Magic rear drum removal technique? (Cavalier)

I have no experience with that particular car, but are you sure that the drum is not swaged onto the hub, and you need to pull the outer bearing and then slide the hub/drum assembly off? that's the way it is on most of the FWD cars I've worked on (mostly VWs)

nate

You can try loosening up the lug nuts a little bit and drive the vehicle around the block a couple of times, squirt some oil around the hub area too.There are drum puller tools available.Check with

cuhulin

Nah. I've done it before. Plus, you can see it pretty clearly. It's just a PITA. Thanks.

Check out this website,

I own a heavy duty brake drum puller I bought at the Sears store about

25 years ago, I think I paid about $40.00 for it.It came with five puller legs, three are all I ever needed to use.There have been a few times before when it really came in handy.You might find one at a rental store, or check out the pawn shops in your area that have some tools for sale.Yard sales and newspaper classifieds too. cuhulin

I use Heat and Beat. Here is a little trick to try. Heat the flange and while it is warm rub a candle around the flange and lug stud holes. Do this a couple times and it usually helps a lot. Now one you have them off clean off ALL the rust and crud. Paint the backing plate and hardware to slow the new rust. Now use a LIGHT coat of never seize on the axle flange. Make sure it is VERY light.

Also I would plan on replacing those drums as well. You can do damage when you hit them hard enough to get them off. On the rims clean off all the crud and give them a coat of paint.

ALL the companies have that person working there. There is a ford out front that I had to cut the wheel and drum off of.

Try exerting more than a tad but less than a lot of STEADY pulling force on the outer edges of drum. (The more force applied, the more the inner flange tries to "invert" & hold onto the hub.) Then a little heat & it should come off within just a few raps on hub. If it is a lug-centered drum, it'd help for next time to use a dremel & relieve(enlarge) the center hole a little. If it is a hub-centered, DO NOT relieve it. HTH, s

That might have worked. I got them both off, and that's the last thing I did. Of course, it didn't work when I first tried it, and I did a lot of heating, tapping, cursing, ... before finally getting them. So, thanks.

G

Antiseize compound is your friend! I take my Jeep out to 'play' in the mud and water and I live in the rust belt. My parts all come apart properly because I use antiseize on mating surfaces.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile... Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06 (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

Glad it worked out. Did the drums have some number, probably two, of otherwise inexplicable small (several mm or sixteenths) threaded holes somewhere in mid-field? Some cars provide those so you can use a couple of appropriate bolts, tightened first one then the other a little at a time, to break the drum loose and get it started on its way off.

--Joe

Wow. I was thinking just that, when I was working on it - "they should put some jack screws on these things." Anyway, this is a Cavalier; so no, it doesn't have them.

G

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Cuhu.....gave you the BEST advice for someone that's going to take em off there self!!!

Back off the lug nuts 2 turns and drive the car around in a circle. (fact,not fiction)

Besides...all that heat'n and bang'n HAD TO have warped the facing at least a bit. (again, fact not fiction)

anywhooo....that's how this tech does it on vehicles that HAVENT been maintained.

:)

oh... you wanna know the EASIEST way to do it....??

it's a trade secret!!...so yer gonna have to ask!!! (i can't jest go tell'n it willynilly)

go ahead....ask... you know you wanna.... go ahead.....

it's eat'n yuh up now ain't it!!??!! to know the VERY easiest way !!??!!

:)

~:~ MarshMonster ~takes a toke...walks back in the shop.... another FREE brake inspection...sht..i hope these drums come off easy...looks like this fool ain't EVER had a brake job~ ~:~

:)

...

first things first: make sure the adjusters are fully backed off.

AFAICT, there is no external access to the adjuster - no plug, no knock-out. Not that I see, anyway. But, the reason I had to take them off was that they weren't adjusting. So, I guess I could say that I was "sure" they were backed off sufficiently.

G

I use antiseize on all the moving brake parts also. My last rear set on my CJ7 wore down paper thin on all 4 shoes without tagging the drum. I was impressed. The emergency was all the way down so it was time for an inspection and I got it just in time.

Mike