lubricant. I then gently used screw drivers for a little leverage.
The drum would move a hair I would spray more B clean in the adjuster openings and along the area where the drum meets the backing plate.
Move it a hair, spray, move a hair spray. As the ends of the brake shoes were exposed where there was no brake lining I would hit them to try and force the pistons in the wheel cylinders to retract. Spray some more, pry gentle, repeat until done.
As soon as the edge of the brake linings facing the backing plate were exposed I then sprayed B clean on to the linings to better lubricate them so the drum would slide off of the shoes.
Turns out the pistons in my wheel cylinders were frozen so they never move back into the WC bore.
But I took my time and use care so the drums were not harmed. Jeffrey
