Barake drum locked up - need advice

[Sprocket]

I have a '63 BJ7 and yesterday when I went to back it out of the garage, I released the hand brake, put it in reverse and what sounded like a metallic pop as I was starting to move backward.

I noticed immediately it felt like the brake was still on at least partially. I backed it out slowly about the length of the car as

1. I had to get something in the garage in front of the car and
2. There isn't enough room to work on the car in the garage.

Long story short, the passenger rear drum is locked tight.
I put the rear of the car up and the driver's side is fine, but I cannot turn the pass wheel by hand. The handbrake seems to be working okay as the lever pulls and releases like it should.

I removed the wheel, the spline and two screws that hold it to the hub. On my drums there is a third recessed screw that seemed to act as a puller as it walked the drum out about a 1/4 inch or so, but that's all I got from it.

I tried to turn the self adjuster on the back to relieve tension but it won't move (divers side turns easy enough).

I beat the living crap out of it with a rubber mallet for half an hour to no avail.

What's the best way to get the drum off? If I use a puller will I break any components inside (I just did the brakes about 100 miles ago too!)

Any advice VERY welcome!!!

 

[Keoke]

HI, Try soaking the adjuster screw on the back side with PB Blaster it may creep in to the inside assembly and allow you to free it.-Fwiw--Keoke

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Just a SWAG, but it sounds like either the parking brake is still at least partly on (more likely) or there's some pressure in the wheel cylinder (less likely). Since you heard a 'pop,' I'd try to figure out what is stuck/jammed/broken. If you're sure the parking brake is released and not damaged, you might try relieving any residual pressure off the cylinder with the bleed screw.

The hand brake lever could move normally, but the parking brake mechanism may not be functioning properly.

The 'third screw' holds the axle shaft to the hub--you don't need to remove it, and don't use it to pull else it might break and you've got another problem.

 

[GregW]

I wonder if the metallic pop was a retraction spring either breaking or popping out of one of its holes. Have you tried opening the bleed nipple to relieve pressure?

 

[Genos2]

Sounds like P-brake stuck,never good idea to put car away for long time w/brake on. Happened on mine also, smacked flat side of drum w/deadblow hammer& shoe released. Sometimes this wrks for stuck caliper pistons also. cheerss Genos2

 

[Sprocket]

thanks for the input guys. I'm off on Tues and will try again.

FWIW I think the P-brake is stuck. I can reach into the car and pull the brake and see the lever action on the back of the drum 'release' but did it really release inside the drum???

Will update as I make progress (or pull more hair out).

 

[dvu101]

Sometime the P brake line gets rusted inside its housing and even with the lever released the line inside will not release. Try and get PB Blaster into the metal housing and pull on the wire and see if it moves. Mine has a grease fitting in it.

It happened to me and took weeks to figure out.

 

[drambuie]

In regards to your brake drum not coming off i had the same problem when doing a brake job on my healey. After backing off the adjuster and taking off the 2 screws and then pulling on the brake drum i could feel the brake shoes binding against the drum, To cure this i used a hand held torch and began to heat the outside finned area of the drum evenly all the way around and wareing thick gloves i just pulled the drum off with great ease!! Just a matter of expanding the outter part of the drum with heat.