drum removal

[KLEMM]

What would be the easiest way to remove the 3 bolts that hold the drum on. In the past I have welded a nut to the bolt and they came right out. Is there any harm done too the drum if I heated around the bolt with a torch? I don't want to change the temper or metal in the drum.

[Kevin Mienke]

The easiest way is to use an impact driver, but if you don't have an impact driver, put a blunt chisel in the slot of the screw and hit it with a hammer a few times.

I think you'll be able to get it done without heat. If not, you can heat the screw and then hold a bar of wax against it letting the wax get into the threads.

[maineSS]

Use flathead Allen screws as replacements- avoid the "stripped slot blues".

[KLEMM]

Kevin
I used a impact driver and broke the bit, I also broke a 1\2" drive 9/16"socket drag link. Any other ideas?

[Charles Talbert]

Kevin
I used a impact driver and broke the bit, I also broke a 1\2" drive 9/16"socket drag link. Any other ideas?

The blunt chiesel like Kevin suggested usually works without fail. It's the impact that does the trick, pulling with a drag link socket or the like will not have nearly as good a success rate. The chiesel works way better than the impact driver also.

[KLEMM]

Charles
I used the blunt chisel method first. Iwill definetly try it again.

[Gordon Maney]

Don't forget Kroil.

Also, there is the melted paraffin trick, though I have not tried it.

None of this is instead of the impact comments. It is in addition to.

[jsiebert]

I heated with map gas and used wax worked for me. John

[MontanaWDX]

Brake Drum removal

For brake drum removal (screws rusted/seized), I use a tool I got through my Snap - On dealer . It is a 1/2" torque driver (part PIT120 $56.60), that takes a flat tip screw driver bit (SW40E2A $10).

Its similar to holding a chisel and striking with a hammer. When you strike however, there is a torquing action (to the left or right depending on how the tool is adjusted) which helps remove the flat head screws holding the drum onto the hub. There was no damage to the screws, but I still got new ones at Fastenal (FSLMS 3/8-16x3/4Z KG $1.93 for 12).

The effect of the hammer blow holds the blade in the screw slot for the moment the torque action happens. I tried an impact gun but the blade jumps out of the screw slot.

I also used a penetrating chemical called "Blaster" (63247 $7.45 at Fastenal).

The torque driver and the chemical are indispensable when working on our old trucks.

[Gsmith]

Luckily the screws I've removed on my M series drums haven't put up too much of a fight. Just wanted to add that sometimes you need to go back and forth with the rotation to help brake loose corrosion and kind of clean the threads out too. I'm sure you probably know that anyway though.

[Gordon Maney]

Luckily the screws I've removed on my M series drums haven't put up too much of a fight. Just wanted to add that sometimes you need to go back and forth with the rotation to help brake loose corrosion and kind of clean the threads out too. I'm sure you probably know that anyway though.

Let me tell you something about saying things you believe everyone else already knows. You would be surprised at the number of people who enter this hobby and know no more about mechanical repairs than I know about brain surgery, which is nothing.

I have had a startling number of people tell me they got their truck and then went to Sears and got a box of tools.

For every thing that is shared that someone thinks is too simple to share, there is some number of people who are very pleased to have read what was shared.

Thank you for choosing to share your experience.

[Gsmith]

I'm more than happy to share, and I know everyone else is too, whatever I can. I'm into old Willys Jeeps also, and the forum I'm on has helped an enormous amount of people who started out having no idea about them.

[Desoto61]

Let me tell you something about saying things you believe everyone else already knows. You would be surprised at the number of people who enter this hobby and know no more about mechanical repairs than I know about brain surgery, which is nothing.

For every thing that is shared that someone thinks is too simple to share, there is some number of people who are very pleased to have read what was shared.

Thank you for choosing to share your experience.

Agreed. I'm not new to mechanical repairs but a lot of this is still new territory to me, so it's helpful to have even the "basic" tips on things like differentials and axles where I have little experience. Especially since the factory manuals are usually designed to give instructions to an experienced mechanic who only needs the details and specifics, not the freshman course.

I tend to go through the forums looking for tips and tricks before I start some new part of my rebuild. I try to copy the good points into a Word file and keep it with the manual when I start.