Rear drums seazed -- Help

[Jeremy Clarke]

This may be an easy problem for some of you, but it is something I just haven't dealt with much before.

The old Topaz has been parked facing downhill on dirt for a few months and the p-brake has locked on. It can't go forward and I think the tranny is weak so I don't want to try to force it backwards up the hill with the tires dragging.

Now the only thing I can think of is taking off the wheels and hitting the drums with a big-ass hammer until they release.
Or maybe there is some lever I can pry on or something. I don't remeber.

Is there a better way though? Some trick?

[Martin Raska]

Some penetrating fluid maybe, and beat the hell out of them is the standard method I believe.

[Trevor Robinson]

If you have a large enough puller use that.  Along with the standard method of sledge and prybar, and a bit of heat.

If you can get a extra set of hands have someone put a prybar between the lugs and try to rotate while you "tap" the drum with the sledge.  Walk you way around the drum with the hammer .

[Rob Armstrong]

same problem in my cherokee wouldnt go forward but went back like nothing was wrong beat the living shit out of them with a rock in the parkinglot and they worked fine.

[Mike Schmid]

Hit the topaz with a big truck.

The best tool in the ol' toolbox for problems like this on a car like that is the trusty BFH.  A long string of language that would make a sailor blush is also recomended.  

All I know is last time I worked on a Topaz I used tools including BFPipe and BFTractor with front end loader.

[DarrylDhaliwal]

another simple way is look on the back and u will see a rubber plug Remove it and u sould be able to put in a flat head screw driver in it and losen up the shoes (it will only go one way if the brakes were assembled properly).

[Ryan Lore]

Darryl is only partly right... :roll:

He's right about the plug and loosening the shoes.

If assembled properly the little "cog" will only turn one way.

You need to use a flatblade to turn the cog the opposite way than it naturally ratchets.

You do this by using a second pointy device to push back on the ratchet tooth to allow the cog to spin backwards, therefore loosening the preload on the shoes.

Typically the shoes wear into the drum causing a lip to form on the inner most edge which catches everytime you pry on it preventing the drum from coming off

[Jeremy Clarke]

Ah yes, the adjuster cog. I remeber that.

Thanks everybody. I will use all this and hopfully it will go well.

:?  I don't know where I will find a tractor though

[John Hartman]

if the shoes are siezed to the drum, its not going to adjust.

Jack it up, put it on stands, make sure they are good and firm.  Shake the car and almost try to knock it off the stands.  If it stays up, proceed.

Take off the wheels.

BFH like Mike and Trevor said, with some penetrating oil on the studs where they come out of the drums.

Once you get the drums to move with a large bar between the studs to turn them, keep spinning them for a bit.

now you should be able to adjust them loose.  And then take off the drums.

If the wheel cylinders are not leaking, and the pads are still good (at least 3/32) just give the inner part of the drum a good sanding with some 60grit and a light scuff on the shoes too.  Next, get a can of brake cleans and a toothbrush.  Use the whole can on both sides.  Scrub with the brush to get the nasty bits out.  If you have a pressure washer, use that, it makes it alot faster and really cleans it up.

Next use some brake lube on the sliding parts of the assembly, say where the side of the shoes touch the backing plate etc.  DON"T get any on the friction surfaces.  Put it all back togeather and adjust the shoes so that the drum just touches the shoes when spun by hand.  You can hear and feel it.

Toss the wheels back on and go have a good drive.

Oh, ps, penetrating oil in the ebrake cable is a good idea too so it doesn't sieze too.

[Adam Hume]

you are going to have to take off the cotter pin, cover and nut/washer to get the drum off. the drum should pull off, if it is rusted, hit the drum with a flat faced hammer to break the rust, if you can't get it off, try adjusting it. If still no luck, your last resort wil be to cut the brake shoe hold down pins with side cutters from the back, this will allow the shoes to collapse. You will have to buy a new hardware kit but it only like 6 dollars from lordco. Clean drum with water/brake clean to get rid of any dust. Take out star wheel adjuster clean threads and lube with anti sieze (dunt get the adjusters from both sides of vehicle mixed ones right hand thread and the others left hand). Lube the backing plate contact pads with anti-seize and re-assemble. O and when you have the brakes apart you can do a simple spring test by droping the retracting springs if they thud they are good if they ring they have been overheated or streched and need to be replaced (you get new ones in a brake hardware kit). When replacing the spindle nut, rotate the drum and tighten to preload it, back the nut off and tighten to the wieght of the wrench. and re-install cotter pin and dust cap.
***the studs are part of the drum and there is no point of spraying penetrating fluid on them***

[Mike Schmid]

I don't know where I will find a tractor though

I was taking the motor out.  Actually it was more like taking the car off the motor.  I undid all the front subframe bolts and let the whole engine/tranny assembly drop onto the driveway then I used the tractor to pull the body off of it.  Redneck mechanics at their best