1972 240Z rear brake drum removal????

[GCSS]

I used penetrating oils, heat and light hammering....drum is stuck.
Maybe I need a puller?
Ideas?
Thanks
12/71 production...finned probably aluminum

[zKars]

This has been discussed at length. A search will bring you many suggestions.

I have found heat to be the secret, its just how much you need, and where, and a propane torch may not be enough. Consentrate on the drum around the hub, rather than the hub itself. It seems the corrosion between the face of the hub and the back of the drum is the killer, not so much there circle where the hub sticks out.

One session with a puller resulted in the drum coming off, but in pieces....

Do not give up! You're better than some lousy rust!

Jim

[Zs-ondabrain]

With the tire off, rotate the drum so the small 5/32" hole in the drum is at about 7 O'clock (as the clock sits) on the drivers side and and use a flash light to look into the hole. You're looking for a gear looking peice with horizontal teeth.

When you find those teeth, use a long skinny flat head screwdriver in the hole and reach PAST the teeth to release the lock bar, that holds the gear from turning. To release it, get the screw up against the bottom of the gear and toward the center of the bottom of the drum. What you are trying to do is push the lock bar down and to do it you need to get above the bar.

When you feel yuou've released it, put the screw driver onto the teeth and rotate the teeth of the gear downwards for as many turns as you can. You'll be releasing the tention on the pads from the drum.

It's hard for me to explain but I hope you get the just of it. The picture shows the bar, the gear and should help you understand. The picture is of the drivers side. The passenger sides gear is on the right, opposite of the drivers side.

[Zs-ondabrain]

Also, when that is done, pull the drum outwards with your left hand, while tapping the drum on the center between the studs. Sometimes the paint or rust will hold the aluminum drum to the steel stub axle plate. Heat the drum in that area but NOT the stub axles center peice. Heat will expand the drum and hopefully come loose. Heating the center peice (steel) will only hold it on better = not good.

[Neumeier]

First of all, you need to be sure that the brake shoes are not hitting the drum by backing off on the adjusters, if you can.

After this, applying heat (lots) in the area around the wheel studs, not to the entire drum, is the way to go. You can also put some penetrating oil in this area too, and let it sit overnight. You may GENTLY tap the drum too, but don't overdue it. Sometimes just from heating they will pop right off. Upon reassembly, I put a VERY thin layer of grease on the steel flange (part where wheel studs are) so that the drum is less likely to stick in the future. I think that one reason why this contact area corrodes is that there are dissimilar metals in contact (steel for the flange and aluminum for the drum), this promotes corrosion.

[GCSS]

This has been discussed at length. A search will bring you many suggestions.

I have found heat to be the secret, its just how much you need, and where, and a propane torch may not be enough. Consentrate on the drum around the hub, rather than the hub itself. It seems the corrosion between the face of the hub and the back of the drum is the killer, not so much there circle where the hub sticks out.

One session with a puller resulted in the drum coming off, but in pieces....

Do not give up! You're better than some lousy rust!

Jim

I started with the penetrating oils....
then went to the propane torch
then propane torch and penetrating oils
then I brought out the flame wrench (Ox acetylene)
I know to stay off the center hub.
I heated in a circular direction around the drum between the wheel studs and the hub and even heated around each stud. I never did get it red hot.
Tapped and heated tapped and heated....not even budging.I then soaked it in PB Blaster and walked away. This is when I contacted the forum here. I guess I have been using the right approach. (Heat and beat)
I'll just take my time and eventually it will separate. I don't think at this point the shoes are holding anything since the drum has not even moved at all. Once it starts to move and then stops,then I know the shoes will need to be backed off. I thank you guys for the speedy chime-ins and tips.
The backing-off proceedure just might be needed.
Thanks again.
GCSS

[GCSS]

well got the drum off!
I soaked it in brake fluid/ATF mix for two days, then heated it more aggressively .
Some more tapping and it finally eased off.
Nice to see the drums and shoes in very good shape!
I'll order new wheel cylinders and hoses and we will have brakes before too long!
Thanks for the inputs!

[GCSS]

Well I wound up having to remove the other drum.... 3 days later still stuck.....until......
I did this neat trick.... I heated the drum around the flange and wheel studs, then took a candle and touched it to the hot metal.... it went into the tight spots and with a little tapping PRESTO!
WAX did the trick.