JoshBrames

It's not been my day. I just decided I'd get out and do some routing work on my jeep only to find that I have a brake drum stuck beyond belief. I've adjusted the shoes just as far out as I can. I've beaten the **** out of the drum. Anyone have any trade secrets they are willing to share? I've decided that a disc brake conversion is in the very near future!

Ogre in KS

don't wanna make ya sound like a dummy, but the e-brake's not on is it?

TrekkerJmm

Did you try using a brake tool (Star adjuster) to adjust them all the way in instead of out? That's the only thing I can think of with the drum on...Tj

Hommersimpson

need to take a small screw driver.. stick just under star to push the self adjuster away from star.. then UN adjust them..... and loose EB nut... if its adjust up tight.. it will keep the top of the shoes pushed OUT..

JoshBrames

No brake set, and when I said I adjusted the brake all the way out naturally I meant in. I'm at my wits end, and I suppose at this point the integrity of the drum no longer matters. I just need the bastard to come off so I can get a look at the axle shaft and bearing. Suppose heating the drum to try and get a little expansion is worth a shot?

truckntractorhick

try pumping your brakes with the jeep on this could free it!

sems

If it is the pads stuck to the drum (if you have some movement apart from the axle). If needed, you can take some side cutters and cut the shoe-retaining pins from the backside of the backing plate (inside they are on a spring). Then the shoes will have more movement and will actually fold over and the drum should come off. If the drum is stuck to the axle I would use a torch and heat up between each stud, then give it a whack with a BFH.

00jeepXJ

If you need to use a torch i would mention to not get to close the edges or you could have some smoke from inside the drum.... burning shoes is really bad. Heat and spin the drum ( heat around the studs ) and then use BFH to "persuade" drum to surrender. Careful of studs as it will leave you with other things that can add to your frustration level. Good luck!

caged

mine was seized on my tj.
i adjusted the brakes, but it wasn't those that were holding the drum on.
it was seized on against the axle end.

what i did was heated the drum up around the axle end and hit in between the studs and against the axle end with a bfh. i knocked a wheel stud out while doing this, but was easily reinstalled once i got the drum off. actually had to do it to both sides. lol.

patience and a bfh works every time. i had to hit mine about 100 times each side.

JoshBrames

Thank you CAGED! That sound exactly right to me. After I gave up the idea of saving the drum I even tried pulling the drum off with a drum puller. the edges all want to come free, but its hanging up right in the center of the damn drum (seemingly right around the end of the axle).

Steph74

Had the same problem.... sprayed good around studs and around center with BP and then used my 3lbs hammer to hit the drum on the center, on the edges and behind on the lips.... went off after a while
BFH seems to be the ultimate tool for most stuck stuff on my jeep....

davida

Back in the day when the drum just would not break free, we would drive the studs back though the hub. Do one at a time, put an old nut or lugnut, each time you drive one keep trying to remove the drum, do a cross patern. This almost always works unless something is broken inside the drum. I've done it on military vehicles, and different pickups 4X4's over the years. Studs are cheap if you mess one up.