Is the brake drum new? I've had brand new brake drums(made in China, of course) that had to have a considerable amount of machining done to them because they were incorrectly made at the factory.
Many times, new drums are egg shaped instead of round. Do you have a real brake shop nearby that can turn the drums to true them?
Are you using the old drums? If so, then it needs to be measured to see if it's still less than the maximum allowable wear.
Try putting the drum on the other side and see what happens. Are you sure its the correct drum? I don't know the specifics about the '56 truck so this might not matter. Some vehicles have different width shoes front and back which take different drums.
Don't listen to your friend. Beating a brake drum to install it is for idiots.
Last edited by Otto Skorzeny; 11/17/2025 7:46 PM.
