'39 Front Hub Problem

K

kensesc

Junior Member
I just got a 1939 Coupe and when I picked it up, the front driver side wheel would not turn. I have been unable to remove the wheel hub to find out what the problem is. The car has been in storage for the last 25 or 30 years. Could the brakes be locked up? The pedal goes all the way to the floor without any resistance. If the brake shoes are stuck to the hub, how would I free them up to get the hub off?


What is the typical removal method for the front hubs?
 
Back the adjusters off, take the spindle nut off and the bearing out. With the tire still on it. Rock the wheel back and forth top to bottom or 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock
. Sometimes if you take the 3 bolts out of the wheel cylinder it helps.
 
The previous posts had good suggestions. What frequently happens is that the wheel cylinders rust and then someone pushes on the brake pedal and jams the shoes into the drums and they are held there by the rust in the cylinders. Good luck.

Charlie Stephens
 
I would completely remove the lower adjusters and also the wheel cylinder bolts so the shoes can shift. If still stuck, I have removed the backing plate nuts and taken the whole thing off. It allows the parts to be shocked and loosened.
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys. I have put the wheel back on and shacken to no avail. All of the nuts are badly rusted. I'm presently soaking with Kroil. will try again later.
Thanks,
Ken
 
I got the front passenger side off with taking the 3 bolts out of the wheel cylinder and rocking the wheel back and forth top to bottom or 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock. However, the driver side has only moved a smidgen. I'll try loosening the adjustable shoe anchor pivot bolts at the bottom tomorrow. If that doesn't work, I'll remove the backing plate and try that.
 
I've had the brake shoes rust fast to the drum. I had that happen on a '57 Tbird. I pulled it out of the basement garage up a sloped driveway with a tow strap and stopped the tow vehicle and car on the slope with tension on the strap. then I jumped on the strap repeatedly to rock the car up and down the slope a very short distance using the weight of the car to put pressure on the brake shoes and drum. After a few minutes the shoes let go with a bang and the wheel turned freely.
 
This wont work on Lockheed brakes, but on bendix brakes I knock the head the shoe anchors with a chisel, take the outer bearing out and leave the tire on.

This is the best way with stuck Buick aluminum brake drums. Well when they were still plentiful in junkyards.
 
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