stuck hub/wheel

bart40

bart40

Member
I just got a new (actually old) toy.....a forty sedan. The left front wheel won't turn and so far, I haven't been able to get the hub off. This car has sat a loooong time. The bearing was well greased and the other wheels all turn free. I've never had trouble with front hubs before and I'm thinking the brake shoes might be stuck against he drum. Any suggestions before I get a really big hammer? I have other problems I'll get to later. Thanks.
 
Try backing off the two adjusting bolts on the backing plate, 11/16 wrench, put the wrench on the hex head and push on the wrench on both sides. Walt
 
The lower adjusters can be turned too, to move the shoes. You should be able to go around the drum with a hammer and tap all the way around hoping to shock the shoes loose. (Don't go mad at it, a few skilfully wielded blows are needed) All the time have a bar between the wheel studs to try and turn the drum.

You could undo the wheel cylinder bolts and the adjuster nuts and tap the lower adjuster pins into the brake assemble, and let the cylinder move into the drum too.
Hopefully all this movement should free things up enough to get things moving. You don't want to just blindly pull the drum off using brute force because you will bend the clips that retain the shoes.



Mart.
 
If all else fails, there's always the hot wrench! (Sorry, couldn't resist!)
Brake shoes are sometimes installed without the retaining clips. Pulling on the drum then only tightens the drum like chinese handcuffs. If this is the case, you'll be able to move the drum just a fraction, but enough to determine that it is the shoes that are holding back.
 
If you have to undo the lower adjusters then look for the dots on the tabs, face them in towards each other. that should have the cam at its lowest point.
 
If the wheel cylinders are rusty from sitting the first push of the peal will leave the shoes pressed against the drums and result in the problem you describe.

Charlie Stephens
 
Hi,if all else fails and before you trash anything by using sheer brute force , take off the brake hose and wheel cyl. bolts ,undo the nuts on the lower adjusters and punch the bolts inside of the drum.....then you can haul the whole lot off with a bit of grunt applied. It'll bend the small shoe retainer tabs , but they can be straightened up again and everything else will still be serviceable.....good luck, Colin.
 
Old Col said:
Hi,if all else fails and before you trash anything by using sheer brute force , take off the brake hose and wheel cyl. bolts ,undo the nuts on the lower adjusters and punch the bolts inside of the drum.....then you can haul the whole lot off with a bit of grunt applied. It'll bend the small shoe retainer tabs , but they can be straightened up again and everything else will still be serviceable.....good luck, Colin.
Click to expand...

X2, It's a lot easier to repair the two shoe retainers than to deal with the bent backing plates and drums with broken lips that I have come across after other
people have tried to get things apart.
 
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