'40 Series 72 Rear Drums

[jbento]

Howdy!

So, how do I get these things off?

I have tried heating them, beating on them, and nothing seems to work.  I am scared to death of breaking them.

They have not been off the car in over 35 years.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

[John Washburn CLC 1067 Sadly deceased.]

Joe,

Cadillac and others take a special puller to help free up the rear drums. I could describe it, but if you want a picture let me know.

[jbento]

Joe,

Cadillac and others take a special puller to help free up the rear drums. I could describe it, but if you want a picture let me know.

Yes please.  Description and pictures would be helpful.  Also, where can I get such a puller?

Thanks!


Joe

[TMoore - NTCLC]

Joe -

Do a search of the forums for   drum   and the process is described, and one of the threads has a picture of a puller that you will need.  Please read all of the posts to get details - (the attached photo was sent to me courtesy of Mr. Ingler).

[Bill Gauch #23121]

Tod,
     That wheel puller seems odd. How does it pull the drums off if it's attached to the studs?

Joe,
     That said, with the heating and beating you've done having no effect, I'm betting one of three things is the case.
          1. Your hand brake is engaged holding the drum tight.
          2. Your adjusters weren't released, or worse, they were tightened.
          3. There is a ridge worn into the inside of the drum(s).

     All three of these has happened to me. In fact, they all happened to me on the same car on my first brake job ever. Isn't learning fun? I think the simple answer is check the first two. If it is, in fact, number 3, you will run the risk of breaking something. Of course, if you are doing a 35 year old brake job, I'm betting replacement of parts is in your near future. I wouldn't be too concerned with breakage. Care is always called for when dealing with old cars, but doing a 35 year old brake job on a 68 year old car is bound to have some troubles.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

That wheel puller seems odd. How does it pull the drums off if it's attached to the studs?

I think that you will find that with the '40 series 75's the drums and hubs are held to the axles by a tapered shaft with a Keyway.

Hence the heating and bashing.

Bruce.

[Bill Ingler #7799]

Bruce is correct. The axle shaft is tapered with an axle key. The puller pictured above shows the arms attached to 3 studs. What is does not show is the end of the axle with nut attached. The day I took that picture was only to show how the arms attached to the drum. The puller is designed so the end of the center threaded shaft of the puller is designed to push inward on the end of the axle shaft.  As you screw down on the puller shaft, this is turn is putting force on the axle. Since the axle can`t move then this force is directed out so then the 3 arms are pulling out on the drum. With enough force the drum will come off. A word of caution- always keep the axle nut on the axle with a few threads. Sometimes when the drum breaks free from the axle, the outward force of the drum with out the axle nut could cause the drum to become a missile. Don`t use a drum puller that grips the outside edges of the drum as this will either break the drum or distort the drum.

[Dave Leger CLC #19256]

Snap On and others sell pullers such as this one http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=all&item_ID=76459&group_ID=2248&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

Check with a local rental shop, and you may find that you can just rent one.  When I was contemplating doing my rear brakes on the 47 I checked, and they had rental pullers fairly cheap per day.  I ended up letting a shop deal with it all. 

I've also seen pullers come up on Ebay like this one http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/LARGE-HEAVY-DUTY-THREE-LEGGED-WHEEL-HUB-PULLER_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ43998QQihZ021QQitemZ310034420022QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

or this one http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/VINTAGE-BLUE-POINT-LARGE-THREE-LEGGED-WHEEL-HUB-PULLER_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ43998QQihZ021QQitemZ310034422722QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW


Dave

[jbento]

Howdy!

Thank you all for your assistance.  Here are the results.

The drums are off with no dammage to drums, or myself.

Renting the puller was not an option.  I tried Autozone, O'rielys, Napa.

Napa, however, did have one for sale.  $210.00.  Ouch.

But I reckoned that dammaging the drum would set me back significantly more, and dammaging myself even more than that.  So I "sucked it up" and bought the puller.

Armed with the right tool, and the directions that my friend Frank DeCou sent me (many many thanks Frank!), it took no more than 30 minutes to get them both off.  Not too hard at all.

The only question I have now is: how on earth did anyone take on a project like this before there was an internet and this message board?

Thanks again folks!

[Bob Schuman]

Joe,
The answer to your last question is "telephone and US Mail". I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist. That's the way a lot of us "real old timers" got help from one another.
Bob Schuman CLC#254(the number has no relation to length of membership)

[Terry Wenger CLC #1800]

Joe:

I have to chuckle at your question about how  did we do projects like your brake drums as Bob Schuman and I had a discussion on that very subject Wednesday night at our CLC meeting!

Back in the forties and fifties the rear brake drum was frequently held on the tapered axles with a nut. GM was one of the ones that later went to the drum held on by the lug nuts on a flanged axle and sometimes by an additional small bolt. So to anyone who worked on those cars was familiar with that method of removal.

Before the internet etc. we read shop manuals, Motor's manuals etc. and talked to mechanics and folks familiar with the cars. We also had a thing called an SASE which stood for a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope in which we would ask questions of the various experts and technicians and they would reply without the cost of a stamp. It worked well but didn't have the instant answers that come with the internet and email.  That wasn't all that long ago either!

Terry

[CEC #20099]

CEC #20099

Any Mopar guy would know what to do, seeing the nut threaded on the end of the axle.
I bought my puller in the late 50`s & still use it. My Grandfather ( & Mentor) showed me all about this when I was a young kid. That`s how a lot of us old farts learned.

Kids in the Auto Parts stores today have no clue.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Exactly,

In the old days, or should I say, in the days when there cars were being driven normally, everyone either knew someone with the same type of vehicle, or knew a Mechanic who knew another mechanic that knew how to do the task at hand.

These days, the old mechanics have either died off, or have retired off into the wilderness, and the new mechanics never really learned from the School of Hard Knocks and Skinned Knuckles" and people never got their cars repaired when they broke down.   They simply purchased another one.

Now, people find an "Old" car, and want to restore it.   But, nobody in their area has seen anything like it.   You see, all the population that used to be close-knit, have spread out, and the knowledge is being lost.   The Motor Car has created the vacuum of knowledge because it has allowed, and encouraged people to move farther away from the "Learning" centres.

Parts people now look at a computer screen, and if the Vin Number isn't found, then there is no such part.

Bruce. 

PS.   Oh, and when was the last time you saw a Garage or Service Station with Mechanics?

[Fisher]

The project for the day was to remove my rear drums on the 1948 75, and I just spent half the day trying to find a puller for rent. No luck yet.
Can I borrow yours?

I found them mail order and on eBay but that would take several days to get it.   $200 at Sears seems outragous for a tool I would need so seldom.

My search continues.

-fisher

Howdy!

Thank you all for your assistance.  Here are the results.

The drums are off with no dammage to drums, or myself.

Renting the puller was not an option.  I tried Autozone, O'rielys, Napa.

Napa, however, did have one for sale.  $210.00.  Ouch.

But I reckoned that dammaging the drum would set me back significantly more, and dammaging myself even more than that.  So I "sucked it up" and bought the puller.

Armed with the right tool, and the directions that my friend Frank DeCou sent me (many many thanks Frank!), it took no more than 30 minutes to get them both off.  Not too hard at all.

The only question I have now is: how on earth did anyone take on a project like this before there was an internet and this message board?

Thanks again folks!

[baxterculver]

The project for the day was to remove my rear drums on the 1948 75, and I just spent half the day trying to find a puller for rent. No luck yet.
Can I borrow yours?

I found them mail order and on eBay but that would take several days to get it.   $200 at Sears seems outragous for a tool I would need so seldom.

My search continues.

-fisher

Howdy!

Thank you all for your assistance.  Here are the results.

The drums are off with no dammage to drums, or myself.

Renting the puller was not an option.  I tried Autozone, O'rielys, Napa.

Napa, however, did have one for sale.  $210.00.  Ouch.

But I reckoned that dammaging the drum would set me back significantly more, and dammaging myself even more than that.  So I "sucked it up" and bought the puller.

Armed with the right tool, and the directions that my friend Frank DeCou sent me (many many thanks Frank!), it took no more than 30 minutes to get them both off.  Not too hard at all.

The only question I have now is: how on earth did anyone take on a project like this before there was an internet and this message board?

Thanks again folks!

I would check with various tool rental outfits--such as United, US Rents, or local outfits that rent party supplies, trenchers, backhoes, trailers, construction equipment, etc.  Locally, in Sacramento Calif, there are at least two companies that rent automotive tools for the occasional user! 

[Fisher]

Found the puller, (with 3 legs instead of the recommended 5), at a local rental yard. Cost $6.00 for the day. The drums popped right off without much effort. It helps to have the right tool for the job.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Helps the neighbours ears as well.

Bruce.

[Aeroman (Juan Ramirez)]

Fellas, does the tool also apply to a '39 LaSalle 50 series?  I have a '39 LaSalle opera coupe model 5027 and I will be doing the rear brakes soon.  Thanks.

[Fred Zwicker #23106]

I bought this wheel puller from J.C. Whitney for $57.99 and it worked on removing the rear hubs from my 1939 LaSalle.  To find it, go to www.jcwhitney.com and put in Keyword in the very small "SEARCH" space at top left hand side of page, then click "GO".  (Kind of hard to find the Keyword space on their home page, but it it there - keep looking).

6 Wheel pullers come up and there is also a wheel puller for removing the steering wheel.   I have posted the picture of this tool below.
Here is the copy from their online catalog:

PROFESSIONAL 3-ARM HUB PULLER
Retail: $97.54Our Low Price: $57.99You Save: $39.55Customer Review:Availability:In Stock - Will ship within 24 hours 

   
For 5-, 6-, 7- or 8-hole bolt circles from 3" to 7" diameter
Hardened steel pulling screw
Simplifies removal of rear hub and drum…a must when pulling a wheel!
3/4" square head adjusts easily with wrench. Slide hammer attachment sold separately. Includes special wrench to turn screw. Pulling strength: 56,000 psi. 

Professional Hub Puller, 3-arm Puller for 5-, 6-, 7- or 8-hole Bolt Circles ZX128895A Each $97.54
$57.99
You Save:
$39.55  Will ship within 24 hours   

Overall Rating   5 out of 5 
Rating Snapshot (3 reviews)
5 stars 3 4 stars 0 3 stars 0 2 stars 0 1 star 0 
3 of 3 (100%) customers would recommend this product to a friend. 
Read all reviews   Write a review    Share this Product:     


Overall Rating:   5 out of 5 
By Stevej from Morristown, NJ  (read all my reviews)

Ease of Use/Installation:   5 out of 5 
Features:   5 out of 5 
Quality/Construction:   5 out of 5 


"Impossible situation solved in minutes with this puller!
Great product, every backyard mechanic needs one!!"

Hub puller worked great!, April 2, 2007
By JCWCustomer from USA  (read all my reviews)

Ease of Use/Installation:   5 out of 5 
Features:   5 out of 5 
Quality/Construction:   5 out of 5 
"Hub puller worked great!. Thanks JC Whitney."

Hub Puller for Early Jeep Rear Axles, August 22, 2006
By MightyMo from Toledo Ohio  (read all my reviews)

Ease of Use/Installation:   5 out of 5 
Features:   5 out of 5 
Quality/Construction:   5 out of 5 


"Early Jeep (1945 to 1971) rear axles have the hubs installed with a taper. This is a LOCKING taper. (esespeciallyhen the nut is tightened with an impact wrench)

Tighten it as tight as you can and strike the wrench end of the screw with a large hammer. Then tighten it more and strike again. After a few tighten/strike routines. (BANG off it comes)

I use this puller to get the toughest ones loose. Just be sure to keep the nut backed off only 1/8". If the nut is not on to stop the hub/puller assembly they will fly across the room when the hub comes loose."


What does the included special wrench look like? I hope it is a "Tee" type adapter that allows the user to hit it with a hammer.
Q: These type of hub pullers usually have a tee adapter that allows the user to hit it. I do not see a picture of the special wrench that is included with by rdsar - Arkansas
 
What is the special wrench included with the puller
Q: I would hope it is a tee handle that you hit with a hammer similar to what is included with other hub pullers
2 months, 2 weeks ago
by rdsar - Arkansas

[homeonprunehill]

Fellas, does the tool also apply to a '39 LaSalle 50 series?  I have a '39 LaSalle opera coupe model 5027 and I will be doing the rear brakes soon.  Thanks.

04-26-08
JUAN, the answer to your question is YES.   Good Luck,Jim