# Rear drum stuck on truck-Help



## Snoworks (Jan 22, 2002)

I have a 1998 Suburban 2500. I am doing a brake job on the truck. The rear drums on the truck will not come off. I have been beating on them for three days now. I dont know what else to do. Should I heat them up, I just don't want to damage any internal parts in the process. 

 

CGB


----------



## Joey D (Jan 6, 2002)

Try turning the rear adjustors all the way in. What rear axle does it have? 14BSF or 14BFF?


----------



## Knightcrawler (Dec 23, 2001)

*stuck drums*

this might sound stupid but trust me I work for GM and we make there spindles, try using a wire brush or wheel on it and clean off all the rust this ussually works, when they are first made we paint them with a black rust inhibitor to prevent this, it always works for me so good luck.


----------



## speedracer241 (Oct 13, 2001)

A guy from another forum was having a similar problem with his Dodge truck. Turned out his e brake was set 
Just a thought from me
Mark K


----------



## Snoworks (Jan 22, 2002)

Knightcrawler

Where exactly should I use the wire brush. I am assuming right at the center portion of the drum. Or where the drum SEEMS to end at the hub. I said SEEMS, because mine actually lookes like they are one peice. 

Thanks CGB


----------



## Snoworks (Jan 22, 2002)

Joey D

I thought of this, but when I went to due it, I found the brake drum dust plate had steel knok outs instead of a rubber gromit. On top of that there were about 4 or 5 knok outs on the plate. Which one am I supposed to knok out? I assume it should be at the bottom of the plate.

Thanks CGB


----------



## Pelican (Nov 16, 2001)

I've had vehicles where they had those star nuts on the studs for ease of assembly, you don't have any of these, do you?


----------



## Motoman69X (Oct 30, 2000)

First make sure the clips on the studs are off of the drumbs', It could be that you may have a broken spring or something of that nature that is causing the shoe to be tight to the drumb. Try adjusting the adjuster all the way in. You may have to get a slide hammer to remove the drumb. Thats how I have always got them off. And useing heat and penetrating oil will help get that rust out of there.


----------



## Knightcrawler (Dec 23, 2001)

*stuck drum*

you are right it is in the center where they seem to be one piece even a small amount of rust stops it, and when you pull on it since that steel is so strong and one piece it seems like the sides are sticking not the center. good luck


----------



## Mike 97 SS (Aug 11, 2002)

I have a 92 Chevy 1500 series 4x4 pick up and everytime i wanna remove the drums, i have a problem, but always get them off with a little pounding and oiling. The most recent time, no matter what me and my brother did, the driver side one was not coming off. We are in the repair business and believe me when i tell you we never had a rear drum we couldnt remove, but this one was not coming off i dont care what you did. So what we ended up doing was using an air wheel to slice around the spindle where it was stuck just very little taking care not to really touch the spindle itself, and eventually it came off and we bought 2 new rear drums, and greased where it fits up against. First things first, are you sure your drums are the kind that slide over the spindles and off like mine do? Some of these have the kind where you have to pull the rear axles out to get the drums off and you did say it seems like all one piece, i know the rust does make it look like all one piece but you have to be sure of what your doing first. We once did the rear brakes on my friends 92 Chevy 2500 4x4 pick up and his were the ones where the axles had to come out and its a much bigger job, not really a big deal, if you know what your doing, but more involved than my slide off kind. The reason i bring this up is you say yours is a 2500 series, but maybe your model year is different than his, but something to look into. Worse comes to worse, you may have to damage the drum to get it off and buy new ones like i had to, and they arent cheap. I think mine were $80 a piece. Rust can make an easy job a nightmare. Let us know how it turns out. Mike


----------



## Knightcrawler (Dec 23, 2001)

*stuck drum*

be very carefull if you cut around those spindles, if you cut even a little in to them you will end up getting what is called lobing. this is when that spindle and bearing are not 100% true and balanced and it can anything from a low shake to a loud noise.


----------



## Snoworks (Jan 22, 2002)

I am going back to the shop right now to work on them! I will tell you how it goes, later. Thanks for all the responses. CGB


----------



## Snoworks (Jan 22, 2002)

Still can't get drums off the truck! I guess I will have to torch them off!!

Thanks CGB


----------



## BWhite (Sep 30, 2002)

*try this*

after soaking the hub with penetrating oil and hammering around the perimeter of the drum with a healthy hammer usually does it . If not I used to just hammer the drum of from the back edge basically ripping off the shoes springs clips etc Then just buy full hardware kits . It sounds like the shoes are not retracting . It can be a real pain but they will come off . of course it's always tougher to do the job on the ground


----------



## Mike 97 SS (Aug 11, 2002)

Yea what he said, you can whack it from behind also taking care not to bend up the backing plate. Forgot to mention that before, but i have done this method and sometimes have luck. Keep whacking and turning the drum so your always hitting it on a new spot. Just like he said, when i finally got mine off, it did break a spring or two back there and screwed up the shoes, but i didnt care, everything was gonna get replaced anyway and spring kits arent that expensive. Do whatever you have to to get them babies off, and get yourself new/relined shoes, new drums a spring kit and make sure to grease up where the drums go on where they make contact with the spindle, and hopefully in time to come when you wanna take off a drum to check brakes, it will just slide off like its SUPPOSED to do. On another note, if you have never worked on drum brakes before and are not sure where all the springs go once everything is apart, do one side at a time. In other words, take apart the drivers side and leave the passenger side together, then when your putting the driverside back together and say, hmm where does this little spring go, you can walk around to the other side of the truck and see where it goes. Then when you get the drivers side done, go ahead and work on the passanger side. Just something to keep in mind, i have seen guys take apart both sides, go get the parts, then when they start to put it back together their unsure where all the little springs go and they have nothing to compare it to cause both sides are apart. Just a little trick i learned along the way. Mike


----------



## Alan (Mar 2, 2000)

You never have said if that thing has a full floating rear yet. If it does the procedure for removing the brake drum is totally different.


----------



## Mike 97 SS (Aug 11, 2002)

Hi Alan, yea, he didnt answer and i asked him that above somewhere just to make sure he isnt poundin away and not getting anywhere cause they're bolted on, hehe.  Mike


----------



## Snoworks (Jan 22, 2002)

Alan, I do not know what the difference is. With that said, I believe the drum do come off the hub seperately. I have the same type of truck with a pick-up bed. 1998 GMC Sierra 2500 454 8600GVW. I did the brakes on this last year and had no problems at all. 

Getting back to the Suburban, I thought I would put the truck back together without doing the rear brakes, in an effort to jar the drums. My theory is that the truck moving back and forth creates more stress than a sledge hammer. I forgot to mention that the truck sat for 4 months without moving, so maybe it will help. 

Little did I know that the front brakes would not work correctly after I just replaced both hubs, rotors, pads & calipers. Seems the anti-lock connection to the hubs might need to be replaced. Truck stops fine until I get to a slow crawl, then the anti-lock system starts going off. Man I might think about buying another brand truck after the last two weeks. I still have to change my intake manifold gasket on my 1998 Sierra, it only has 60,000 miles on it. My Suburban only has 30,000 on it. 

Heck, what am I saying, GM still builds my favorite trucks! 

If anyone has any feedback on my anti-lock troubles, I am taking suggestions, before I rip the front hubs off again. Funny thing about the Anti-lock system, take out the fuse and truck brakes work awsome. 

Thanks CGB


----------



## Joey D (Jan 6, 2002)

A 98 sub with the 454 should have the full floating axle.
Just look at the hub on the rear axle, is there what looks like a small plate in the center with 8 bolts? If so you need to remove the axle shaft and retaining nut to remove the drums.


----------



## Alan (Mar 2, 2000)

With the 8600 GVW you have a 14 bolt semi-floater. And it does have the seperate drums. Do they move at all and then bind or not even budge? If they come off a little bit and then hang up they have a ridge at the inner lip of the drum which is hanging up on the shoes. If that is the case they can be had with a puller but it will probably ruin some brake hardware but no way around that. If they don't wiggle at all they can still be got with apuller and some discrete heat around the center hub. I've never had one refuse, but a couple have argued a bit.


----------



## Snoworks (Jan 22, 2002)

Joey D 

Truck does have the small plate with eight bolts. My Sierra's hub looks exacly the same, they came off without a hitch.

Alan

I am going to try the puller idea, have several pullers, but none that big. I will have to stop by Napa tommorow! By the way, are there supposed to be 14 bolts on the hub? 

Thanks again for all the great feedback. CGB


----------



## Joey D (Jan 6, 2002)

Alan, Only the 5.7 burb has the 9.5 inch semi floating axle, all 7.4 and 6.5 burbs have the 10.5 full floating axle.

Snoworks, The 14 bolts are in refering to the # of bolts on the rear cover.
Do not use a puller on the drum. Remove the 8 bolts in the center of the hub and slide the axle out. In there is a large nut that requires a special socket. There is also a ring in there keeping the nut from backing off. Not very hard if you have the socket.


----------



## Snoworks (Jan 22, 2002)

Joey D - I am going to go with you on this one, due to the fact that the drums have not moved yet! 

If what your saying is true, I think its very strange that same year, framestyle, GVW rating truck has different rear end. They do look the same, I am going to pull it apart tommorow nite. 

CGB


----------



## Joey D (Jan 6, 2002)

Snoworks, Since GM came out with the 14 bolt full floater you need to pull the shaft to remove the drums. There have been a few different designs of the locking feature for the hub nut but thats it.
On your pick up, is it a 2500 with the 8600 GVW and a 454? If so it is supposed to have the full floating axle. Does it also have the 8 bolts in the center of the rear hub? You said the drum just slid off? I guess GM has done some odd things over the years with parts on restraint lists but I never seen one like that.


----------



## Chuck Smith (Dec 30, 1999)

I posted this link on the SIMA Forum for you.

http://www.chuckschevytruckpages.com/14bolt.html

Take a look, and you will know right away if you have the full floater or not.

~Chuck


----------



## Snoworks (Jan 22, 2002)

Chuck - Thanks for the pic's & information, sincerely appretiate it. Buy the way, I did try to open your web page on the Sima site, it would not open. 

Thanks CGB


----------



## Joey D (Jan 6, 2002)

Snoworks, Did you get the drums off?


----------



## Snoworks (Jan 22, 2002)

So busy, my head is spinning. I had to finish a remodel job today. Going to work on snowplowing paperwork tonite & tackel the drums in the morning. After looking at Chuck's web page on my type of drums, I don't think their will be a problem. I kind of feel dumb, I used to know alot about cars & trucks, guess my 8 year desk job cought up to me!

Still don't understand why my other truck has a different rear end, I though I bought the heavy duty(8600) 2500. At least that what it says on the window sticker.

I will post the results mid day Friday. 

Thanks CGB

P.S. Chevy and Arctic Cat go good together. Check out the new firecats!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Snoworks (Jan 22, 2002)

I got the drums off today, its a full floating axle. Its alot easier job, when your not trying to tear the drums from the spindle/hub housing. Came off without a hitch.

I had the drums cut, by NAPA, and forgot if the back end of the hub had a seal on it. If it is supposed to NAPA, took out the old ones and never put in new ones. I think there supposed to have them, due to the clean ring beyond the rear bearing. Other wise all the grease and rear end fluid will get in the break drum. 

CGB


----------



## Snoworks (Jan 22, 2002)

I forgot to mention, that my Sierra also has a full floating rear end. I must have skipped the rear brakes two years ago, and thought I changed them! I used to have a Sierra 1500! 

The Sierra and the Suburban both have full floating axles, but the drums shapes/designs are different.

CGB


----------



## Joey D (Jan 6, 2002)

There are 2 different drum sizes on the 14bff. One is a 13"X2.5" and the other is 13"X3.5".


----------



## Snoworks (Jan 22, 2002)

Joey D - Why the two different sizes, is there a reason?

CGB

Let it Snow!!!


----------



## Joey D (Jan 6, 2002)

The smaller one is used on the 2500's and the larger one used on the 3500's.


----------



## Snoworks (Jan 22, 2002)

So my suburban has a 3500 rear end in it, due to the extra weight of the vehical. 

CGB


----------

