I am trying to remove the left rear brake drum on my 1995 Sunfire. I am leaking brake fluid and I want to find out where the leak is coming from. I had the car off the ground, and with the parking brake OFF, I took the rear tire off and tried to remove the drum. the drum would not even budge. I used a deadblow hammer to try and "persuade it" but nothing happened. Am I missing something on how to take the drum off? Please help.
"All men are created equal, only a select few become firefighters"
I always just took a hammer and hit the drum on the front edge all the way around it until it does come off.If i hadn't had the drum off for a while, id have to really come on to it with the hammer. Could check the e brake cable at the rear axel and try pulling the cable towards the wheel. But another way i found useful for some reason, was to drive the car in reverse and slam on the brakes, it should shift the brake pads and maybe enough to pull the drum off. Hope that helps in any way.
I use Pb blaster.
Take off the wheel and spray into the cracks between the wheel studs and the drum.
Spin and tap with hammer.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
I was always weary of wailing on the hub, I didn't wanna mess up the bearings by hitting it too hard. It doesn't take much with the penetrant, just more time consuming this way.
My guess is a blown wheel cylinder, which is a cheap and relatively easy fix.
Good luck!
"A car just isn't a car without a little blood, sweat, and beers." -- Shadowfire
are you saying the drum wont spin, or wont pull off?
if you have a MAPP gas torch or even acyteline, pour some heat to it on the face of the drum between the studs. this causes the metal of the drum to expand and break the rust free. The bi metal differneces between the drum and hub weld each other together. But do not spray with lube, then put heat to it, you can cause a fire inside of the drum then you have real problems.
just keep beating on that drum it until it comes off be you might hafta beat on it for 5 min getting mad helps
Are you familiar with the starwheel adjusters?
Pop the little dust covers off the back, and lower the adjuster like kris said, then beat it off. you can beat the hell outta the drum and nothing will happen to the hub. Hell i have beat.off rotors and drums to the point they break off and no damage to the hub. So go at it and release the stress u have built up, trust me it works
When you get it off and put the new stuff together go buy some never-sieze. on the hub you will be able to see where it welds together around the studs. coat the hub face around the studs before you put the new drum on and it will help that from not happening again.
Kris Brickman wrote:Are you familiar with the starwheel adjusters?
Mike Z A.K.A SNEEZY wrote:Pop the little dust covers off the back, and lower the adjuster like kris said, then beat it off. you can beat the hell outta the drum and nothing will happen to the hub. Hell i have beat.off rotors and drums to the point they break off and no damage to the hub. So go at it and release the stress u have built up, trust me it works
finally someone says it. People that do not know how brakes work should not attempt to work on them.
1999 - Cavalier - 5speed - Exhaust - 17" rims - carbon fiber hood - the beater
Nate (THE NASTY ONE) wrote:B-F-H
this. also hit on one side of drum and pull on opposite side and work your way around the drum best technique i have used
Yeah just dont hit the studs, thats a big Uh-Oh. Lol Hit the face between the studs and hit it hard, and it should pop right off. Or break off in chunks, whichever it goes, it will come off lol.
