Transit. Brake drum removal sugestions.

Orionaut

Orionaut

Orionaut

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2 Aug 2012
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Tne Problem.

I am guessing that one of the shoie linings has come adrift and moved round wedging the other shoe firmly against the inside of the drum.

Trying to drive backwards/forwards has not shifted it.

The drum is locked solid and therefore cannot be removed.

So the question is. Any clever suggestions on how to remove the drum so that repairs may be effected. :D

Whacking the drum with a big hammer is one (Which may or may not work), as is cutting the drum in half with an angle grinder.

Any other suggestions. It would be nice not to have to destroy the drum
 
Tried a puller on the drum? May help get it off.

Not sure what the transit set up is, but if it's a stub axle set up (if it's not rear wheel drive) then maybe removing the stub axle might give enough play to get it off.

That said - I'd be taking a grinder to the drum. Easiest solution.
 
If you could tell us how the drum became seized then that would give a better indication to what the problem is which would lead us to the right solution. Were you travelling when it suddenly locked up or has it been left standing for a period with the handbrake firmly on and now it's seized on?
 
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Our old transit used to do this after being parked up for a couple of weeks and was easily released by taking a lump hammer to the wheel nuts (they will take a good blow without damaging the thread)obviously take the handbrake off and have someone hold it on the bite of the clutch while you shock the wheel studs then away you'll go!
 
Kaeo said:
Club hammer time son, be gentle.
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Correct abut the hammer - but don't be gentle - hit it hard! Go round the rums in 3'clock. 6 oclcok, 9 oclock, 12 oclock and so on until the drum comes off.
 
Thanks all for the suggestions and responses.

This was a bit of a shot in the dark really, I never seriously expected anybody to come up with a silver bullet on this! :(

I just wish Ford had put some threaded holes into the drum (As some other manufacturers do) so that I might have had the possibility of jacking the drum off using some long bolts. (#!:eek: :D :D )

The drum s really wedged solid. (As I said in OP. I suspect that the friction material has come adrift from one of the shoes and managed to wedge itself behind the other one)

I guess the angle grinder is going to be the the tool of choice here

(I had to do something similar with a Peugeot a couple of years back where the outer (think about it) race of the wheel bearing refused to come off the stub axle)

#! Thinking about this as I write. I could still do this! I would need to get a suitable bottom tap however :D

I will let you know!
 
I had exactly this on a 205 GTI - the shoes had fallen apart inside the drum. I beat the holy crap out of them with a lump hammer. Drums are fairly robust.
 
Remove wheel(s)
Knock out a wheel stud, looking through the hole where the stud was rotate the drum until you see adjuster. With screw driver wind adjuster back until it won't go no more. This will free off the shoes if its where it is stuck. If its a 2000 - 2006 transit then it may also be stuck to the half shafts. Good hammering can do the trick, other wise its diff pan off and half shaft out.
But always try the stud out and wind back adjuster.


(EX transit tech by the way lol.)
 
Iceman said:
Remove wheel(s)
Knock out a wheel stud, looking through the hole where the stud was rotate the drum until you see adjuster. With screw driver wind adjuster back until it won't go no more. This will free off the shoes if its where it is stuck. If its a 2000 - 2006 transit then it may also be stuck to the half shafts. Good hammering can do the trick, other wise its diff pan off and half shaft out.
But always try the stud out and wind back adjuster.


(EX transit tech by the way lol.)
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Cannot rotate drum. Completely locked solid :(

But good suggestion nevertheless. Would certainly help with more normal worn drum problems.
 
Sorry i thought you meant it would come away from the hub. Remove wheel and give a good hit with a decent lump hammer.
 
So this happened as you were moving and all of a sudden it locked up and you skidded to a stop? Is that right? Or shall I keep on guessing?
Don't mean to be rude but why not just tell us!
 
jej_knowles said:
So this happened as you were moving and all of a sudden it locked up and you skidded to a stop? Is that right? Or shall I keep on guessing?
Don't mean to be rude but why not just tell us!
Click to expand...


Not my vehicle. (I am having to fix it )

It is stuck

Cannot go forward or back

Drum is irretrievably locked.

As I have said, most likely scenario is a displaced drum lining

The driver is actually very lucky. it did just lock up on him. Fortunately this happened at 5Mph on his own land. On a motorway at 70 the outcome might have been very diferent :eek: !
 
Have you checked the handbrake cable? Just as a random suggestion, the knuckle at the bottom of the lever underneath the van is easily clogged up on these.

Also try giving the actual handbrake cable a hard wiggle at the drum end, it sometimes frees the shoes up when they're seized.
 
If the above is o.k. , you could drill/punch the retaining pins for the shoes out (1 & 2 in the photo), they fit though the backplate and hold the shoes in place. If you've removed the hub nut, then the drum and shoes will pull straight off.

10922612_10153002813397889_2788297500188276402_n.jpg
 
MatteH Oxford said:
If the above is o.k. , you could drill/punch the retaining pins for the shoes out (1 & 2 in the photo), they fit though the backplate and hold the shoes in place. If you've removed the hub nut, then the drum and shoes will pull straight off.
Click to expand...

It's a nice thought but they are unlikely to pull straight off as the shoes are still retained by the slave cylinder at the top and the retaining plate at the bottom.

OP, it it possible to access the automatic adjuster from the back plate and to release it with a screwdriver?
 
It works just fine with a bit of effort, I should know seeing the amount I've done when I worked at a dealership.

Because the shoes are now only held at top + bottom they "twist" out, the ratchet mechanism hasn't got as much leverage either due to the tension that's released from taking the retainer pins out.
 
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