The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk What front hub is this

Tearing down my 52 half ton front hubs to check the bearings,brakes,kinpins...and the center section separated from the brake drum. It was attached by a 7/16 bolt thru one of the holes where I think a rivet used to be. The brake drum looks more like a rear drum than a front drum. Any ideas? Is this a part from a different vehicle?

http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h416/ssgummersall07/IMG_20110520_102256.jpg

Looks right to me. The hub will separate easily from the drum if the studs are worn at the shoulder or installed studs with the wrong sized shoulder. Just had to replace the studs recently on my '50 3100. I don't recall any rivets. I'm guessing they probably separated before and the PO used a bolt to keep that from happening.

Ok, just wnat to make sure I'm not running separate hubs on each side. The rivets hold the hub center section to the brake drum. There are three of them and they come through the small holes in between the wheel stud holes on the drum. I think I'll knock out the other two and put stove bolts in all three holes.

all/most of the front drums were originally riveted to the hubs - it is not necessary and using bolts instead is not necessary - maybe not adviseable either

Bill

Aftermarket/later wheels will be an issue if bolts are installed, or the rivets are left in. Those wheels tend not to have the clearance for them, and will not seat properly to the hub.

Thanks for the advice. I'm using stock wheels but I'll go without the bolts and rely on the lug nuts to hold it all together...just like the rear wheels

The nice thing about separate drums, you don't have to pull the bearings to check or replace the shoes. Huck brakes are like that, as are many others (rear drums on the wife's 89 Z24, for example). My huck brakes have 2 flat-head machine screws counter-sunk in the drum to hold it to the hub when the wheel is off. The wheel and lug nuts hold it together when running.