I have pulled the axle, pulled the axle nut, and the outside bearing. The adjustment behind the rubber plug is messed up. I think I screwed it up with sledge hammer. I have even cracked the drum with a sledge hammer. The brake shoes are my hold up. What's gonna be the easiest way to get it off now. Torch the adjustment rod or just cut the drum off? Let me know if any of you have had this problem and what you did. Thanks

 

There are two pins at the backing plate that hold the retaining springs in place. You could try drilling out the heads, but don't mess up the backing plate, otherwise you'll really be upset. If the pins release, the shoes should come off with the drum assembly and hub.

Be careful though, as you still have the E-brake cable arm in there, and it can easily be damaged.

Worst case scenario, 90* die grinder and cut access to the inside and chop that adjuster off.


Good luck.

 

You think I can stick a torch thru that small hole a melt it in two?

 

Do I think YOU ??

Well, I don't know you, or your abilities.



Me ? I don't have enough experience with a torch to say yes or no. I guess anything is possible, but I'd be concerned over damaging the backing plate and possibly catching something on fire in there.

But that's just me...

 

I'm with T-man on this one. Personally I don't have the torch skills to pull something like what you suggest off. I think that is a great idea about grilling out those pins. Once those are off the brake shoes will fall inwards and should free up the drum.

 

Ok. I appreciate the info. Guys

 

That and maybe the anchor pin and wheel cylinder

 

Maybe a good time to conceder a disk conversion.

 

Thanks, but I will stick with what I got. Thanks for everything

 

If the drum is already cracked, its junk.
So just hit it again with the sledge or use a chisel to open the existing crack.
Its cast iron, it will crack easily into two pieces.


One thing I have to ask: do you know how to properly back off the adjusters? There is a spring that you have to push back with a bent piece stiff wire, if you are not pushing that out of the way, it the adjuster wont go backwards.

As much as I dislike the dodge rear brakes, Ive never used a sledge hammer for a brake job.

 

I just did the rears on my oldest's truck, an '04 1500.

The parking brake builds up a ring on the inside of the rotor, and even though we adjusted the parking brake down all the way we still needed a sledge to pop the rotor off because of the ring.

If I could have gotten a small grinder in between the caliper bracket mounts it would have been a much easier job.

You might try grinding off the brake shoe retaining pins from the back side and let the brakes come off with the drum, then just replace those pins.




-Kris

 

My wife's SUV needed a sledge hammer to get the rims off the truck. We removed the lug nuts, and it just wouldn't move. Turns out that Toyota trucks are "hub centric", and the aluminum wheel basically welded itself to the hub. Sledge o matic got it off, and then I neverseized the crapola out of that hub and the inside of the rim...

Imagine doing this on the side of a road with a flat..... and no sledge o matic..

 

Don't try this at home...


but I hear she can get rear brake drums off with no problem

 

One thing to be aware of when you use a torch in a confined area: unburned acetylene can build up and explode or create a big fire ball. This has happened to me before. Fortunately no explosion but the fire ball caught my attention.

 

You must live in rust county.(If you don't try to figure out that adjuster a little more) Like has been said cut the hold down pins that's usually enough to get things moving. Be careful not to bend the backing plates.