'89 Olds rear drum brakes
#1
'89 Olds rear drum brakes
Please help (again)! My wife's '89 Olds 88 has started doing strange things when the brakes are applied. There is a pulsation in the pedal ( no ABS on this car), and I can hear/feel a tick/groan/rub from the right rear wheel. It stops fine, however.
With the emergency brake off and the right rear wheel/tire removed, I can turn the hub by hand and feel a tight spot in the rotation. I suspect there's an irregularity in the drum that's rubbing one of the shoes as it passes.
To verify this, I need to remove the drum, and that's where the trouble starts. If the drums have ever been off this car, it's been a long time since. There is no play or give when I pull on the drum, but I don't see anything on the studs holding the drum on. And since the hub spins freely (except for that one spot), I can't see that the shoes are holding it on. My suspicion is that the drum and hub have rusted together. The question now is how to get them apart. Can I heat the inside perimeter of the drum to loosen it without running the risk of warping it? Or is there something I'm overlooking that will release the drum? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks - Chris
With the emergency brake off and the right rear wheel/tire removed, I can turn the hub by hand and feel a tight spot in the rotation. I suspect there's an irregularity in the drum that's rubbing one of the shoes as it passes.
To verify this, I need to remove the drum, and that's where the trouble starts. If the drums have ever been off this car, it's been a long time since. There is no play or give when I pull on the drum, but I don't see anything on the studs holding the drum on. And since the hub spins freely (except for that one spot), I can't see that the shoes are holding it on. My suspicion is that the drum and hub have rusted together. The question now is how to get them apart. Can I heat the inside perimeter of the drum to loosen it without running the risk of warping it? Or is there something I'm overlooking that will release the drum? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks - Chris
#2
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I've heard of people heating up drums for removal but I don't think I'd do it except as a last resort. Have you tried putting penetrating oil at the lugs and center? "Liquid Wrench" or "Kroil" would be what I would try.
#3
The brake shoes are holding it on. You will need to adjust the shoes back away from the drum so that you can remove it. There is a slot in the drum, or on the backing plate to allow access to the adjusting wheel. A service manual will give you instructions, as will www.autolibrary.org