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Help!! Brake drum stuck on spline
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Corney13
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 1:48 pm    Post subject: Help!! Brake drum stuck on spline Reply with quote

I'm hoping some of you gurus can help me out. I recently purchased a 63 beetle. I am replacing the brakes and the drum is seized to the spline. The drum rotates freely and ye, the castle but is removed. The other drum came off by hand. I bought a drum puller and the drum is literally bowing! Won't budge. I have tryed applying heat with a torch... Nothing. Not sure what to do...

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Northof49
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 2:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Did you apply some penetrant to the spline area? Something like Liquid Wrench? Maybe spray it, leave it overnight, and then try again. Possibly some tapping around the rim of the drum with a hammer might help loosen it up.
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drscope
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 4:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

First are you sure it's stuck on the splines and not the shoes? Looks for sure like the splines in your photo, but just checking.

If the drum has worn to the point that it now has a lip inside that can hang up on the shoes. But you usually get some movement.

Heat is difficult to get to work on a brake drum since the whole idea of the drum is to dissipate friction heat. Most folks don't have what it takes to get enough heat into the drum for it to actually do anything. Propane torch might as well be a candle. You need a rose bud on an oxy/acetelyne set up.

Use some penetrating oil - be patient. But if the car is drivable you may want to consider putting the axle nut back on hand tight, dropping a cotter pin in so it can't fall off and going for a ride. Maybe some hard cornering will help break it loose.

If it isn't drivable put the wheel back on and use it as leverage to try to get the drum to come free.

You may also try a hammer on the drum. Hitting it on the flat surface where the wheel mounts may be enough to shock it into letting go.

Puller and shock may also be the way to go. But I wouldn't pull as hard on the puller as it appears you have been pulling!

If you have air tools it may also help to use a flat hammer on an air chisel. Work it with that a while and maybe that will help it come loose.
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Corney13
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 5:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I do have an air hammer. I will try that. It is definitely stuck on the spline. I bought new drums , so I don't care if I ruin the drum trying to remove it. I just don't want to mess the spline up
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drscope
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 5:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I feel your frustration, but at the same time it's good practice not to destroy parts unless it's absolutely necessary. Mainly because you usually end up wrecking 2 or 3 other parts around the one piece you are working on.

From your photo it just looks as if it's rusted itself in place.

I'd go at it with the penetrating oil and the air hammer. Looks like one of those jobs you need to sped about 2 minutes on and then walk away and work on something else for half an hour, then 2 more minutes with the air hammer and walk away.

That's usually much more productive then just frustrating yourself on the same irritating job for a couple hours.
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 5:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Try the air hammer in several ways- I first apply the hammer to the press bolt on the puller. Then to the face of the drum near the axle, (this will shake it in both directions) and then to several spots on the back lip.

Do not use a lot of pressure- you are only "shaking" it. the more pressure the more distortion to the drum and that will bind up stuff.

Make sure the brake adjustment is loose.
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Corney13
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 5:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I will need to get another attachment for the hammer. Just realized I just have the chisel.

I also tried placing a socket around the axle shaft and hitting that with my little 4lb sledge. Nothing.

I am going to walk away for a bit cause I might start throwing things.bit Evil or Very Mad

If it comes to it, anyone ever cut one off? I have a new drum , shoes, all the springs and hardware and new brake cylinders. I don't care if I destroy all of that, as long as I don't mess up the axle or bearings. I'm not sure how it would be done without cutting into the spine.
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drscope
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 6:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I really dislike buying stuff from Horrible Freight, but I do look for their sales on air hammers some times. Not for the hammer, but for the 5 or so chisels that come with the hammer.

I often weld other things to them in order to make new chisels to do specific jobs.

Just something you may want to think about if you have a welder. Weld a piece of scrap to the tip of pointed chisel you have and go for it.
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Corney13
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 3:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ok.... F this! I cut some grooves in the drum so I can use a puller that attached closer to center, still won't budge. At this point I think I should just replace the axle off a parts car. What years can I use?
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57BLITZ
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 3:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Corney13 wrote:
Ok.... F this! I cut some grooves in the drum so I can use a puller that attached closer to center, still won't budge. At this point I think I should just replace the axle off a parts car. What years can I use?


For U.S models . . .
The short axles were used up through 1966.
1967 used a longer axle as did 1968.

LOTS of work to replace an axle shaft! I would be trying an oxy/acetylene torch before that if it were me!
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Northof49
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 4:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would really try hard to avoid replacing the axle. It is best done with the transmission out. Split the drum if need be. Use a zip disc to cut mostly through parallel to the splines, then crack it with a chisel.
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Corney13
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 5:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah, after walking away and taking a shower, I agree, I don't want to replace the axle. I'm just frustrated, as I've been at this one drum for a week. I will cut the drum in half.... Sigh Confused [/quote]
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Corney13
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 12:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Finally got the drum off! I cut a third of it off with an air cut off wheel. It took about 3 hours to cut through. Once it was mostly cut, I used an air chisel to break the piece off. I then ground down the drum along the spline until it was close, then attached the puller to it. I tightened up the puller and gave the split drum a couple taps with a hammer and it finally popped loose. I nicked the spline with the cutting disc, but nothing that I feel would prevent me from using the spline. I'll post pictures later. The site is not allowing me to pull the photos from my phone.
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carcrazed
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 5:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You have better luck than I did. I spent a month pulling, heating, beating and finally cutting the drum off my 61. I ended up destroying the splines and having to replace the entire axle.
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Corney13
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Carcrazed, that sucks! I thought I was going to have the same issue. Not easy cutting the drum without damaging anything else. I put a little notch in 2 of the splines , but I think the spline is still fine.

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carcrazed
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 20, 2014 4:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow...that SURE looks familiar except that I had a cut through most of my splines. At least you got that bugger off! Those drums are a PIA to cut through.
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