stuck 2000 ford taurus drum.. vs special tool?

[columnshift]

Trying to get the rear drum off the 2000 Taurus i'm working on for an inspection and it's stuck.

I saw this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzVFIaKzRTQ

But I dont know where to get this tool (the Orielly's guy pulled a blank). Or if it's even essential for getting to the little starwheel adjusters. Can I back the brake shoes off without the little tool?

 

[gabriel9766]

We usually just smack the face of the drum with a big hammer and it usually come off.

 

[JC1]

If you read the comments under the video you'll see the poster was selling that tool, but he appears to be sold out.

I'm not sure if you need that wrench, just use a flat screwdriver on The star wheel.

 

[chad8]

Spray the center lip with blaster and hit half way to the the edge in several places with a BFH

 

[tomcat27]

as Clint Eastwood used to say: "aint nothing like a good hickory stick"

 

[Wolf359]

Or just cut the drum with an air chisel. A shop would have one.

 

[Doublehaul]

Hammer is the secret of the pros

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Is a rear disc swap possible?

 

[Robenstein]

If a hammer doesn't work....use an air chisel with a hammer attachment...if that doesn't work, use the chisel attachment.

I only once had to go to extreme measures to get a drum off...and that was a on an old car we were restoring anyways, and I used a torch.

 

[The_Eric]

No hammer is going to adjust the brakes down so the drum will slide over the shoes, but they are great for breaking them loose from the hub though.

 

[ecotourist]

I once had trouble getting the brake shoes off an old car. Problem was that there was a raised lip on the outside edge of the drum due to wear, and the drum was trapped on the shoes.

An old mechanic told me what to do. There was an inspection port on the inside of the drum covered by a rubber plug. I needed to reach inside and (with a screwdriver holding a lever back) rotate a star wheel to loosen the shoes. It then came off like nobody's business. Things may be different now but I wouldn't bet on it.

 

[andyd]

That, what ecotourist said , No , I'd stay with drums swapping in rear discs isn't necessary

 

[SteveSRT8]

Whenever a drum needs removal you have to back off the adjuster a bit. Sometimes they are grooved so deep it would never come off if you didn't.

Forget the BFH until you try the adjuster...

 

[columnshift]

Originally Posted By: The_Eric
No hammer is going to adjust the brakes down so the drum will slide over the shoes, but they are great for breaking them loose from the hub though.



Also i'm just trying to inspect, not replace, so destructive methods risking deforming or bashing it to pieces aren't good.

Moderate hammering didn't get it past the lip, I just need to know how to adjust on a 2000 to 2007 ford taurus if anything is different...

 

[vssjim]

You have to turn back the adjuster wheel or it will never come off standard problem on ford stuff brazilian made varga brakes, drums get Hugh lips of rust on them that must be cut away before adjusting and reinstalling so they can be removed in the future. reach in through slot on back of backing plate under wheel cylinder pushing arm away from
star wheel and turning star wheel as much as it takes to remove drum and remove lip on drum lathe or how ever you can as shoes don't touch there anyway.

 

[columnshift]

Oh I know but I can't quite figure out how to do that.

I have the car up right now, the stupid support for the shock absorber goes vertically up so that there is NO SPACE to even get any real look with your head. Ive tried blindly probing around with a screwdriver in there, I don't feel anything that can move. I shine lights in from the side but can't make out anything through that uselessly tiny porthole even with small hand mirrors. :-/ Also brake lines are directly in the way too.

I've banged it with a 2.5lb sledge repeatedly (but not to the point of damage) but that doesn't seem to make any difference. The drum rotates anyways (except for 90 degrees where it hangs up fairly strong/very hard to turn by hand on the brake drum/needs a lever usually through the lug nuts) but doesn't budge one bit in or out. I don't see any point I can leverage against to pull the drum off either if concerned about damage.

The biggest problem is I can't see and I cant feel anything inside the porthole - if there's a video or something of the exact angle and motion to use it would help. Or if I need to use two screwdrivers (is something else preventing the wheel from turning?) and in what exact form.

 

[mk378]

It sounds like it's still stuck to the hub.

If it were a case of needing to loosen the adjuster because the shoes are binding, the drum would be noticeably loose and rock back and forth a little while the hub and wheel studs stay still. But when you try to pull it off of the car it would move slightly then get stuck on the shoes and NOT be able to rotate.

 

[punisher]

Guys it ain't too tough. Two screwdrivers, one smaller. Small screwdriver in the slot first to press back the "lever" that contacts the adjustment wheel. Another screwdriver to rotate the wheel. You can get a generic brake tool, kind of like this: https://www.amazon.com/KD-Tools-KDT287-A...keywords=KDT287 that will work to. Takes a bit of feel, almost like lock picking, to do it easy.

 

[columnshift]

Nevermind, I finally got the drum off with extra banging and penetrating oil, hopefully without damage.

Does this look okay? I dont see signs of leaks, i'm not sure how thick the shoes are supposed to be but hoping they have life left for awhile as I don't have money for brakes AND tires right now. >_
Was just planning on sanding off the outer 'rim' of rust (the one the shoe makes that makes it so hard for the rotors to come off in the first place) and should be able to back off the star wheel from the front now instead of messing around in the back impossible porthole.

 

[columnshift]

Originally Posted By: punisher
Guys it ain't too tough. Two screwdrivers, one smaller. Small screwdriver in the slot first to press back the "lever" that contacts the adjustment wheel. Another screwdriver to rotate the wheel. You can get a generic brake tool, kind of like this: https://www.amazon.com/KD-Tools-KDT287-A...keywords=KDT287 that will work to. Takes a bit of feel, almost like lock picking, to do it easy.


Only not too tough when you know what to feel for!

I still dont, I tried fiddling around with the brake drum off and I still couldn't figure out (by feel with my eyes closed) how to get the lever up while moving the starwheel.

Didn't matter though, it's off, and I can adjust from the front now.