Classic/Antique Car Repair: brake drums, wheel studs, drum pullers

Question
Brad, I have a 1935 dodge touring sedan, The car has not been driven for a couple of years.Looking at the front brakes it seems the brakes had been done not long before it sat. Im having trouble with pulling the rear drums.I have a large puller and even made a 3/8 steel plate to fit over the wheel studs to pull from. I have a brass hammer thatI use to tap the puller and the drum itself.Do you have any tips to help. If heat how much? Thank you

Answer
Steve, ya gotta get rough with these drums. I hope that you are using one of the real heavy duty drum pullers that used hammer blows to turn the screw. They are a three legged device and the holes in the legs are tapered to accept the lug nuts or bolts. We always take off the axle nut and the washer. Then put the nut back on backwards so that the castilations (slots for the cotter pin) is towards the drum. Only put the nut on so that the nut is flush with the end of the axle. This will prevent the axles threads from being mushroomed over. Then install the puller with the lug nuts tightened and put a good strain on the puller. Now tapping the end of the puller may work in wrist watch repair but with a wheel puller give the end of the screw a couple or real solid raps. We use a sledge hammer for this job. When the going gets tough we have used some heat on the hub to expand it a little to break the grip of the tapered fit between the axle and the hub, but do not get the hub glowing. I would not hammer on the drum, only on the end of the puller screw. And again a gear puller will not remove most of these tapered fit hubs, it takes the heavy drum puller made for the job.
Brad