1948 Chrysler brake drum stuck

[TomTIII]

I'm not having much luck with posting anything, but here goes: the 1948 Royal 3 pass. cpe. has been in storage for over 23 years, and the left front drum won't loosen up. The other three drums were freed using a wheel (with no tire) and a 4 ft. "I" beam to get the leverage. The drivers side front moves, but not without effort using the lever. No way it will roll freely. I want to do brake rebuild thinking that it has been sitting for so long. The last brake job was done about 1000 miles ago, but many years.

Thanks in advance,

Tom

[keiser31]

I know this may sound simple, but have you adjusted the brakes in as far as they will go? Sometimes they hang up from sitting. I sometimes give the drum a whack using a hammer on the side, but with a piece of wood to soften the blow. I know.....some of you are frowning on that advice, but Chrysler drums are fairly hefty and are hard to warp. I have never warped one, yet.

[F&J]

I just freed up a 40 ford front. I had backed the adjusters off completey and it did not help. Then I backed off the lower eccentric main adjusters and still no lock.

Then I took the wheel cylinder bolts out and was able to push the cylinder inwards a little to be able to spray a thin mix of oil & mineral spirits in the gap by the loose wheel cylinder. It worked great after I made one full turn on the wheel.

I think my shoes and drum were coated with old sticky grease. I just needed to move the car to a different place in the shop. Plus, now that the drum is free, it will be real easy to take it off during restoration.

[LARRYCAROL]

we uesd to have this problem with old vw's that sat too long. we took a large sledge hammer & whacked the face of the drum a few times & that always worked & never damaged anything. I never tried it on a car as old as yours. I hope this helps.

[keiser31]

Another way to possibly remove the drum is to get a three stud drum puller. Whack the center threaded shaft as you turn it in. That usually works.

[jeff]

A '37 Dodge I worked on once had been in less-than-ideal storage for a number of years. The wheel cylinders had started to corrode, and this process had slowly pushed the wheel cylinder pistons outward, firmly engaging the brake. We backed off on the adjuster and the eccentric, then also loosened the wheel cylinder bolts to allow it to move a bit. A few whacks with a hammer finally freed it up.

Go with silicone brake fluid when you rebuild. It will inhibit corrosion, where regular brake fluid will draw moisture over time.

[60 Catalina Guy]

I just freed up wheel cylinders on a 60 Pontiac that had been sitting for 17 years. One was as tight as yours with the wheel cylinders stuck in the "out position." I worked on it for quite a while and ended up prying the drum off of the brake shoes with a large screw driver or pry bar and a whole lot of patience (there is always a chance of breaking something in the process). With all of the wheels off, I freed each cylinder up with a big C-clamp. The car passed NY state inspection and I drove it all last year. Eventually I will need to replace wheel cylinders as they start to leak. No guarantees, but hope it helps.