K30 DRW Brake Drum Removal HELP!!!

[Trucksareforwork]

Hey folks.

I’m at the point in messing around with an old K3500 GMC’s brakes where I’m going nuts and realizing I may not know what I’m doing.

Full disclosure, this is not my first drum brake rodeo. I have beaten the hell out of rusty drums before… but I’m just stumped.

I have beaten, pb blastered, beaten, heated, beaten, and ultimately not budged the drum a millimeter over the past week. And now I’m ready for somebody to tell me I’m stupid.

Here’s the pic:

You must be registered for see images attach

Tell me what I have and why I can’t get the drum to move. I have a feeling now that I’m looking at a spacer or cover that might be holding the drum on. I just dove in and started beating on it.

This would not be the first time I beat the hell out of something when just unscrewing it would work.

Does anybody recognize this? Truck was a factory srw, converted to DRW.

 

[Turbo4whl]

Tell me what I have and why I can’t get the drum to move. I have a feeling now that I’m looking at a spacer or cover that might be holding the drum on. I just dove in and started beating on it.

You have a full floating axle and it does NOT come apart with a hammer. Back away from the truck, buy a book or search this forum.

 

[Trucksareforwork]

Thank goodness. Ok.

 

[Trucksareforwork]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

Here. She knows how to do it.

I am standing here humiliated for not stopping to consider the difference in axle. I’ve done 12 bolt, 10 bolt, and other oddball drums… just didn’t even stop to think.

All I have lost is time and a bunch of nicks on a drum that probably needed replacing anyway (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it).

Thanks for the quick reply.

 

[Chevy 88]

You have a full floating axle and it does NOT come apart with a hammer. Back away from the truck, buy a book or search this forum.

Pretty sure with the correct hammer, it would come apart.

 

[Trucksareforwork]

I feel like Jon lovitz in city slickers 2 explaining how he couldn’t get any milk from the bull.

 

[Turbo4whl]

I disagree with her method of removing the studs. I put the nut back on flush with the top of the stud. I hold a brass mallet on the nut and stud with one hand, then hit it with at least with a 3 pound hammer, or a hammer like @Edelbrock posted.

Another tip, when you go to put the axle back in, it will stop at the differential. Push down on the axle flange and spin it a little, it will go in.

 

[Trucksareforwork]

Well, all’s well that ends well. I got the hubs and drums off, swapped out bearings races and seals. Put new drums on. In the meantime I had the tires dismounted and I epoxied the rims. It’s gonna look good.

Drained and refilled the axle. Diff looks good.

Truck doesn’t run but it will have good brakes and tires.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[chevdude]

Stopped by a buddy's house years ago.
He was not the best mechanic, but at least he tried.
He was trying to get the rear drum off of his pickup.
Said that he's been beating on it for a while and it still won't come off.
Had it halfway off.
At a glance, I knew what the issue was.
So, I went and released the parking brake and the drum fell to the ground.
Laughed my but off so hard that this guy, 40 years later, still hates me.

 

[Trucksareforwork]

Stopped by a buddy's house years ago.
He was not the best mechanic, but at least he tried.
He was trying to get the rear drum off of his pickup.
Said that he's been beating on it for a while and it still won't come off.
Had it halfway off.
At a glance, I knew what the issue was.
So, I went and released the parking brake and the drum fell to the ground.
Laughed my but off so hard that this guy, 40 years later, still hates me.

It was hard enough to post this thread knowing I was missing something. Now I can laugh at it. Like your friend, I had hammered on some stuck drums before... so I guess I just figured enough hammering would free these up.

Now, of course, I'm an internet expert on full floaters.

 

[xm20k]

You will never forget.

I hated doing these and the ford ambulances we serviced at the shop at least those were 90% trans swaps.

 

[chevdude]

To keep your sanity you must be able to laugh at yourself. We have all done dumb stuff through the years.
With the exception of posting it on a worldwide forum. Now that takes guts. Ha
Henry Ford has a lot of famous quotes.
My favorite is:
"Whether you think you can or think you can't---your right"
You went at it with full confidence thinking, I can do this. And you got it done.

 

[nvrenuf]

@Trucksareforwork since this is your first (and I didn’t watch the video to see what she covered), when you replaced the outer race did you -

Drive the race in > Install the lock ring > Then flip the hub over and drive the race back tight against the lock ring?

 

[Trucksareforwork]

@Trucksareforwork since this is your first (and I didn’t watch the video to see what she covered), when you replaced the outer race did you -

Drive the race in > Install the lock ring > Then flip the hub over and drive the race back tight against the lock ring?

Yes. Did that. I went real careful after realizing how stupid I was at the start.

 

[nvrenuf]

Meh. Not stupid, just a first. You’d be amazed at how many people don’t struggle getting it apart but do screw up not putting that race in correctly.