VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 31 rear brake drum removal

Hi From Australia,
I have to replace a stripped wheel stud on the rear. Any tips for removing the rear brake drum without special tools or is a puller the only way?https://vccachat.org/images/icons/default/cry.gif

There are many ways to remove the drum. This has been discussed previously. But I'll try to save you a SEARCH since it doesn't work as good as we'd like.

1. Loosen the lug nuts so that they are about one or two threads off the face. Then drive the car slowly around the block. When you turn the corners, the hub will come loose.

or

2. Loosen the lug nuts on the hub. This time go 3 or 4 threads off. Then jack up the OTHER SIDE of the car so that it is 1/2" off the ground. Now, use your hip and "bump" against the side of the car that is off the ground. You might need to do this a couple of times. Due to the laws of physics, the slight bump to the car, multiplied by the weight of the car, will exert a force on the loose hub. This should be enough for it to "pop" loose.

That should get you going.

--Bill Barker

Gday Aussie 31 if you have any problems email me you can find my email address under my profile and I will send you my phone number and I can talk you through it. The person who restored your car was a friend of mine. Regards Michael.

I believe the nut Bill mentions to be loosened should actually be the "axle nut", not the "lug nuts". Loosening the lug nuts won't get the brake drum free from the axle.

All the Best, Chip

Thanks Bill & Chip for the info. I have posted a PM to Chevy6 to have a chat.
I can get access to a puller, so I'll stay patient 'til then, but I'll store that trick for the future.

I'm glad someone finally said it! I try to use the search engine all the time for things I'm sure are discussed and can't find what I need. Maybe I just never think of the terms everyone else uses, because I can find all my old posts usually.

Anyway, driving the car around the block with a the lug nuts loose is the only way I was able to remove my rear hubs. One came off after a short trip. The other one I kind of had to get stern with and really whip the car back and forth, but I was only going about 2 or 3 mph.

Brandon

AS Chip said in a previous post, you do not want to drive around with the lug nuts loose, but you need to loosen the axle retaining nut to enable the wheel hub to release from the taper on the axle.

Driving around with the lugnuts loose will only damage the wheel studs and the mounting holes in the wheel itself.

Yes, thanks for the correction. I posted in too much of a hurry. I meant to say "loosen the axle NUT about one thread"... which is a tiny amount.

And - only drive a short distance (eg. a couple hundred of feet) or in my neighborhood, once around the block. The turning forces puts just enough pressure on the hub to push it free of the AXLE (which is where it's stubbornly bonded).

2 to 3 mph is correct too.

All in all, it's a quick and effective method IF YOU CAN'T FIND the right puller.


--Bill B

Thank you one and all,
Looks like I will have to use your method. The puller I was going to use has mysteriously gone missing.

Ausie31- First, remove rear tire. Remove axle cotter pin and back axle nut out so that it is flush with the end of the axle, Then with a large pry bar, insert it in the gap between the backing plate and the brake drum and put some steady pressure with pry bar. Now take a hand held 6 pound hammer and smack the end of the axle squarely and "POW". This will work for you, but you need to take special care not to damage threads.

hoppy

Thanks for all the tips. Got the drum loose by the going down my street with the hub nut loosened. Worked a treat! Once again thanks for the advice and even made another contact in chevy6.
Regards,
Aussie 31

Glad you got the hub off the axle. It would be a good idea to obtain a copy of the 1931 repair manual, it shows the wheel hub puller being used to remove the rear hub also.And has a lot of other useful information aswell.