Classic/Antique Car Repair: rear brake drums, rear brake drums, chrysler new yorker

Question
QUESTION: I Have a 51 Chrysler New Yorker brake drums all the way around. My question I am trying to remove the rear drums but they will not come off. I have removed a center bolt tha is held in place by in cotter pin. I have pull, pushed, beat, and used a reverse pulling tool to try and take off the rear brake drum and it will not release. Does the year car have to come off with axel attached?


Drum puller   ANSWER: The drum is held onto the axle by the big nut in the center. The drum hub fits onto a taper on the axle and the drive is accomplished though a square key that mates the axle to the hub. Removing the drum requires a super heavy duty puller that is designed to only be used to pull these drums. the puller is a three legged puller that attaches to three of the lug nuts and has a screw in the center that pushed against the axle. The "T" handle on the screw is designed to be beaten with a good sized sledge hammer. Some local tool rental stores still have one or two of these laying around that can be rented. None of the tool makers that I know of make them anymore. I have one in my  shop and would be glad to loan it to you if you are in Southwest Florida. If you can't find a puller locally get back to me I have a trick or two up my sleeve.

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QUESTION: I have ried a puller on the drum but not the type that you said. Do I need to pull tha squar key out prior to atteming to remove the drum?

Answer
The key will come off with the hub and drum and does not need to be removed first. Any other puller that you try will simply not have the pull needed to remove the drum. The pulling force must be applied to the lug studs as the drum is too flexible and will not do the job if the jaws of the puller are pulling on the drum itself. There is one other device that we used back in the day to pull these drums. It was called a Bingo Cap. It was a round or square piece of steel at least 2 inches in diameter and about 6 inches long. In one end was a threaded hole the same size and thread as the axle shaft. With the nut removed the Bingo cap was screwed on leaving a space between the hub and the Cap. Then that wheel was put back on and the jack on that side of the car removed. The opposite wheel was jacked up enough to clear the floor. Then using a good sledge hammer with a long handle beat the end of the Bingo Cap hard. The drum should snap loose of the taper on the axle shaft. I have looked though my tool assortment and I know that I had one but cannot find it.  If you have a small machine shop that does small work they can probably turn on out for you.