Reproduction Parts for 1916-1964 Chevrolet Passenger Cars & 1918-1987 Chevrolet & GMC Trucks


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#390717 06/14/17 03:21 PM
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Grease Monkey
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I am inheriting a 1937 Coupe which I know to be in 'rough' shape - and I am told that on FRONT wheel is frozen (will not turn). What is the best way to assess the issue? Any and all suggestions appreciated. This will be a long learning process!!

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Probably the wheel brake cylinder is frozen . A common problem with huck brakes. Back the adjuster off and the wheel should turn. If you hit the brakes after backing them off, they will lock again. Just pull the drum and rebuild the cylinder.

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Hello PVironman,

Frozen brake shoes...??

If it is a Knee Action (Dubonnet), you have to remove the tire to access the brake adjusting holes. The brake adjusters are located at the top of the backing plate and are a part of the brake cylinder. Each side has an adjuster so as to adjust the brake shoes evenly.

I believe the straight axle type can be reached thru the backing plate also at the top.



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PV,

Attempt to remove the drum as if it were brand new. Do the following in order:

a. Back off the adjusting caps of the wheel cylinder. (Turn them counterclockwise from looking at them from the back and then the front. (looking forward and then rearward) (The opposite directionthightens them)

b. Try to turn the drum.

c. Try to pull the drum off.

d. Run two screwdrivers from the back between the shoes and the drum inner surface.

e. Tap the drum with a hammer.

f. Cuss dance2

g. Repent newangel

h. Use a bigger hammer

i. Use longer screwdrivers (Be patient. Keep working it)

j. If all else fails bust or cut the drum.

The drums were the same from 36-50 so there are a bunch of them around.

You're welcome,
Charlie computer

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I just came in the house after spending the past 3 hours removing SIX drums from three 1931 front ends. None of them have been in use for over 20 years.

These do NOT have hydraulic brakes, so I didn't have to back off the wheel cylinder caps, as correctly suggested by the other posters.

After you do that, if you're still having problems, it could be the same issue that I faced with all six of my hubs. Chances are that the brake shoes are stuck to the braking surface of the hub.

Charlie's method is what I used. Put a thin crowbar between the hub and the backing plate. Put some pressure on it, but not enough to permanently bend the backing plate. With the pressure on it, use a 2 1/2 pound hammer and tap the hub ALL THE WAY AROUND IT. (A 2 1/2 is about half as big as a sledge hammer. It's easier to use a little bit of force with a heavy hammer, than to use a lot of force with a lightweight hammer.)

Now, move the crow bar about 90 degrees to a new location and pry again. Again, tap the hub around the outer perimeter where the shoes mate-up to it inside. Also tap the center part of the hub down where the nut and axle bearing is.

Now move to the next position. Essentially you do this to 4 spots around the hub. North, South, East and West might be an easy way to remember it.

If you didn't see any movement - then begin this again. But this time, hit the hub harder!!! Don't bend the backing plate too much more because you don't want to deform it. Just bend enough to put pressure on the hub to move it off the spindle. At this time, you can also add a second crow bar (or flat bladed screwdriver to a second location and hold both of them with pressure. Use your third and fourth hands to hit the hub with the hammer.) Hit harder, but DON'T bend much further.

As you go around the hub this time, you can use increasingly harder and harder hits. Place your hits to the outside where the brake shoes are located. And hit the very center a couple of times, in case the grease dried up or if there was rust in that area on the shaft.

Don't get in a hurry and don't get excessive. Just keep going round-n-round.

Good luck.

Bill Barker

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Correct me if I am wrong but the drum is securely mounted to the rear surface of the hub and the hub is held in place by the wheel bearings. Prying at this stage will not do any good. I think you need to loosen or remove completely the outer wheel bearing. This will then give the drum a change to move out of position and possibly break the shoes free. If the wheel cylinder adjusters are frozen, using more force will just break the cogs off the adjuster.


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OOPS!

You;re right. For front wheels do remove the outer bearings. hood

Charlie computer


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THANKS for all the input... so basically I should proceed to:
1.) see if I can back off the brake thru the adjusting hole - if accessible
2.) if that fails - remove the HUB Nut and see if I can pull entire hub off
3.) if that fails - try to push HUB off brake pads from the back (inside) by hammering around

Is there any way to use a wheel puller to help push on the spindle while pulling on the hub?

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I would not advise hammering from the back. You can remove the two bolts that hold the wheel cylinder in place and that will destabilize the whole shoe assembly. Trying to turn it after the hub bearing is loose should yield some results.


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For the front hub/drum the hub and drum are riveted together and the hub MUST be pulled off with the drum. The exception would be if some one installed a new drum and did not bolt it to the hub as it is not necessary for them to be bolted or riveted together. Chevrolet stopped doing it in 1960.


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To loosen the adjuster, you need to be able to rotate the drum. If it's rusted and won't turn, you can not access the adjusters to loosen them. I would suggest sacrificing the wheel cylinders as they are readily available. Take the measurements of the adjustment holes from a 1941 - 50 and bore holes in your backing plate. This will require removing the spindle from a knee action vehicle. Good luck, Lou

Lou #391091 06/22/17 08:32 AM
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PVironman,

1st. Remove the hub nut.

2nd. Use the hammer and prying methods discribed by Bill and Charlie.

3rd. Use a lot of patience. This is a common occurance with vehicles that have been stored for a long time. Especially, on the rear drums because the drum rusts to the rear axle if the paper gasket has not been maintained between the axle and the drum.

Most of us have been there done that without damaging the drum or front backing plate.

Good luck, Mike


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OK - now I know a lot more about this! Once I started to work on the wheel - finding it would NOT turn even rather forcefully - NOTHING. So I
1-removed bearing cap, cotter pin, Castle nut, washer, outer cone and bearing.
2- bolted on a four legged wheel puller purchased on AMAZON
3- added some KROIL through the brake adjusting hole
4- puller the drum and hub off the spindle with the wheel puller + gentle tapping of drum
5- removed drum / hub and found that some 'critter' had made this his home (not sure how he got there other than the adjusting hole - since cover is long gone)
6- cleaned out - more Kroil on wheel cylinder adj. and back off pads so wheel would easily turn.
7- cleaned bearings / spindle and parts added bearing grease and re-assembled
8- this was all done so that I could move the car and will need to be re-visited during restoration to insure proper braking!

THANKS to everyone's comments along the way. They were all helpful - but ultimately the HANDS ON trial and error experience was the best!

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PVironman,

Thanks for taking the time to tell us your solution. To often repairs are completed without the party asking the question telling us how they solved it.

Someone is bound to have this problem again, now we have several suggestions on how it can be solved by doing a SEARCH of our old posts.

Thanks, Mike

Last edited by Mike Buller; 08/30/17 04:03 PM.

Mike 41 Chevy

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