Shakadula Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 I have new brake shoes, wheel cyl, hoses and springs for the front of my GS but I will need to determine if my drums are still within spec. Any poor man (retiree) options out there to determine thickness? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakadula Posted May 24, 2015 Author Share Posted May 24, 2015 Forgot to mention I also have new bearings as wrll. Never done bearings before so my half hour job will be a full day. I'm ready for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 Any place that turns drums can measure for you. Here is a handy tool that not only gives the measurement, but can get the adjustment close: http://www.amazon.com/AMPRO-T71558-Brake-Resetting-Gauge/dp/B00A8FOEFE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1432477633&sr=8-1&keywords=brake+drum+caliperCheck the drum before you install new bearings in case it is out of spec.It is always a good idea to check and turn the drums...even ones with minimal scoring will have some taper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakadula Posted May 25, 2015 Author Share Posted May 25, 2015 Got it. Thanks a bunch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 DON'T forget about the small copper washer/seal that goes between the hose connection AND where they attach to the wheel cylinder! If not there, a leak will happen. They should be in the HELP! rack at the auto supply. Please advise of your progress. NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakadula Posted May 27, 2015 Author Share Posted May 27, 2015 Good point. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakadula Posted June 2, 2015 Author Share Posted June 2, 2015 Well after 2 hours into this half hour brake job I can't get the drums off. They turn and are loose around the studs but nothing works. Next step is to drill out the spring pins. I am assuming these drums are out of spec and out od round but I will check with the gauge I ordered from Amazon. Now for my question..........Where can I get new front drums? These old ones have that nasty asbestoes in them and a friend (real old school) told me to just sand them down. He is a good guy and a wealth of knowledge but I think he maybe missed the boat on that suggestion. The new drums I see online that state a good fit do not look like my big finned old drums. Any suggestionsThanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Drilling the spring pins won't help. It sounds like the shoes have cut a groove into the brake drum and you have to back off the star adjuster to pull the shoes back to a position where they have retracted from that groove. Sometimes this requires putting a smaller flat head screwdriver into the adjuster access port along with the adjuster tool. The smaller screwdriver is used to push the self adjuster arm towards the outside of the car so that the star adjuster can be spun in the reverse direction and pull the shoes back from the drums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 BTW, that groove can be minute, so do not discard your drums until you actually have them looked at by a shop. As to the asbestos, that most like refers to the brake dust from date of manufacture shoes. It would not hurt to have an appropriate breathing filter for yourself when removing the drums. But a simple wash with brake cleaner would most likely eliminate any threat from that source and future shoes should be asbestos free. Do you have the service manual? If not let us know. There is a specified procedure for tightening wheel bearings. You will want to follow that along with a procedure for packing the new bearings with wheel bearing grease. Further information on that is available on request. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakadula Posted June 2, 2015 Author Share Posted June 2, 2015 John, I played with both adjusters, up and down, where max'ing out in both positions causing the drums to stop spinning. So now the adjusters are in the middle and I have play in the drum as well as spinning. I WD'd 40'd like crazy last night so maybe that will help. I am ready to bust the backing plate to make this happen so that is why I Thought I would drill out the springs. Appreciate your feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 You might need to back off those adjusters till they bottom out. Unless the castel nut holding the drum on hs still on, they are the only thing holding that drum on there. Back em off till they are seated. You'll have to seat em when you put on the new shoes anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 I am sure you already know the star adjusters are specific to which side of the car they are installed on ( left or right thread), so on both sides of the car the top of the star has to rotate towards the face of the brake drum to expand the brake shoes, and bring the shoes closer to the drums surface. To turn the star that way the adjustor tool gets inserted in the adjuster slot with the tool handle close to the bottom of the lower A frame and then you pull the adjuster tool towards the floor. You need to reverse that action and pull the shoes all the way away from the drum surface. When one shoe has cleared the groove, you may be able to tap the back of the drum with a hammer and persuade the drum to come off. Drilling the springs will simply detach the shoes from their pivots and make this situation more difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 This may be rudimentary but did you know that the hub is riveted to the drum? You have to take the castle nut off the spindle then the whole assembly, drum AND hub, will come off. I've seen lot of broken ears on the finned drums where guys have tried to pry them off not knowing this. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buick5563 Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 If we are talking about the front brakes, Ed is correct. If we are talking about the rears, it could be the parking brake is engaged. Also, with self adjusting brakes, the adjustment is opposite of what I am used to. In other words, instead of prying up to tighten, you pry down. I realize you are joking, but don't break the backing plates...they don't make new ones of those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Drilling the springs will simply detach the shoes from their pivots and make this situation more difficult.Gonna have to explain why this will not work on this car. I have drilled or ground off the head of the pins on many 55's to get the drums off.Willie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Gonna have to explain why this will not work on this car. I have drilled or ground off the head of the pins on many 55's to get the drums off.Willie I'll defer to your experience Willie. But I figure if the shoes are expanded to a groove inside the perimeter of the drum, drilling the hold down pins would not change that. Although I guess in theory the shoes would just fold inward and the retraction springs would collapse as the drums are withdrawn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 (edited) Perhaps we might need a definition of which model of "GS" is being worked on. My first impression would be an A-body GS, but it could also be a Riviera "GS". It's not unusual for there to be a "wear ridge" on the outer edge of the inner surface of the brake drum. Sometimes, it takes more "de-adjusting" than others. Might not be as bad as you suspect. Knocking the retainer tangs off of the pins will allow the entire brake "assembly" to come off with the drum, provided that the upper area where the shoes index with the wheel cylinder also cooperate and disengage easily. PREPARE for some "loose parts" to happen with this method! Asbestos abatement for cleaning brake shoes and items attached/touching the backing plates is not too hard to do. Get a pan and use a thick, plastic garbage bag to "line" it. Then gently spray the backing plate assembly with quality brake cleaner, allowing the drippings to go into the bag. Same with the brake drum insides' accumulation. Then dispose of this hazardous waste appropriately. Might even be a YouTube video on how to do this! If it's an "A-body" GS, then the front drums should slide off of the studs just like the rear drums will. If it's on a different platform, then Ed's comments would apply. Above all, DON'T get frustrated! When in normal adjustment mode, the star adjusters are about in the middle of their travel, so there should be plenty of threads to back off of to get the shoes sufficiently retracted for the drums to come off. And . . . please don't bream anything! Keep us posted on your progress. NTX5467 Edited June 4, 2015 by NTX5467 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakadula Posted June 6, 2015 Author Share Posted June 6, 2015 Should have an update on Sunday. Yard work today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakadula Posted June 7, 2015 Author Share Posted June 7, 2015 Got them off finally. Had to make a tool using a rental puller from home depot a 3 1 foot lengths of chain. Photo attached. I had to hack saw 3 1520 lb hooks to fit the chain cause the s hooks I initially used were not strong enough. They broke. Seems the issue was a lip around the end of the drum lining. The puller made the difference. Never did cut the pins but that would have been the next step. Thanks everyone for your help. Now for the bearings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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