The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Frozen drum on rear end

I just got a 69 camaro rear end for my pickmeup truck. One of the drums is frozen to the hub. I can try to pry it off, but the 3" or so hole on the drum is pressed on, and can not free it from the hub. I have tried WD 40, but no results. Any suggestions. (Just to note: the brake adjusting screw is completely backed off)

PB Blaster has worked great for me on all my stuck parts. I get it at NAPA, but probably available at other automotive places. you just have to keep soaking it and tapping it with a hammer. it'll come loose with some persistance. Good luck!

Take a torch and heat the drum up around the outer edge, just hot enough where you can't stand your hand on the drum. Working quickly and wearing gloves, pull the drum off. The idea is to heat (and expand) the drum center WITHOUT heating the end of the axle. That is why you don't use a lot of heat and you have to work fast.

If that doesn't work, remove the axle drum and all and press it off.

As I remember, part of the process is striking the drum on the flat surface just where it is backed up by the axle. This is done with the flat surface of the hammer and vibration breaks up the rust. This is also very noisy!

If its just stuck at the axle you can pour Coca-Cola on it. Coke will definitely free up a frozen part. I personally like Sli-Kroil. If you don't have something to heat it up with you will have to keep hitting it dead center with a hammer. I suspect the shoes are frozen to the drum as the brake adjuster is all the way in. I had a 40 chev car that did that and I started literally dragging it up the road and after about 3 good licks with the hammer, by friend walking beside car, it popped loose. If all else fails get a cutting torch

Clean as much rust as you can from the axle flange where the center of the drum fits on the hub of the axle.
Use a few large flat screwdrivers or smaller prybars and pry between the drum nad the backing-plate and leave them between the drum ant the backing-plate.Once you get some tension there, smack the center of the axle hub.
Leave the lug-nuts on the wheel studs so you do not damage them accidentally.

Here's a thread that might help:

http://www.hotrodders.com/cgibin/ubb/18/000744

I was given several suggestions....

Hope that helps.

Assuming you don't have any retainer clips around any of the lug nuts, here's an easy way to do it without pounding the c@*p out of the drum. Take your torch and heat the middle area of the hub (in between the wheel lugs) keep moving the torch around the hub in a circle (don't sit in one spot to long) and in a few minutes it will "pop". I just removed both rear drums from my '58's rear axle in this manner.

Also, back completely off on the break shoe adjustment and follow all the above advice. I once had a stuck rear break shoe and just loosening the adjustment popped it loose.