Air hammer was the key! Tried everything else that everybody else suggested, but the air hammer worked a treat. I just stuck a junk impact socket to the end of a worn out chisel end, that's all I had, but it worked perfectly. Thank you for posting this, it was a big help.
I worked for a whole day trying to free my stuck brake drum. Took a break and found your video. I used my air hammer on it for about 5 minutes and the drum slid right off. Cant thank you enough for the help and guidance! Super video.
You rocked that well, i have to do mine for 16 tacoma 2.7. I do hope it plays well, if not these tips you have shown us here will add to the victory in complete the job. Thank you sir.
Great video and thanks for really showing how to loosen the self adjuster form the back side-BIG TIME!! Also, and this is very important Levon, I absolutely Loved you when you were the drummer for The Band!!!! "Virgil Kane is the name and I served on the Danville train...."
Lol...well at least one of the reasons. I have got this axle converted to disc brakes and it way out-performs the drum brakes it had. I now need to upgrade the front disc to larger rotors and dual-piston calipers. Thank you for watching.
This is another reason to really hate drum breaks.. haha. You are right, also, I wouldn't say I like drum brakes and right now I got two stuck drum brakes outside. yesterday I spent 3 hours trying to open them but failed and now I am looking for some tips from RUclips to open them. I hate them too.
I just removed both my rear brake drums for the first time ever! My secret. I used my $200 rubber sledge hammer from "Mac's Hardware." It is a 12 lb. Deadblow hammer that is 36" long. The drum had rust welded itself to the shaft that centers your wheel on the hub. 5 good whacks all over and it came right off!
Wow hopefully this works tomorrow tried all day to get it off my horse brakes are stuck to the drum and won’t come off hopefully I can get to the adjuster and do what you showed 🙏🙏🙏🙏
hah thanks for the pep talk, i needed someone to basically say 'get a hammer and smack the plop out of it'. turned out i was being a bit too gentle with my hammer blows
I'll save you some time. Strike the drum at the outside edge toward the diff, alternate across the drum. What happens is it levers against the axle flange. Drum usually survives with out being bent, but bad stuck ones often get bent.
Easy (but most have a problem with obvious solutions): - do not install discs/drums dry, you can lightly lubricate or spray paint the hub, no more rust problem, - make a chamfer (lathe) on the brand new drum, so the "ridge" doesn't develop and shoes don't catch.
I think Autozone has a rent a tool puller u can rent leave the deposit and once your done they'll give u your deposit money back if you have a Autozone or O'Reilly Auto parts hopefully this helps someone thanks for your post and Everyone have a Great Day
I just got two stuck drums off a truck rear by drilling two 5/16 holes in the drum & slightly into the axle flange. The axle is forged steel which will yield a rolled chip & the drum is cast iron which yields small flakes of cast iron. This is the easiest way to tell you are through the brake drum. Then look for the rust ring at the bottom of the hole & continue to drill until the 5/16 hole is through the drum. Use a bolt through the nut to center the nut over the hole you drilled. Weld a 5/16 nut to the drum using high nickel content welding rod for cast iron. Once you have it off, cut the nuts off & grind smooth. Grind the rust off the axle & interior ring of the drum. I hesitate using a hammer on any thing when bearings are absorbing the force. Working in an automotive machine shop for years, replaced may bearing that failed due to these forces.
Greetings from Styria, I am totally enthusiastic about you and your tips and advice👌👍💪. I have a concern and don't know what to do next with my jeep grand cherokee 4.7l v8 built in 2000. It only runs on 7 cylinders. The eighth cylinder doesn't like. I have the ..... Fällercot P0208 .... I have new injectors, new spark plugs, new ignition coils. AND it still runs restlessly and against the fällercot P0208. The spark plugs have sparks, the injectors also work and inject gasoline, what else can I do ?????. Thank you in advance. Greetings from Daniel Förster from Krennach
Question....the adjuster from behind after you remove the plug---> isn't it true for most cars the adjuster is setup to bring the shoes wider apart?...and the "ratchet" wheel will not rotate the other way narrower unless the spring-arm on the star-wheel has it's tension released? If so....how do you do this from behind?
Yes, it is pretty much typical for vehicles with drums and shoes. Yeah, I use a narrower straight blade screwdriver to push the arm outward. That is holding the star wheel and then another tool to rotate the star wheel. Thank you for watching.
Some vehicles have two bolt holes that use 8mm bolts I just put them in & turn them & presto comes off easy, I would never use heat torch on a drum chances could cause fire & even damage the wheel cylinders rubber boots & seals inside the cylinders.
Hey martin what is the axle width for those durango and Dakota axles? If you dont mind helping me out. Wheel mount surface to wheel mount surface. Im debating doing either a ford 9in or the chysler 9.25 swap to my wj. And lets just say the 9.25 is more affordable
too bad you didn't ask me yesterday, I just removed the axles and entire drum brake system and doing a disc brake conversion. Give me a week and I should have it all back together and be able to answer your question. I'm liking the 9.25, I feel doing a gear setup seems easier than most other rear ends.
Hey Martin, how difficult of a project is that, switching to disc breaks?? I have a 2002 QuadCab 4.7 with rear drum breaks, would love to switch to disc breaks. Would i need mess around with trani?? Also, this truck has 1 piston caliper, i know that some Dakotas with the 4.7 have disc breaks all around have front calipers with 2 pistons, would i be able to switch out the calipers for better breaking power??
The easiest thing you can do to put disk brakes on the rear of your Dakota is to get them from a 93 through 98Jeep Cherokee ZJ. I'm doing it the hard way I'm getting mine from an 03 Durango they have larger disk breaks. Currently working on that project right now hopefully I have it done in the next couple of weeks. I'll have the 1st video out this Friday which will show you part of why it's not so easy. Yes you can install dual piston calipers in the front from a 2003 and 2004 Dakota and l 2002-2004 Durango. I will also be doing that conversion as well.
@@martinbuilt 👍👍👍 Thanks Martin, im not too mechanically inclined but i try to do as much as i can on both my Dakotas, 2004 4.7 2 door SPORT and 2002 4.7 4 door SLT. Prior to those i had a 1997 3.9 2 door SPORT (regret getting rid of it). Love all your videos, all the mods you do. Cant wait to see the final project of your Dakota
maybe spraying water on the drum after applying heat? The thermal shock may have helped. On the other hand, progressively larger hammers do wonders as well.
Can't pull drums from '03 Alero due to ridge on drum interferring with shoes. Usually would back off adjuster....BUT, there is NO ADJUSTER HOLE in the backing plate!!! Never encountered this. Can use the brake caliper guage to make adjustment of new shoes be fore putting drum back on, letting automatic adjuster make final adjustment. But, cannot back shoes off to remove drum. One suggestion was cut spring pin head off on backing plate.
@@martinbuilt Thanks for suggestion, but no access through drum front either. Further examination, appears must disconnect parking brake cables to get enough slack on shoes to clear ridge. Trailing locating arm is located right where typical access hole is on the backing plate. Must have been a D- project design in Engineering school......
@@stlpro2a386 What did you end up doing? My drums are loose from the flange, metal shavings fall out, so I know there's a ridge! NO adjusting slots front or back! ??
Not everybody has fancy tools like you, what I do is just wack it between the studs with a hammer and they brake loose. If your aim is not good and you don't want to damage the threads on the studs use 2 hammers. Place one between the wheel studs and hit it with the other ball pin hammer same result.
Perhaps the lubricant finally kicked in helping the air hammer, I stripped 1 of the 2 bolts that were to press out the drum, so that didnt work, can I borrow your air hammer😅, maybe I can spray more lub on & use a slugg hammer, well that's my plan for tomorrow, perhaps I can get some heat on it aswell...
Bro, you just reminded me my dad!! He always had a "plan b" and his "secret weapon" in case everything else failed!! Thanks a lot, my car's bearings thank you too!! Damn,how much I miss my dad...✌️🥲✌️
You make me feel about buy that air hammer yesterday, I plan on doing my brakes real soon
Air hammer was the key! Tried everything else that everybody else suggested, but the air hammer worked a treat. I just stuck a junk impact socket to the end of a worn out chisel end, that's all I had, but it worked perfectly. Thank you for posting this, it was a big help.
I worked for a whole day trying to free my stuck brake drum. Took a break and found your video. I used my air hammer on it for about 5 minutes and the drum slid right off. Cant thank you enough for the help and guidance! Super video.
The island boys
You rocked that well, i have to do mine for 16 tacoma 2.7. I do hope it plays well, if not these tips you have shown us here will add to the victory in complete the job. Thank you sir.
Great video and thanks for really showing how to loosen the self adjuster form the back side-BIG TIME!!
Also, and this is very important Levon, I absolutely Loved you when you were the drummer for The Band!!!!
"Virgil Kane is the name and I served on the Danville train...."
Good one Martin!!! I hate drum brakes with passion
I heard that! 🤬
Thanks for post im trying to remove one right now from one of my 1963 impalas i have. Have a Great Day
Good vid.Clear demo.Thanks!😎👍✌🇨🇦
Hilarious! When he said,'this is why you should hate drum brakes!'
Lol...well at least one of the reasons. I have got this axle converted to disc brakes and it way out-performs the drum brakes it had. I now need to upgrade the front disc to larger rotors and dual-piston calipers.
Thank you for watching.
I don't know why they came out with drum brakes. The drums are hell to get off and brakes are hell to put on.
Great how to video. Thanks Martin.
Glad you enjoyed it
Thank you so much ;
Very excellent procedure .
You gave me a good laugh Martin because I’ve been there lol, great video 👍😁
Glad you enjoyed it, the first drum gave up after apply heat and smacking it with the hammer. This one was much more stubborn.
Great job! Wish I had hammer deal🤩
This is another reason to really hate drum breaks.. haha. You are right, also, I wouldn't say I like drum brakes and right now I got two stuck drum brakes outside. yesterday I spent 3 hours trying to open them but failed and now I am looking for some tips from RUclips to open them. I hate them too.
I just removed both my rear brake drums for the first time ever! My secret. I used my $200 rubber sledge hammer from "Mac's Hardware." It is a 12 lb. Deadblow hammer that is 36" long. The drum had rust welded itself to the shaft that centers your wheel on the hub. 5 good whacks all over and it came right off!
Wow hopefully this works tomorrow tried all day to get it off my horse brakes are stuck to the drum and won’t come off hopefully I can get to the adjuster and do what you showed 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Good luck with that and thank you for watching
hah thanks for the pep talk, i needed someone to basically say 'get a hammer and smack the plop out of it'. turned out i was being a bit too gentle with my hammer blows
Nice video dude!
Thank you I'm glad you liked it and found it helpful thanks for watching.
Thank you I'm glad you liked it and found it helpful.
@@martinbuilthey mane da po-lice came said I wuz beatin it 2 loud
Hey Martin, any solution if the adjuster is frozen and won’t adjust down? Even by pushing the adjuster lock away it won’t budge up or down.
awesome! one of the more entertaining "how to" videos of yours.
I'm glad you liked it.😎👍
I'll save you some time. Strike the drum at the outside edge toward the diff, alternate across the drum. What happens is it levers against the axle flange. Drum usually survives with out being bent, but bad stuck ones often get bent.
Easy (but most have a problem with obvious solutions):
- do not install discs/drums dry, you can lightly lubricate or spray paint the hub, no more rust problem,
- make a chamfer (lathe) on the brand new drum, so the "ridge" doesn't develop and shoes don't catch.
Cost me $100 but I bought a puller that gets the drum off quickly. Thanks for the informative and well presented video.
Thank you I'm glad you liked it.
I think Autozone has a rent a tool puller u can rent leave the deposit and once your done they'll give u your deposit money back if you have a Autozone or O'Reilly Auto parts hopefully this helps someone thanks for your post and Everyone have a Great Day
I just got two stuck drums off a truck rear by drilling two 5/16 holes in the drum & slightly into the axle flange.
The axle is forged steel which will yield a rolled chip & the drum is cast iron which yields small flakes of cast iron.
This is the easiest way to tell you are through the brake drum.
Then look for the rust ring at the bottom of the hole & continue to drill until the 5/16 hole is through the drum.
Use a bolt through the nut to center the nut over the hole you drilled.
Weld a 5/16 nut to the drum using high nickel content welding rod for cast iron.
Once you have it off, cut the nuts off & grind smooth.
Grind the rust off the axle & interior ring of the drum.
I hesitate using a hammer on any thing when bearings are absorbing the force.
Working in an automotive machine shop for years, replaced may bearing that failed due to these forces.
Was getting bored until you released it thank god 👍
Glad you enjoyed it. 😁
بعد شُكر الله
وووالثناء عليه
أشكُرّك نصيحّة
جيدّة 👌🏽وفعآلّة .
Outstanding! Many thanks!!!
Thank you I appreciate that. I'm glad you liked it and found it helpful.
What if your adjuster is frozen ?
Got the conversion video I'd love disk brakes
Great job. My brake drum on my 2011 silverado LT 1500 5.3liter does have those 2 holes, but what bolt size should I use ?
Must be a standard thread, 7/16" or so... 👌
Brother I hate drum brakes as well ! But thank you for the tips. 👍🏻
Greetings from Styria, I am totally enthusiastic about you and your tips and advice👌👍💪. I have a concern and don't know what to do next with my jeep grand cherokee 4.7l v8 built in 2000. It only runs on 7 cylinders. The eighth cylinder doesn't like. I have the ..... Fällercot P0208 .... I have new injectors, new spark plugs, new ignition coils. AND it still runs restlessly and against the fällercot P0208. The spark plugs have sparks, the injectors also work and inject gasoline, what else can I do ?????. Thank you in advance. Greetings from Daniel Förster from Krennach
Air hammer is a great idea. Did you just weld the hammer to a rod ?
Thanks, I used a impact socket installed it upside down to Chesil attachment and then welded it on
great great job have a great day besafe always
Thank you. I'm glad you liked it and found it helpful. Have a great day, and be safe.
What are you up to Martin. Never had to mess with drums. My air hammer came in handy replacing my rear rusty leaf spring shackle. Thanks
been working on this axle. It will be going into my 01 Dakota. Converting the drums to disc.
Good video 👍👍
Thanks 👍
Like the home made air hammer
Thank you 😊
If the brakes are seized must I take them apart to bleed the brakes and get them working again?
The names of my 3 BFH's are motivation encouragement and pursuation
Lol. Love it!!
Question....the adjuster from behind after you remove the plug---> isn't it true for most cars the adjuster is setup to bring the shoes wider apart?...and the "ratchet" wheel will not rotate the other way narrower unless the spring-arm on the star-wheel has it's tension released? If so....how do you do this from behind?
Yes, it is pretty much typical for vehicles with drums and shoes.
Yeah, I use a narrower straight blade screwdriver to push the arm outward. That is holding the star wheel and then another tool to rotate the star wheel.
Thank you for watching.
@@martinbuilt ...yeah I kinda was afraid this may end up a 2 -hand operation with my face on the backside !!.....haha.......
Nice video
Some vehicles have two bolt holes that use 8mm bolts I just put them in & turn them & presto comes off easy, I would never use heat torch on a drum chances could cause fire & even damage the wheel cylinders rubber boots & seals inside the cylinders.
Thank you 👍
You are welcome 😊
Hey martin what is the axle width for those durango and Dakota axles? If you dont mind helping me out. Wheel mount surface to wheel mount surface. Im debating doing either a ford 9in or the chysler 9.25 swap to my wj. And lets just say the 9.25 is more affordable
too bad you didn't ask me yesterday, I just removed the axles and entire drum brake system and doing a disc brake conversion. Give me a week and I should have it all back together and be able to answer your question. I'm liking the 9.25, I feel doing a gear setup seems easier than most other rear ends.
Hey Martin, how difficult of a project is that, switching to disc breaks?? I have a 2002 QuadCab 4.7 with rear drum breaks, would love to switch to disc breaks. Would i need mess around with trani?? Also, this truck has 1 piston caliper, i know that some Dakotas with the 4.7 have disc breaks all around have front calipers with 2 pistons, would i be able to switch out the calipers for better breaking power??
The easiest thing you can do to put disk brakes on the rear of your Dakota is to get them from a 93 through 98Jeep Cherokee ZJ. I'm doing it the hard way I'm getting mine from an 03 Durango they have larger disk breaks. Currently working on that project right now hopefully I have it done in the next couple of weeks. I'll have the 1st video out this Friday which will show you part of why it's not so easy.
Yes you can install dual piston calipers in the front from a 2003 and 2004 Dakota and l 2002-2004 Durango. I will also be doing that conversion as well.
@@martinbuilt 👍👍👍
Thanks Martin, im not too mechanically inclined but i try to do as much as i can on both my Dakotas, 2004 4.7 2 door SPORT and 2002 4.7 4 door SLT. Prior to those i had a 1997 3.9 2 door SPORT (regret getting rid of it). Love all your videos, all the mods you do. Cant wait to see the final project of your Dakota
maybe spraying water on the drum after applying heat? The thermal shock may have helped. On the other hand, progressively larger hammers do wonders as well.
Thanks for the tip 👍
but what about the adjuster lever that allows the adjuster wheel to only spin one way, to tighten? Not quite as easy as shown here.
Sometimes you need another tool like a smaller screwdriver to push the adjustment lever outwards.
Fought a brake drum today too
Nice hat how do I go about purchasing one?
you can contact me on
Facebook facebook.com/Martinbuilt-2351766611763181
Can't pull drums from '03 Alero due to ridge on drum interferring with shoes. Usually would back off adjuster....BUT, there is NO ADJUSTER HOLE in the backing plate!!! Never encountered this. Can use the brake caliper guage to make adjustment of new shoes be fore putting drum back on, letting automatic adjuster make final adjustment. But, cannot back shoes off to remove drum. One suggestion was cut spring pin head off on backing plate.
Have you checked the face of the drum? Sometimes the adjuster hole is there.
@@martinbuilt Thanks for suggestion, but no access through drum front either. Further examination, appears must disconnect parking brake cables to get enough slack on shoes to clear ridge. Trailing locating arm is located right where typical access hole is on the backing plate. Must have been a D- project design in Engineering school......
@@stlpro2a386 What did you end up doing? My drums are loose from the flange, metal shavings fall out, so I know there's a ridge! NO adjusting slots front or back! ??
Bfh works good too 😊JR
I couldn’t get mine off today I have no special tools so not sure what else to do
Sometimes you gotta give up and sell the car as is
Thanks
I'm glad you liked it and found it helpful and thank you for watching
Now let's get rid of those drum brakes.😁😁
I heard that 😅
Not everybody has fancy tools like you, what I do is just wack it between the studs with a hammer and they brake loose. If your aim is not good and you don't want to damage the threads on the studs use 2 hammers. Place one between the wheel studs and hit it with the other ball pin hammer same result.
When I did the first drum it came off after I applied the heat and they hit it with the hammer.
Wasn’t aware a air hammer was a fancy tool
Rusty welding! Thanks
Can I borrow that air hammer?
Sure come on over
Perhaps the lubricant finally kicked in helping the air hammer, I stripped 1 of the 2 bolts that were to press out the drum, so that didnt work, can I borrow your air hammer😅, maybe I can spray more lub on & use a slugg hammer, well that's my plan for tomorrow, perhaps I can get some heat on it aswell...
Good job but drilling 2 holes and tapping them for a forged bolt to push the drum out would be easy than takin out whole axle
How are you going to drill holes and tap them when it’s stuck on?
Genius
Bro, you just reminded me my dad!! He always had a "plan b" and his "secret weapon" in case everything else failed!! Thanks a lot, my car's bearings thank you too!! Damn,how much I miss my dad...✌️🥲✌️
apply heat like you did then immediately touch around the studs and axle with bees wax, should fall right off
Or you could also just buy a new drum and use a grinder/Sawzall to cut off the old drum in half.
Your good thano
Glad you found it helpful
I have toyota where are threads for bolts to loosen the drum. But go figure rust is eaten treads away and u cant remove drums anyway so... 😤
anti-sieze on everything
Thank you!!
Had to grind my license plate bolts off today because the guy before me never heard of anti seize.
👍👍👍👍👍👍🖐️
😁
I do not want to pull the axle off!
Great fucking tips
The only easy way to take it off is to use a brake puller
This is the first video you have ever posted where I disagree 110% with you method.
wow, that's a lot. 🤔