wigenOut-S30 Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 I have searched, even have the printout from all the parts of the rear drums, but in the 77-78 280Z.. it seems different.. I do not see a star peice I can push with a screwdriver to loosen the brake shoes. I have taken the rubber peice off the back and felt around in there with a screwdriver.. there is no way I can get close to it to see in there due to the A-Arm. I am trying to do my rear disk conversion.. but.. heh.. not going as planned since I cannot even get these rear drums off. Anyone know the trick to them before I get out the grinder and just take out my frustrations ??? hehe ,Im starting to feel looney.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsun40146 Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 I own a 77' 280z and there and I can say this with 100 precent confedence that there is a little star wheel in the brake drum. My question to you is this, do you have the parking brake applied? If not my next advice for you is to pull the tire, crawl unde rthe car w/ a flashlight and lookinto that little hole. Also a screwdriver isn't the best tool. They make a drum adjustment tool that shaped like an S screwdriver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proxlamus© Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Since i was going to toss my old drum brakes after I did a disc conversion.... i decided.. a sledge hammer.. I broke a few teeth on the way but hey.. its all trash anyway. =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280Z Turbo Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Since i was going to toss my old drum brakes after I did a disc conversion.... i decided.. a sledge hammer.. I broke a few teeth on the way but hey.. its all trash anyway. =) Trashing the old drum brakes is the best part of rear disc swaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wigenOut-S30 Posted April 1, 2008 Author Share Posted April 1, 2008 I own a 77' 280z and there and I can say this with 100 precent confedence that there is a little star wheel in the brake drum. My question to you is this, do you have the parking brake applied? If not my next advice for you is to pull the tire, crawl unde rthe car w/ a flashlight and lookinto that little hole. Also a screwdriver isn't the best tool. They make a drum adjustment tool that shaped like an S screwdriver. Parking brake is not applied, wheels are off and the rear is in the air, I looked all around the 2 holes in the front of the drum, I see the clynder, no star cog, on the backing plate there is a small oval hole, right next to where the brake line goes in. This is all junk anyways as I am going to rear disk.. I might just break out the sawsall and huge hammer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasper Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Are you sure the shoes hanging up are the problem? The drums tend to "weld" themselves to the axels. Mine weren't off for the 15+ years the car sat.What I did....worked great, no broken parts. Get a 2 by 4, approx 2 feet long. Place one end alll the way forward in the wheel well. Angle the outer edge against the fins of the drum.The opposite edge of the 2 By 4 then rests/presses against the strut tube, which is on an angle to the drum. With a HEAVY hammer, pound the 2 by 4 down (between the drum and the strut tube) Since the strut tube is on an angle, as you hammer the 2 by 4 down, it will push the drum out. Tapping the axel center with the drum preloded will also help....Worked for me!!!!!!!! As it begins to move, rotate drum 180 degrees so as to remove evenly, avoiding cocking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbleguinea Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 get a long tube- like a floor jack handle- have someone hold it on the fins...then whack with a hammer really hard...turn it over and over to get it even and it will pop off..... and make sure the ebrake is off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jknc90 Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 FYI: Triumph guys like the finned, aluminum drums, might be able to make some money... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffGarcia77 Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 The drums on my '77 were so stuck to the stub axles, I had to make 4 cuts with a cut-off wheel, forming a square which was slightly larger than the axle flange (so that I wouldn't accidentally cut into the flange). After I removed the major part of the drum (it slid right over the shoes easily), I used a hammer and chisel to force the remaining flat part of the drum away from the flange. It had only been about 8 years since the drums were removed, but apparently this was enough time to form a seriously strong bond between the two dissimilar metals. The car had been sitting outdoors in the Mojave Desert (CA) all that time, but despite the extremely dry climate, they became stuck. And yes, I did try a brake drum puller, hammering, PB Blaster penetrating oil, etc., before resorting to the cut-off wheel. I replaced the lightweight drums with some cheap ($35 each) IRON drums which weigh about 7 pounds more PER DRUM, as a temporary fix to get the car driveable again. I know that is way too much extra rotating and unsprung weight to be hauling around, but it's only temporary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wigenOut-S30 Posted April 2, 2008 Author Share Posted April 2, 2008 I finally got them off tonight.. and wow.. went ahead and took my cut off wheel and went to town around the stub axle as well as some other cuts.. Passenger side was my tough one, Drivers side came off pretty easy with some hammering.. but they are OFF!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSM Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 So did you find the Star wheel or no? Congrats on getting them off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wigenOut-S30 Posted April 2, 2008 Author Share Posted April 2, 2008 yeah I had been turning it.. but I think the problem was it was stuck around the hub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six_Shooter Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Hmm, I think if I was trying to save the drums, I would have removed the axle and stub axle nut, then removed the stub axle and drum together, to then be able to support the drum, while applying pressure (hammer) to the stub axle itself, to force the seperation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyc Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 i broke teeth too...but my 3lb hammer never fails me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240swapped Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Trashing the old drum brakes is the best part of rear disc swaps. nah, they make great wheel chocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Here comes trouble Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 sometimes...........you just take matters into your hands and use the business end of sledge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pallnet Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Damn I'm in with late news. Gabe in the future remember this cause this is what I've done in the yards. tap the wheel studs back into the hub/brakes, smack the face of the drum a few times around where the hub is but not where the center of the hub pushes through the drum, you don't want to mushroom that thing. Sometimes a little penetrating oil around where the studs were and the center section will be needed to finish her off but the other stuff works great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Purple240zt Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 My preferred method is heat. I dump a gallon of gas on the car and light it on fire. They practically fall off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wigenOut-S30 Posted April 2, 2008 Author Share Posted April 2, 2008 Damn I'm in with late news.Gabe in the future remember this cause this is what I've done in the yards. tap the wheel studs back into the hub/brakes, smack the face of the drum a few times around where the hub is but not where the center of the hub pushes through the drum, you don't want to mushroom that thing. Sometimes a little penetrating oil around where the studs were and the center section will be needed to finish her off but the other stuff works great. Well at least they are off now.. I might take the sledge to them now anyways just for good measure , I have to make sure these Evil drum brakes never come in contact with another datsun again!!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffGarcia77 Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Congrats on getting those "dum" brakes out of the way! Now you can move ahead with something that really works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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