Removing Front brake Drum 64 Rivi.

[Guest lvrpool32]

I have to remove the front wheel drum on my 64 (its damaged). Looking at it, its just the large castle nut for the spindle and the whole thing comes off together.

What are the tricks to re-installing? Torq setting on the castle nut?

Nick

[RivNut]

After removing the castle nut and the outer bearings, it will come off. Because of drum wear, sometimes a ridge will build up on the lip of the drum and as the brakes are adjusted to a larger diameter than the lip on the drum. If this is the case, you'll need to get a brake adjustment tool and back off the star wheel from the access hole in the bottom of the backing plate.

Make sure that you turn the drums before putting on the new shoes and that when finished, there is ammple material left on the drum. The machinist should be able to tell you what that measurement is.

As long as you're there, get new hardware - return springs, etc. - it will really make a difference in how well your 45 year old brakes work. Check the wheel cylinders while you're at it. New ones aren't that expensive and it's easy to rebuild the ones you have if you want to save a couple of bucks.

Torque settings on castle nuts are measured in inch pounds, not foot pounds. I don't know how many; I tighten the castle nut with a pair of channel lock pliers and then back it off some and put the cotter pin in (new one of these too.)

Ed

[68RIVGS]

Also a good time to clean and repack the wheel bearings too, before you put it back together, and use a NEW cotter pin in the spindle nut, after you adjust the bearings !

[JohnD1956]

My 1968 manual calls for the following procedure:

While spinning the wheel, tighten the spindle nut to 19 ft lbs.

Then, back off the nut till bearings are loose.

Then retighten to 11 Ft lbs.

Then install cotter pin backing off no more than 1/6 revolution on the spindle nut.

Don't know if those torque specs work on the 64 Riv or not but they sound like pretty general specs. I think the interesting thing is backing off the nut just enough that you can now get a 10 ft lb torque, without loosening the bearing too much.

JD