I talked to a pro mechanic and he gave the same advice as DaveMcK38 said, but good idea to get the penatrating oil into the 8 lug bases and every hole over the next few days. And then do the rotate and tap. Interestingly he said that if you put a puller on the drum- you make the circle into an slight oval actually and you risk it pinching on the tight axle and being counterproductive, and you can mis-shape it.
But thanks everyone, didnt know that it would be hard to replace, so fingers crossed. And Jerry, thanks for the heads up to be careful and do quality work with these heavy beasts with relatively primitive brake systems
-Clem
