Brake drum removal

hairpin151 · Post by **hairpin151** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 10:29 am

Anyone here have any suggestions on removing those three stubborn countersunk slot head bolts to get the drum off??

Thanks!

hairpin151 · Post by **hairpin151** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 12:05 pm

Figured it out.Ball pean and a small punch did the trick.

chicklin · Post by **chicklin** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 12:42 pm

hairpin151 wrote:Figured it out.Ball pean and a small punch did the trick.

Yep, that's the way I do it. Just did all four corners, no problem.

hairpin151 · Post by **hairpin151** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 2:47 pm

I just did a quikie one corner brake cylinder fix,I hope.When I pulled the drum off I was pleasantly supprised to find the drum and shoes in great shape just a leaking wheel cylinder.One of the cups was smaller than the other,kinda wierd.I need to do all the rest ,but another day.I bought an M35A2 and the M37 has been neglected recently.

GregL · Post by **GregL** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 8:43 pm

Boy you got lucky with your brake drum screws. I just spent two whole days trying to remove my two front drums for the first time. First I tried a screwdriver, then I tried a punch, then I tried a punch on the screwdriver. Then I went to NAPA and asked for their best penetrant, and proceeded to whack the hell out of them with my impact ratchet, and after several hours of alternating penetrant and hitting with the impact ratchet, I finally got all six of them off. Then I noticed that some knucklehead had put high temp locktite on them! Well, at least they're off now. Whew.

powerwagontim · Post by **powerwagontim** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 3:13 am

Heat is your friend!
Heat and a drag link socket in an impact gun, on the floor after you have pulled the hub and drum as a unit. Pulled scores of them that way and have never spent more than 5 minutes on the really stubborn ones. The whole key is to pull the hub and drum as a unit, then you can put your pressure down instead of laterally. The trouble with the punch method is you really beaver up the screw, but the TM says to do it that way. The Military probably replaced them each time, but I have pulled some really ratty looking ones.
Tim
Glad you got them off.

refit1701 · Post by **refit1701** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 3:43 am

hairpin151 wrote:One of the cups was smaller than the other,kinda wierd.

Remember that the rear piston on each cylinder is larger than the front piston.....

hairpin151 · Post by **hairpin151** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 6:09 am

I saw that and put them back in respectivly but the cup size difference,I dont get that one.The larger one was marked with the size as were my replacements but the smaller one,dont know.Size difference would be like comparing a nickel to a quarter.

TRACTORg25 · Post by **TRACTORg25** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 3:49 am

I use a hand inpact screw driver and three lb drilling hammer. Always use antiseize when reinstalling the screws. make next removal easy.

m15256 · Post by **m15256** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 3:22 pm

Pulled my rear brake drums and found that someone had your problem in the past. They burned the head off one of the screws with a torch. Made the counter sink in the drum kind of ugly. Imagine the first time you practiced with a cutting torch and you get the idea. Good thing the nuts also hold the drum on.

powool · Post by **powool** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 8:38 am

I tried a bunch of things to remove these darn bolts, then gave up and drilled them out. I was able to do it without messing with the countersink too much. I replaced them the hex drive counter sunk bolts from the hardware store.