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I HATE DRUM BRAKES!


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Rear drum on at least the drivers side is stuck, tried hammering it with the brake cable undone, nothing. Instructions say to turn the tensioner downward, guess what, it doesn't want to go down. It sure goes upwards great. :mad: Quite unfortunate for me.

 

So now I am in the process of dropping the rear end, at least in part, since I dont know what else to do. I cannot make the brake any looser to get the drum off, and I have needed to swap these shoes for awhile.

 

Frig

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I wish, I do have a 280ZXT car but it doesn't sound like something I could get done in one night :D

 

If they weren't frozen then sure its a PITA to swap shoes compared to disk pads, but it isn't turning out as easily as it should be. The drum is so tight, I wonder how I'm going to hammer it off at all, there is going to be alot of noise! I hope I dont damage anything :(

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RTFM...

 

Disconnect the e-brake cable from the adjuster arm. Take a long thin screwdriver and put it through through the hole in the drum with the hole at 6 o-clock. Gently pry the adjuster arm down, away from the adjusting wheel and the wheel clinder. You should hear or feel a click when the arm disengages from the wheel. Rotate the drum forward and use the screwdriver to spin the adjustment wheel backwards a lot. Then pull the drum off.

 

- John

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John, that is what I read in the Haynes. I have the strut and transverse link assembly in my apartment right now. I cut a larger hole in the drum so I can see what is going on.

 

When I try to move the brake adjuster DOWN, I can see it prying away as I try to turn it, but I can't keep it stable. I may have to cut a larger hole as I see no real solution. I have a good screwdriver, if the teeth were larger maybe I could get more bite, but without holding the assembly in palce it is just too tight and will not work for me.

 

Unfortunately like I said, I can easily tighten it, but it will not loosen.

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john, that doesn't always work. I tried everything possible to get my driver's drum off: I've banged on it with a sledge, I've roasted it with a propane torch, I've ground off anything resembling a rust formation. The only way I got it off was by dropping the strut assembly and removing the stub axle nut. I hit it with a sledge from the back, and it popped out.

 

I had to get new stub axles anyway (thanks chevsun!)

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I just broke through one of the shoes with a drill (takes a damn long time), and its still not coming, so I am going to try that next.

 

Ehh, actually, if we are talking about the same thing it doesn't look like that was made to come off (its not round?)

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Have you taken an air chisel to it yet? Or considered removing your companion flange and then using a slide hammer to yank out the entire stub axle/drum? You noted the drum would rotate correct? ie. so shoes aren't frozen to your drum correct? I'd hit it with an air chisel from various angles to disturb that flat mated drum to stub axle mating surface till the drum blows apart if required.

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I take it this is your daily driver. If you start smacking that thing tonight, your neighbors are going to love you.

 

How far away are the shoes from the drum surface? Maybe there is a lip on the drum that the shoes are hitting preventing the drum from coming off.

 

!M!

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Unfortunately I dont have an air chisel, or a slide hammer :( I dont have the stub axle up here, but I have the strut asm along with the transaxle (a arm) thing. Thankfully I dont have neighbors within ear shot.

 

The shoes are not frozen correct, I drilled through one of them breaking it free, since I tightened it so much trying to figure why it wouldn't turn the way it was supposed to, to loosen it. The drum rotates FREELY correct.

 

I sold my beater in mid january to get down to 2 cars, now I'm back up to 3, being in an apartment complex 4 would have been, tough to balance and just a headache :)

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