It happens to us all. A drum brake absolutely refuses to move. You bang the heck out of it with a sledge hammer on the front and on the sides, and it still refuses to come off. I have been a mechanic off and on for a long time and never see a drum that is so stubborn "I did not have bolts to insert into the holes this time" that comes off.

A good friend with 30 years of experience said to use oxyacetylene to heat up the edge of the drum that makes contact with the wheel bearing hub. Well, I do not have a oxyacetylene kit, nor do I have the 500$ to buy one of those little kits.

I do have map gas but, is it hot enough to expand the drum at its inner diameter edge so it can slide off?

Lastly, HAD a huge bear of a time trying to use a slide hammer to pull out the wheel bearing of the spindle. I had to pull off the spindle and put it in a press. I did read that welding on another weight on the slide hammer would get it off.

What did you people use to pull off the corroded hub to spindle assembly ? Is there a hydraulic puller on the market to remove it? I am a mobile mechanic and do not carry around a hydraulic press.

Thanks

 

Well, me being a greenhorn mechanic myself, the drums I've encountered have been able to be removed with a large sledge hammer and pulling on it. If you ask me, I'd say give map gas a try. That stuff does a pretty darn good job with heating things up. You might need to get two torches and have a helper heat both sides of the drum at once to try to get the whole thing heated up.

I've never used a slide hammer on a drum before, but like I said, I'm a new mechanic.

 

Slide hammer is for the wheel bearing assembly. Im not green, just want to not go through the wasted time again..of taking off the wheel and heating the drum with my map gas kit, and still does not come off.