Removal of stuck rear 8 lug drums?

[shadetreebuz]

I'm working on a 1963 GP with the 8 lug wheel/hub option. The left rear one is stuck to the axle hub protrusion by aluminum oxide/corrosion. I can't find a puller large enough to useon it and am afraid of breaking the drum if I put too much pressure on it. I've tried Kroil in the gap around the 5 lugs that hold it to the axle and at the steel hub protrusion. I then loosened the nuts 1 turn and drove the car in a slalom fashion and applying the brakes HARD! No success. Any ideas what might dissolve the aluminum oxide between these parts? Some kind of acid? HELP!!! shadetreebuz

[starchief1959]

PB Blaster. Shoot some of that on there and let her sit a while. Shoot some more and let it sit again. The give her another go.

[poncho1961]

Can you try heating the drum with a torch, then pulling while hot. You may also try heating then quenching with your choice of penetrating oil

[poncho1961]

Or, are you sure the brake shoes are releasing enough and that you're not stuck in the wear groove? I'm not familiar with those breaks, do they still use the star adjusters like the more modern braking drums? Can you release the shoes from the backing plates and pull them with the drum?

[mrpontiac65]

If you can back the brake off(should be able to),PB Blaster, heat up the drum with a propane torch and spray more PB Blaster around flange. A friend of mine built a puller back in the '70's out of flat bar stock like 1 1/2 by 1/4 and made a big square'd c shape out of it and bent two ears to bolt to wheel bolts and it stuck out from the wheel about 2 feet long enough to get a sledge hammer inside it to swing out to the outside of the c shape that was squared off just for the sledge it hit inside of it. I don't have a picture but I saw it once years ago.That way you can get some outward motion to help brake it loose. I should have talked the guy out of it, he only used it a couple of times but kept it all these years.

[mrpontiac65]

Originally Posted by poncho1961

Or, are you sure the brake shoes are releasing enough and that you're not stuck in the wear groove? I'm not familiar with those breaks, do they still use the star adjusters like the more modern braking drums? Can you release the shoes from the backing plates and pull them with the drum?

There just stock full-size brakes like what would be any car, just the hub would be made out of Aluminum. You can switch them cast to Aluminum on the back.

[poncho1961]

Originally Posted by mrpontiac65

If you can back the brake off(should be able to),PB Blaster, heat up the drum with a propane torch and spray more PB Blaster around flange. A friend of mine built a puller back in the '70's out of flat bar stock like 1 1/2 by 1/4 and made a big square'd c shape out of it and bent two ears to bolt to wheel bolts and it stuck out from the wheel about 2 feet long enough to get a sledge hammer inside it to swing out to the outside of the c shape that was squared off just for the sledge it hit inside of it. I don't have a picture but I saw it once years ago.That way you can get some outward motion to help brake it loose. I should have talked the guy out of it, he only used it a couple of times but kept it all these years.

Hey, isn't that what I said. Well, minus the home fabbed puller. Great minds think a like Don.

[mrpontiac65]

Yea I read your responce and that's what I was going to say so it just came out.

[poncho1961]

Originally Posted by mrpontiac65

Yea I read your responce and that's what I was going to say so it just came out.

That habit could get you in trouble with the wife if you're not careful.

[mrpontiac65]

You could try a piece of chain,2x4,a helper and a sledge
bolt the chain to the lug studs,have a helper hold tension on the chain with a 2x4 about2-3 foot long standing one end on the ground or better yet in ground for leverage while you smack the inside of the 2x4 outwards. get the picture of what I'm talking about?

[mrpontiac65]

If you have to do it your self I've even just used a chain from the hub and a piece of pipe over the chain long enough for you hand and then back to the hub and whip it, watch your finger tips and the chain, it can give you a blood blister you'll be talking about for a while.

[shadetreebuz]

Thanks for all the ideas. I'll try them and post the results, if any. I'd really like to have an extra 8 lug wheel to make a puller out of. Anyone got one? Even a damaged one. I could then distribute the load over all 8 lugs instead of just a couple. Thanks again, shadetreebuz

[mrpontiac65]

I used a motocycle rear sprocket with 4 bolts welded to it to mount inside the wheel so I could put it on my homemade tire changer. I'll get a picture right now and be back.

[mrpontiac65]

Here's some pictures.

Instead of the bolts use washers welded to it and then use a straight bar style puller inside it and it should work.

[shadetreebuz]

Guy's, The PB Blaster worked after 3 or 4 days and 6 to 8 applications. I loosened the 5 lugnuts two turns and drove the asphalt in a hard slalom mode! Took it back to the shop and removed the stuck one no problem! Thanks to all of you who gave me advice. shadetreebuz

[mrpontiac65]

Glad you got it off OK!Have you got a Half Round File to file the center hole out a little so it dosen't stick again?

[shadetreebuz]

Before I put these drums, temporarily, onto a '59 I wire brushed the center hole and coated it with wheel bearing grease. Apparently the previous owner could not get them off either. The linings were wore to the steel shoes in places. One of the drums is grooved about 1/16". Before I install them on a future '61 Catalina project (I'm still looking for a 2 door bubble top or station wagon) I'll have all of them turned. Thanks again to all of you who submitted advice. shadetreebuz