99 Ford Ranger-Cannot get rear Drum off to inspect Brake Problem

[Cydog]

Hope your having a good Labor Day Weekend.

I feel alot of dragging and locking up on my Right Rear Drum. I cannot
get the drum off. I don't want to pry and hammer to much ,because I don't
want to destroy the brake assembly ,because I would like for it to be intact
so it can be visible enough ,so I can be able to reassemble .I understand that there is a adjustment in the back. I can see a broken spring. Any help is welcome.
Another question , why don't the manufactures make the rear drum brakes the same as the front disc brakes. Just wondering.

 

[fordwheelinman]

back off on the adjuster inside for the parking brake. It should slip right off when you get the adjuster all the way in. Try spraying your studs and the axle center with penetrant whil you are working on the adjuster to help loosen any rust that might be holding it to the flange.

As far as i and my coworkers can tell (Ford mechanics) ford engineers opted not to put rear disc brakes simply because they did not deem it a necessary item to include. With the rear only essentially providing braking under harsh braking and while loaded, given that the weight transfer is to the front, and most of a trucks weight is on the front, the much more efficient braking is put on the front. Even if the rear had received disc brakes, the pads and calipers would have been small enough to make you wonder why the h*ll they did it to begin with. Ive dirven a 68 torino with no rear brakes (melted main line to the rear axle) and my 78 4x4 with no rear brakes, and while it isnt fun, it is possible to stop.

 

[Dusty_Ranger]

if u cant get them off after backing off the adjuster get a cutting torch or a propane torch and heat up the drum around the wheel studs and hit it with a hammer
in short it expands the drum around the studs and the center of the axle

 

[Mark_88]

Above suggestions should work...if not...get a big hammer and pound away...you won't hurt anything unless you crack the drum...but if you see a broken spring inside you're going to need at the very minimum a hold down kit...they're fairly inexpensive, but you won't know if you need new shoes, drums, or parking brake cable until you get the drum off...

My Tempo drums would NOT come off without several serious whacks with a 20lb sledge hammer...but make sure you try the adjuster first...sounds like it's either rusted tight or there may be parts binding inside...

Have fun with it either way...they can be a really frustrating item...

 

[Cydog]

What does it mean if the adjuster clicks? The geared wheel that sets
vertically is the item I need to turn ,correct? When it clicks I hope I am
not speading my pads out toward the drum.

 

[86freebie]

if you are going wrong way brake will lock and you wont turn drum. go other way

 

[Mark_88]

If you hear the clicking then, yes, you are going the wrong way...to release it you need to pry up the little clip that the teeth click against and then crank the other direction using either a brake adjusting tool or another slot-headed screwdriver...

 

[dorman68]

Try removing the adjuster plug on the backing plate and moving the adjuster backwards. Some times a lip forms on the inner drum surface causing the shoes to hang up on the inside of the drum making it difficult to remove the drum. The shoes do not hit the complete inner surface of the drum resulting in a lip. I attached a link with a photo of the inside of a brake drum, you can see where the shiney surface ends on the very outer edge, this is where the lip forms and hangs up on the shoes during drum removal.




http://bainczyk.com/Landrover_Brakes/21-off-side-rear-brakes-oil-saturated.JPG[/IMG]

 

[MAKG]

Don't worry about breaking stuff. Shoes and hardware aren't that expensive.

Just give it a brake job. If there is a lip in the drum, it's worn. Maybe not completely worn, but worn nevertheless.

If there is a broken spring, there is already some carnage in there. Where did the broken pieces go? Probably between the shoes and drum, which is why it's dragging and why you can't get the drum off.

Beat the crap out of it with a sledgehammer. You need to replace shoes, drum and hardware anyway.

If it STILL won't come out, you can try the following: Disconnect the wheel cylinder brake line, unbolt the wheel cylinder from the backing plate (two bolts) and drill out the two shoe studs. With a little more persuasion, all the shoes and hardware will come out with the drum. The emergency brake cable will almost certainly pop off. It's spring loaded and not too hard to put back on.

 

[Jon Boy]

yeah, if there's a broken spring then yes you'll want to get the hardware kit and might as well get the one for the other side too. 2 kits, 1 right side and 1 left side.
eh... about the torch thing. i guess you guys were good enough to heat the drum without hurting the rear bearing seal in the axle?

 

[Derek The Great]

I had to heat the drivers side drum up befor it wanted to come off. Idea is to heat the drum up around the studs, then beat the drum with a hammer from the backside

 

[rangerrager]

no,u dont beat it with a hammre from the backside that is just stupid and will with out a doubt damage the drum.u take a hammer and you hit inbetween the studs .this will break the rust loose and the drum usually comes off.now if that doesnt help try the same thing but with heat and if that doesnt work the te hard part starts.
at this point there are a bunch of diffrent way to get the drum off.one of wich is cutting a hole in the drum to get better access to the star wheel.but we will talk about that when we get to the point.first sstart with the first two things i told ya to try.

 

[Jon Boy]

yep, that's the way i was taught. hit it between the studs, not from behind.
never heard of cutting the drum, i've always used the inspection hole on the backplate and 2 screwdrivers on the adjuster. lol

 

[Derek The Great]

well i scrapped my drums in favor of the new ones i pretreated and powdercoated.. You are right about beatin em in the middle though.

 

[camper4lyfe]

I had to beat the driver's side drum off when I last did my rear brakes. I couldn't turn the adjuster because it was rusted up solid! The cable that Ford uses to turn the adjuster snapped, and that side hadn't been adjusted in a while.