I just swapped a D70 with 3.54s into my 92 w250. everything went smooth until i went to do bleed the brakes. Broke the bleeder screw clean off so I went to get the drum off and ran into a problem. Do I have to take the special nut off inside the housing to remove the drum as an assembly or will just the drum slide off? I tried beating the drum with a hammer and chisel and it did not want to move. If thats the case and I do, what special tool is required? Anyone have a PN#??? Really need the truck back on the road, Thanks in advance for your help.

 

The drum should slide off...Either the pads are rusted to the drum or your shoes are tight or worn into the drum...First thing is loosen the drum brake adjustment star screw...all the way...Give light taps around the drum with a hammer and the drums should slide off..

 

I found this procedure on this site a couple years ago, it worked really well on my 95. A big thanks to Infidel for this one. After loosening the star wheel like DieselDave suggested:
Jack up the rear axle and remove the tires. Spin two lug nuts back on but not tight leaving some thread exposed between the nut and the drum. Start the truck accelerate in a forward gear to about 20mph and hit the brakes. Do the same in reverse. A couple times of this and it should break the drum loose. The nuts hold the drum from flying off.

 

Well the problem is my brakes sink to the floor i broke the bleeders off when i went to crack them after swapping the rears..but i will try it thanks.

 

how do i get at the adjuster lever so i can turn the adjustment the other way?

 

Dang I did not think about the screws being broke. That does pose a problem. I wonder if doing the same thing with the emergency brake instead of the service brakes will work?
The adjustment lever is below the star wheel which is accessed from a rubber plug at the bottom of the brake backing plate. You don't actually adjust the lever but the star wheel which operates it. The wheel should turn easy one way (tighter) and harder the other (loosening) with a large flat screw driver. Turn the drum as you go one way or the other with the star wheel to make sure the pads are not getting tighter.

 

Once you get done with this headache and are ready to replace the wheel cylinders look into the Chevy ones. There is an extensive thread about them in the 2nd gen section if you haven't seen it already. Makes an unbelievable difference in braking.

 

try and lower the drum onto a block of wood and then tap the drum that will usually pop the drum loose, the star wheel should turn down (side facing backing plate) and as stated before install the Chevy one ton cylinders napa part # 37337 it makes a big improvement in your stopping power

 

Factory parking brake on a first gen? Working? Yeah right it won't even hold the truck on level ground. They both slid off after i backed out the star wheel. More importantly, the big nut that holds the outer wheel bearing in place, what is it called and does someone supply a replacement? The air chisel was not so kind to it and I would rather replace it than reuse it.

 

I did a video on youtube on replacing the rear shoes on my '94 Ram 2500. The above suggestion are right. Loosen the shoes. Pull out the rubber plugs behind the backing plate. There will be four. Two to check shoe thickness another to get at the star wheel. I used one small screw driver to push the hand out from the truck. Slide the little screw driver along the adjustment shaft untill you feel it stop against the star wheel. Then take a big flat blade screw driver and rotate the star wheel untill you can feel or watch (thru the holes) the shoes come in. If you hear a clicking your going the wrong way, go the other way. I used a 5lb hammer with some moderate persuation and the drum came off. Seems the inside edge of the drum will form a lip and you need to get the shoes past this. I also show two ways to replace the wheel cyclinders in up grading to 1 ton. It made a big different on braking. On closing, I haven't broken off a bleeder screw yet, if I did the $11.00ea wouldn't be worth getting all worked up over. Best.

 

this rear sat under a wrecked truck until my snap on dealer made a trailer out of the bed and frame. the bleeder screw broke off in the master cylinder so i may as well do them both. Anyone know where I
can get the nut that holds the outer wheel bearing in place?

 

Check with Rockauto. Look over the part and see if there are any number, etc.. on it.

 

rockauto, napa, auto zone, advanced auto parts, pep boys..none of them had it. I ordered two from the dodge dealer