Well, I made the 'fatal' mistake of attempting to check my rear drums for mud. Now you must understand, in the 5 years I have owned the truck, I have NEVER EVER been able to get the rear drums off. No matter how long I pounded.

Well I was determined.

I got the driverside drum, half way off, and from the looks of it, it appears the parking brake never 'released' (Might explain why I get 13 MPG)

Anyways, I spoke with D, he is coming over tomarrow evening to give me a hand. The pads on the driverside I know are phucked, since I drove a screw driver between the drum, and the back plate and then wacked it with a hammer a few times trying to get the pad to back off...

I have about 1/2 inch of thread on the studs, but can pound the drum itself back on....

SO heres my question, can I, safely, put the drum back, put the wheel on and then drive the truck the 20ft, into the garage so i/we dont have to work in the rain?

 

Are you trying to take them off with the parking brake on?

 

also turn the adjuster back to releave some tension..

 

that little gear inside that slotted hole, doesnt appear to do anything.

 

its prob rust froze then...

 

Do you have any wheel dolleys?

 

you'll be alright pulling it into the garage, just take it easy

 

Go slow, or just push it

 

i think it would be fine if you go slow, the front disk brakes will stop ya just fine!

 

take a hammer and beat thats what i did today and it worked lol

 

Make sure you are turning it the correct way, it will look like you are spinning it the wrong way but its correct. It has the teeth like a saw blade right? ok now that saw blade has to spin BACKWARDS to pull the pads in. Does that make sense? I found that out the hard way.

I also used about a gallon of WD-40. If you do use WD-40 make sure you use brake cleaner and get everything thoroughly cleaned before reassembly or your brakes wont work.

 

Spinning the adjuster is key.

If not with one tire on the ground and a truck in reverse, and hammer tapping as the drum spins.

Not exactly safe but works when the shoe lining shears off and gets wedge against the other shoe.

 

If the drum is half off, it should come off. Just straight pulling and prying is less effective than rotating - I usually take a long pry bar for leverage, lay across the wheel studs (being careful to not damage threads) and rotate drum CCW until drum unscrews off of the shoes. Sometimes it destroys the shoes and hardware, but I just replace all the bad parts.

 

Yes put the drum on and move it it will be fine.


YOU NEED TO MOVE THE ADJUSTER TO GET THEM OFF. It might take 20 min but it will save you tons of time in the long run and money

 

Just buy a new brake hardware kit there like 20bucks a side or cheaper. Itll have springs brackets and adjuster everything you need beside the shoes and drum! DO IT its worth it!

 

Just swap in an exploder axle and you will never have to deal with drum breaks again

 

X2

 

I highly doubt he will swap in an expo axle.

 

i know i have said this many times but i will say it again. the exploder axle is the best mod i have ever done to my truck.