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I have a 1951 6400 Chev, I am in the process of rebuilding and have now gotten to the brakes. I would like some ideas for rear drum removal, I have tried numerous ideas and have had no success. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank-you in advance, Dan :confused:

First, you must remove the tires and wheels to decrease the overall weight. Then remove the bolts in the center of the hub that retains the axle. Remove the axle and find the tab that is locked into the outer lock nut. release the tab and remove the outer nut and the the lock ring. Remove the main wheel bearing nut and the drum is now free. It may still not come off until you back off the brake shoes. You may still need to pry, heat, hammer, break stuff to get it apart.
Good luck and let us know how it goes,
Scott

Scott,

He might not have to remove the axle. Maybe all you have to do is to remove the three slotted screws that hold the drum onto the lugnut flang (or whatever you call it). I remember the first time I tried to remove the hubs -- I took all the lug nuts off and then tried to remove the drum. I whacked it a few times and no dice. I then noticed a screw head poking through the caked on grease between two of the lug nuts ... I removed it... no joy ... a few more whacks .. no joy .. I then scraped away the rest of the caked on dirt and grease and found the other two. Removed them and the hub fell off on my foot. Ouch.

Just a thought...

Regards,
John

Well that would of been a nice set-up to have. Neither of the 48's I have did it that way. I think you mean you had a drum that slips on over your rear hub, correct? Either mine is rusted solid or it wasn't designed that way. I've seriously abused the rears on one and it was solid I'm sure.
Good luck, either way,
Scott

An integral hub & drum?? They did that?? Seems like it would make a brake job incredibly over complicated.

Yikes.

All I know is that I have both the original rear axle from my '49 4400 and a 2-speed rear from a '51 6000-series truck. The drums are seperate on both so I figured they were all that way.

Thanks for noodling through this.

John

I just removed the rear drums on my 53 6400. Found out that half of the differential gear oil at some point found its way into the drums.

According to the 48-52 shop manual, rear drums on the 48-50 1.5 & 2-ton models are mounted inboard and held to the hub by the hub bolts (wheel studs). The entire hub must be removed and the wheel studs pressed out to remove the drum. For 51-52 (and 53) 1.5 & 2-ton models, the drums are mounted outboard, and are held on with three slotted screws, as John discovered. On mine, the screws were already loose on one side. The drums came right off.

For 51-52, the manual also mentions a paper gasket to seal between the hub and drum. I wonder what the purpose of this was? What has to be sealed there?

Thank-you for all the information, Dan

I removed the whole hub and drum assembly when I did my 38 1.5 ton. When I looked at the manuel for the 54 1.5 I was surprised at the outboard drums . Will be starting on them when the Pole barn is done and I can take things apart without worrying about leaving them exposed for a week while away at work. Glad you mentioned the 3 set screwws as I didn't notice that being mentioned in the manuel. John if they put that ferry service in from your side of the bay to Crisfield you'll have easy access to the back roads over here for cruiseing your stovebolt.

Some may have screws under all the dirt, BUT, getting them out is another thing. I've had to take a chisel and catch an edge on them to get out. Easiest just to pull hub and drum one piece, then they can turn on machine if needed. They don't have tapers big enough for just the drum where I go, they need the hub for centering. A brake shop I get parts from, quite commercial has truck outfits leave the wheel and all on the drum/hub and they mount whole thing in machine to turn. Don't know the advanatage to that, but bet they have plenty jacks and roller rigs to do it!

If you turn a drum (or rotor) on the hub, it ensures that the surfaces are parallel to the motion of the wheel - I'm not sure if it does much on drums, but it reduces vibration on discs.

i just took a brake hub off the back of my '50 2 ton last night. took both wheels off so all i had was a drum with the lug nut studs sticking out at me. drum would turn and wiggle in and out 1/4 inch but not come off. on the back of the hub, the side toward the diff. there were two slots, maybe 1/4 inch by 1 inch, one at 8:00 and one at 2:00, that had little press in clips in them. they were hard to find with all the crud. popped out the clips with a screw driver and with a flashlight i could see the brake ajusting wheels inside, they looked like small gears. turned them loose with the screw driver and the drum came right off. i can try and get pics tonight if you want to see them.

oh yea, there were the three sloted screws holding it on from the outside. all three of mine were broke and fell out. can's see that they would really hold anything after the wheel is mounted anyway.