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Thread: Stuck on Brake Drum Removal

  1. #1
    Lionelgee is offline YarnMaster Silver Subscriber
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    Stuck on Brake Drum Removal

    Hello All,

    I went to retrieve a full set of brake wheel cylinders off one of my spares parts vehicles on the weekend. I want to send a set of brake wheel cylinders off to get stainless steel sleeved. This set will then be used on Rebus as a bolt the old ones off and bolt the new sleeved units on operation.

    However, the spares vehicle had different ideas in mind. After the wheel nuts were loosened off and the vehicle raised it still took considerable effort just to turn the tyre. Once the tyre was removed it took more effort with a breaker bar to turn the hub. The previous owner had removed the front drive shaft so differential had no mechanical load on it.

    I loosened off the brake snails. This had little or no effect in getting the hub to rotate any easier.

    I also used penetrating fluid liberally around each wheel stud and the centre.

    I removed the two out of what should have been three countersunk brake drum screws. The impact screwdriver failed to get them off, so I had to resort drilling a hole and then using a 13 mm cold chisel and a ball pein hammer to remove each of the screws.

    I used an old trick that used to work on EH Holdens. Put pressure on two long screw drivers with your feet to prise the drum off the backing plate while tapping the hub with a dead-blow hammer between the studs. Of course one hand is held out to stop the brake drum coming off and giving one a squeaky voice. Success in using this EH-based procedure did not transfer across to a Series III Land Rover.

    I wound up using a three legged hub puller on the brake drum before anything actually moved.

    The end result on the passenger side front was the outside face of the cast-alloy slot that the brake shoe end rides in broke off the top brake wheel cylinder.

    The driver's side brake drum came off with the puller only when the force separated the linings from the shoes.

    Upon inspection each wheel's brake drum was deeply corrugated and so too was each brake shoe. Loosening the snails did not make the stuck brake shoes part company with the brake drum.

    What techniques have other people used with success to get the 109 six cylinder engine brake drums off?

    Would it be more productive if I took the bolts off that secure the brake wheel cylinders before using the hub puller?

    Plan C: With the reports of poor quality castings in new brake wheel cylinders and the current difficulty I am having with getting these cylinder of my parts vehicles I am thinking of taking a Plan C. That is buying a new set of brake wheel cylinders and sending them to get stainless steel sleeved from new.

    Brake Shoe Springs: I read the Green bible before attempting the removal of brake drums and shoes. Maybe the procedure they describe works on well maintained vehicles? Not ones that have been sitting for a decade or two in a paddock fully open to the weather. Anyway, does anyone know some tricks about how to get the damn brake shoe springs off? Your insights would be much appreciated. I made up a hook on the end of a length of heavy gauge fencing wire which I then secured with a set of Vice-Grips. It took the top spring off easily. However the hooked wire could not remove the lower spring. The first top spring must have been an anomaly because the top of the spring extended well beyond the securing post. The driver's side spring fitted flush with the securing post and it took a set of long off-set needle nosed pliers to get the spring off.

    To get the lower shoes off I had to pull and twist the shoe closest to the bumper-bar until the spring released itself. I could not get the pliers or the wire anywhere near the securing post end of the lower spring.

    To get the hex-head brake pipe fitting and bleed screw off the brake wheel cylinder I had spray copious amounts of penetrating fluid and hold the hex-head in the vice while I turned the whole wheel cylinder. The hex-heads were corroded away so much that the special brake spanners were ineffective.

    All in all the weekend left me wondering about the rewards of Land Rover restoration. I am not sure that continued frustration is normally linked to a pursuit of a hobby. I had the mistaken belief that hobbies are meant to be a rewarding and relaxing experience.

    Kind Regards
    Lionel

  2. #2
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    Lionel,
    You can get good quality wheel cylinders from the UK.
    For example Wheel cylinder SWB rear RH to 80/81 - Delphi Lockheed - Paddock Spares
    I've had a good run with the cheaper cylinders and also re-conditioned/re-sealed a lot of old ones. As they are readily available I've not gone down the route of re-sleeving.
    Father-in-Law used to work in the brake industry, some years back it was $60 to get a wheel cylinder sleeved regardless of how complicated the cylinder was, not sure how much it is nowadays.

    As for removing drums.....I've been lucky with most but I did recently end up undoing the nuts that hold the hub in place and removed the hub at the same time. The brake linings came off the shoes as I levered the drum off !
    There is a tapped hole in the drums (either 5/16" or 3/8" Whitworth) that you can screw a bolt into to separate it from the hub. I find by inserting a bolt & tightening then tapping round the drum with a hide mallet, then re-tightening the bolt etc. it eventually comes off.

    As for removing/fitting springs I have used pieces of wire, pointy pliers, special brake spring pliers. I guess if I was doing it regularly I'd get good at it but every time I do it a bit differently and manage to get it reassembled/disassembled.
    BRAKE SPRING PLIER-REMOVES AND INSTALLS BRAKE SPRINGS | eBay

    Made this when working on Wallit

    DSCN2031 by Colin Radley, on Flickr

    Just a strip of steel that hooked over the shoe so you attached the springs then used brute force on a bar in the other end of the strip to get the shoe into place.


    Colin
    '56 Series 1 with homemade welder
    '65 Series IIa Dormobile
    '70 SIIa GS
    '76 SIII 88" (Isuzu C240)
    '81 SIII FFR
    '95 Defender Tanami
    '58 Series II (sold)
    Motorcycles :-
    Vincent Rapide, Panther M100, Norton BIG4, Electra & Navigator, Matchless G80C

  3. #3
    Lionelgee is offline YarnMaster Silver Subscriber
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    Quote Originally Posted by gromit View Post
    Lionel,
    You can get good quality wheel cylinders from the UK.
    For example Wheel cylinder SWB rear RH to 80/81 - Delphi Lockheed - Paddock Spares
    I've had a good run with the cheaper cylinders and also re-conditioned/re-sealed a lot of old ones. As they are readily available I've not gone down the route of re-sleeving.
    Father-in-Law used to work in the brake industry, some years back it was $60 to get a wheel cylinder sleeved regardless of how complicated the cylinder was, not sure how much it is nowadays.

    As for removing drums.....I've been lucky with most but I did recently end up undoing the nuts that hold the hub in place and removed the hub at the same time. The brake linings came off the shoes as I levered the drum off !
    There is a tapped hole in the drums (either 5/16" or 3/8" Whitworth) that you can screw a bolt into to separate it from the hub. I find by inserting a bolt & tightening then tapping round the drum with a hide mallet, then re-tightening the bolt etc. it eventually comes off.

    As for removing/fitting springs I have used pieces of wire, pointy pliers, special brake spring pliers. I guess if I was doing it regularly I'd get good at it but every time I do it a bit differently and manage to get it reassembled/disassembled.
    BRAKE SPRING PLIER-REMOVES AND INSTALLS BRAKE SPRINGS | eBay

    Made this when working on Wallit

    DSCN2031 by Colin Radley, on Flickr

    Just a strip of steel that hooked over the shoe so you attached the springs then used brute force on a bar in the other end of the strip to get the shoe into place.


    Colin

    Hello Colin,

    Thanks for the tips, much appreciated. I did think of undoing the hub nuts - but thought it was a bit radical to perform what should - cough - splutter - be an easy task.

    After all on page 70-2 the Green Bible says... Brake Drums Removal:
    1. Jack up the vehicle and support securely.
    2. remove road wheel.
    3. Slacken off the brake adjuster/s at the brake anchor plate.
    4. Remove the brake drum fixings.
    5. withdraw the brake drum....

    See simples


    The next time I will try the hub bolt removal technique - thank you.

    Kind Regards
    Lionel

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lionelgee View Post
    Hello All,

    Would it be more productive if I took the bolts off that secure the brake wheel cylinders before using the hub puller?

    Kind Regards
    Lionel
    I remember on my 80" that nothing would remove one drum, so I unbolted the swivel from the axle tube so as to not be working on the floor.

    I undid the wheel cylinders and that loosened things up enough to allow the drum to turn and I think that I may have released an anchor post for the brake shoes as well. It was so long ago that I don't remember the detail, but the purpose was to save as many original parts as possible without damaging them.

    When the drum came off the cause was discovered to be one wheel cylinder fully extended and rusted in place – probably the reason why the car had stopped being used.

    Sometimes old rusty Rovers are sent to test us,

    Cheers Charlie

  5. #5
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    Local sources

    Lionel,

    Hello from Brisbane.

    Last October I picked up a complete set of Delphi-Lockheed wheel cylinders for a 6 cylinder truck from British Auto Parts for a not unreasonable amount of dosh. They also had much cheaper Britpart and Bearmach equivalents which I opted not consider.

    This was the old Roverparts who were based at Bonshaw (Ballarat) at the time - since sold and relocating to Sevastapol in Melbourne. I have found the new owners to be quite good to work with and saves the time waiting for parts from the UK. Another option for you anyway (Google Roverparts Victoria for the catalogue and contact details).

    Incidentally, I probably have a complete set (front rear) of Britpart cylinders for a 6 cylinder truck in a box under my house purchased a few years ago at a time of less enlightened enthusiasm. The jury is out on the longevity and fit of this brands’ parts but I am happy to donate them to your project if you are interested.

    Cheers,

    Neil

  6. #6
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    Last time i had seized drum to shoes i drilled 2 holes 180 deg thru the drum in line with the centre of the shoe . Then used a punch to shock the shoes free. 2 rubber blanking grommets sorted the drilled holes

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