Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Brakes How to get rear drums off?

Hey!
I've never bothered to try to get my rear drums off, but i wanna check the pad wear, so... How do i get them off? Do they just slide off when the wheel is unbolted, or are they bolted on? Or is there just some saftey pin holding them to the hub?
Again, I've never tried this, i was gonna pull off the rear wheels this weekend and give it a shot, just looking for some advice before i do this.

Thanx a lot!

Mark


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Black 98 Mystique GS Spree Ztec ATX (arg) Dropped w/ H&R's, KKM intake, Accel Thundersport 300+ plug wires, Autolite Platnium Pro plugs, Alpine CD, Fog to DRL mod, Accel ignition coil, Mobil 1 Oil (good stuff!) Dunlop SP Sport 5000 tires....more?
pics here:
http://hometown.aol.com/crazyshovl/projectmercury.html

Hand brake off,wheels off,may have a clip on the lug nut stud,take it off,wiggle the drum off,if tight tap with soft mallet,de dust,check lining wear,wheel cylinder piston rubber dust seals for leaks,if all ok reassemble.

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V6 MTX
'Buy the tools and dodge the fools..."
'Its only nuts & bolts!'
Terry's Website

It's not so easy. You're probably going to have to take off the rubber plug from behind the drum plate and use a flathead screwdriver to release the tensioner. Once this is done you'll probably still have to hammer at it and wiggle it off.

HTH John

This is a common problem for anyone that does brakes very much. It is hard to describe how to use enough force without damaging things, but I'll try.

Sometimes the hub to drum surface (also hub to disc surface on disc brakes) gets rusty and that makes it hard to remove. Try hitting with a hammer directly on the drum near the lug studs to loosen the rust. If that doesn't work, try some penetrating oil applied where the hub protrudes out of the center of the drum and around the lug studs. If that still doesn't work, you will need to get a little larger hammer and hit the drum a bit harder and further out. Try not to damage anything, but in some extreme cases you may need to take a die grinder and cut the drum off (highly unlikely). With a little bit of patience and persistance you should be able to get everything apart without damage. To prevent this from hapening again, clean the rust off from the hub and drum surface and apply some anti-sieze ompound to both surfaces before it goes back together.

Jim Johnson
98 SVT

I'm trying to do the same thing, but can't feel the tensioner.... nothing is working to get these off and I'm pissed! Does anyone have an illustration of the drum brake system? An exploded view of the parts? Any help would be appreciated.

The best method for removing drums is to get real pissed and red-faced and, once you're frustrated and mad enough, eventually the drum comes off.

Personally I now consider drum brakes worth paying someone else to do -- it's often an advertised discount service.