Removing rear brake drum on Dodge Ram

[Donald]

It seems I blew a wheel cylinder and need to replace it. I am unsure how to remove the brake drum. Seems stuck on. It rotates a little with truck in Park. It does not seem hung up on the parking brake which I never use. There is only a slight edge that sticks beyond the backing plate. The tire/rim were also stuck on but now off.

 

[meep]

Donald,

I hate removing stuck drums. chances are, it is rusted to the hub. Some people try to bang them off. There is probably a drum puller tool or two out there. some drums have 2 or more threaded holes which you can thread a bolt into and tighten; as the bolts go through they push the drum off the stuck flange.
I once got them free by getting all the wheels of the ground, with lug nuts loose, applying gas & brake at the same time in D & R. It eventually broke the rust between the drum and the flange. There's a risk of bending studs, however, if not careful/lucky.

m

 

[A_Harman]

Every few years I get worried about the rear drum brakes on my Ram, and want to inspect them. I never have been able to get them off with the tools I have at home. I take it to my local shop, where they have a special tool they call a BFH that does the trick. Don't know what BFH stands for, but it must be something really sophisticated.

 

[UNC017]

Rear drums can hang up on the brake shoes because a small wear ridge forms inside the lip of the shoe. The automatic adjuster keeps the shoes very close to the drum so that the drum lining hangs on the lip. The trick is to pop out the rubber plug at the bottom of the backing plate and use a brake adjuster tool (and a thin punch or screwdriver) to back off the automatic adjuster and pull the shoes away from the drum so they clear the wear lip.

Use the punch or screwdriver to push inward and disgngage the adjuster pawl from the starwheel, and then use the brake adjuster tool (or a WIDE flat screwdriver will also work) to incrementally turn the starwheel backward until the drum comes off.

PS- I'm glad I know how to do this particular wretchedly tedious job, but I'm even more glad that most of my cars now have rear disks. Not because they stop better, just because they're SO much easier to service!

 

[danthaman1980]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
Every few years I get worried about the rear drum brakes on my Ram, and want to inspect them. I never have been able to get them off with the tools I have at home. I take it to my local shop, where they have a special tool they call a BFH that does the trick. Don't know what BFH stands for, but it must be something really sophisticated.


You need a BFH. They aren't too expensive, I think you can swing it.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
Every few years I get worried about the rear drum brakes on my Ram, and want to inspect them. I never have been able to get them off with the tools I have at home. I take it to my local shop, where they have a special tool they call a BFH that does the trick. Don't know what BFH stands for, but it must be something really sophisticated.

BFG is a big f.... hammer.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Rear drums can hang up on the brake shoes because a small wear ridge forms inside the lip of the shoe. The automatic adjuster keeps the shoes very close to the drum so that the drum lining hangs on the lip. The trick is to pop out the rubber plug at the bottom of the backing plate and use a brake adjuster tool (and a thin punch or screwdriver) to back off the automatic adjuster and pull the shoes away from the drum so they clear the wear lip.

Use the punch or screwdriver to push inward and disgngage the adjuster pawl from the starwheel, and then use the brake adjuster tool (or a WIDE flat screwdriver will also work) to incrementally turn the starwheel backward until the drum comes off.

PS- I'm glad I know how to do this particular wretchedly tedious job, but I'm even more glad that most of my cars now have rear disks. Not because they stop better, just because they're SO much easier to service!


I know about the parking brake shoe hangup but typically you can feel the drum move in and out as the shoes move against the springs. Mine does not budge in or out.

 

[UNC017]

Originally Posted By: Donald
I know about the parking brake shoe hangup but typically you can feel the drum move in and out as the shoes move against the springs. Mine does not budge in or out.

In that case its probably stuck to the hub, and the BFH recommended earlier is the tool of choice (best if its a dead-blow BFH).

 

[Donald]

But where do you whack the drum? You really cannot whack it from the back towards the outside because of the backing plate.

 

[Nick1994]

Get one of those cheap harbor freight propane torches that screw onto a small green propane bottle and heat it up around the hub real good and beat the [censored] out of it with a BFH.

 

[wkcars]

I bought and used one of these on stuck drums https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004CGOGF...&ref=plSrch

 

[Rolla07]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Get one of those cheap harbor freight propane torches that screw onto a small green propane bottle and heat it up around the hub real good and beat the [censored] out of it with a BFH.


+1

If you have a stuck caliper pin it also works great on that.

 

[Donald]

This truck is for sale so I am looking to get it fixed cheaply and not buy any tools specific to old drum brakes.

 

[UNC017]

Originally Posted By: Donald
But where do you whack the drum? You really cannot whack it from the back towards the outside because of the backing plate.


Whack the outside rim of the drum toward the center of the hub, and work your way around the whole circumference. That should move it laterally enough to break it loose from the hub flange. Again: a dead-blow hammer (BFDBH?) is better (and safer) than metal.

 

[Kruse]

For something like this, where the lip of the drum is NOT stuck to the brake pads but the the axle flange itself, you need an acetylene torch with a large tip on it. It's what I call a "rose bud" tip. This is NOT a cutting torch tip, but a tip that puts out a large, hot flame. What you need to do it to torch the area of the drum with this tip between the lug nut studs completely around the drum. Move the torch around the area quickly because you want to get the drum very warm, but the axle flange cool. A gentle tapping of the hammer might help, but quite often the drum just does a little "pop" and it's loose from the axle. When assembling, add just a small amount of high temp grease between the drum and the axle. I repeat a small amount. You don't want any of it to ever touch the brake pads.

 

[andyd]

Never had a Dodge, But drum brakes are all similar. Jack up one side and remove the wheel. I would go with a 2 lb ball peen hammer. Get gloves. The drum is rusted to the axle flange. There may be a ridge worn in the drum. Just back off the adjustments for the shoes. In Neutral, you want the drum to rotate. That has been covered. Tap the drum in a circle about an inch outside the center hole. Tap all around repeatedly until there is movement outward. Sometimes I misuse a screwdriver and pry. after you get it off, clean the axle flange and the mating surface on the drum and lightly grease them. like Kruse said. Before doing anything, you should take lotsa pictures. I have worked on drum brakes a zillion times. If I get stumped, I jack up the other side and take that drum too

 

[Rand]

Just be careful, the shop that did the brakes on my Dad's ranger with the 8.8 axle trashed a bearing with their BFH and didn't owe up to it.

Almost always have to pound off with a hammer or use a puller.

Disc brakes can be so much nicer.. Mine have that awsome 8mm tapped hole.. a couple small bolts.. 30s and its off.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: Donald
This truck is for sale so I am looking to get it fixed cheaply and not buy any tools specific to old drum brakes.
Those torches are like $5-$7 I think, and you could probably use it on other stuff.

 

[Vikas]

HFT torch? Won't it burn down your house??

Buy a Snap On torch instead.


(well, somebody has to say it)

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: Donald
This truck is for sale so I am looking to get it fixed cheaply and not buy any tools specific to old drum brakes.
Those torches are like $5-$7 I think, and you could probably use it on other stuff.


I have propane, mapp and oxy/acetylene. But not that much experience using heat to get things apart.