The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Frozen Front Brake, 1 Ton

On my 1948 Chevy 1-Ton with dual rear wheels. It's a work in progress truck that hasn't been moved in about a year.

While the rear hand brakes work, the hydraulics don't. I carefully drove it about 1/10th of a mile to a more convenient spot to work on it but I could feel that something was binding up. The right front brake got hot from the short drive. I parked it, let everything cool off over night but can't turn the wheel by hand even with a bar across the lugs.

I cracked open the wheel cylinder bleeder but there was no fluid there. The brake adjuster is frozen with rust and after about a month of soaking and tapping, I still can't get any movement from it. I tried it one more time and only managed to brake a tooth on the wheel cylinder adjuster.

So what do I try next? The front drum/hub is different on the 1-Ton than the smaller trucks and it doesn't look easy to use a puller on, even if that is the logical next step. The last thing I want to do is to break the drum!

I'm going to assume the front drum has the spool-type extension that spaces the front wheels out a little. I'd suggest bolting a heavy piece of angle iron across a couple of lug studs, and use a nut and a big piece of all-thread rod (maybe 3/4") to put pressure against the end of the spindle after removing the outer bearing. Tap on the perimeter of the brake drum as you push against the spindle. You should be able to remove the hub with a minimum of damage to anything that way.
Jerry

Hi Jerry, yes, the front drum has the extension. I'll scrounge up some angle iron and give it a try! Thanks for the suggestion. Jim