unsticking frozen brake drum! (87 Caravan)

[columnshift]

I have a 1987 dodge caravan, one of the rear brake drums is stuck. (this is a FWD vehicle) It got this way just being left out without moving too long.

(inherited it, had too many vehicles but what it could be sold for wasnt worth it so kept it) It last moved two years ago, at which point the same drum was notoriously sticky - ie it dragged (to the point of tire dragging) at first then finally freed up and worked fine. I'm sure now it'll need a total rebuilding but FIRST I have to get the dang thing even rolling to move it to another position.

It's so stuck the tire drags.

All i've done so far is spray Liquid Wrench around the outside rim of it but i'm sure that wont get very far inside.

Also note i'm not very familiar with working on brake drums - replaced discs and pads but brake drums are new to me/never had to do before.

 

[ecotourist]

Haven't done drums for a long time. The pads may be sticking to the drum.

You may have to take the other drum off to see how it all works.

There's usually a self adjusting mechanism that progressively forces the pads (which pivot at one end) out against the drum. You may have some success by loosening the pads. There's a way to defeat the tightening mechanism - in my case by pressing a lever (a ratchet) with one screw driver while rotating the adjuster (a star wheel) with a second screw driver - all through a small inspection port (which is why you may need to take the other one off to see how it works). The first time I changed brake pads I went the wrong way and tightened it instead of loosening it and needed advice from an old mechanic to get the drum off. It's pretty easy after that.

 

[NHGUY]

The drums have rusted internally and have "grown" in size relative to the size of the shoes.The drums need to come off and be de-rusted.

 

[mehullica]

Crack loose the bleeder screw for the wheel cylinder & work the parking brake several times. It might break loose some of the rust. Do this with the transmission in neutral & have a couple people trying to push/rock the van at the same time

 

[columnshift]

Great! How!

(to NHGUY)

I'm trying to avoid mindless butchery. I'm not sure if I should be banging with a hammer, heating with a torch until the brake fluid boils, or just soaking with penetrating oil for days at a time. Or if there's a fourth option I haven't thought of. Unfortunately there's enough rust on the outside that i'm not even quite sure what i'm looking at/where the inspection port might be. >_<

 

[eljefino]

There are nails that hold the shoes to the backing plate. These come with the $6 hardware kit. If you can get the other side off you'll have an easier time figuring out where their heads are, as seen from the inside/behind the plate, looking out. These heads are pretty nondescript otherwise. Cut the heads off then bang the drum off, the shoes will fall out with.

You might bust the wheel cylinder, but they're only $15 or so.

If the shoes are rusted to the drum, the drum will pop out 1/4 inch or so then bounce back home; the nails have little springs. If it seems utterly hopeless, the drum is (also) rusted to the hub flange. Lacking heat, I cut two tangential lines with a grinder and cutoff wheel, gingerly, so as to not cut the hub flange. This results in a triangle shaped bit of drum that falls out and releases tension on the hub hole.

 

[ecotourist]

Originally Posted By: columnshift
Unfortunately there's enough rust on the outside that i'm not even quite sure what i'm looking at/where the inspection port might be.

In my case the inspection port was on the inside (of course), close to the bottom - think it had a pop off rubber cover. Was only about 1/4 inch by 1 inch.

 

[columnshift]

Well it budged! But then locked down hard again. I got it to rotate about 1/8th of a turn using the leverage from a 24 inch crowbar (not excessive) against the wheel lugs. This after soaking with penetrating oil around the rim and the wheel lugs and banging solidly with a hammer all around the outside and just outside the lug nut positions.

Being a little preemptive just so I have an idea what i'll probably be replacing, I know youre only supposed to use brake parts cleaner on the brake system, would the use of penetrating oil have damaged anything like seals or something inside the brake or is it probably fine? (fine relative to whatever damage was caused by sitting and rusting in the first place I mean)

 

[SuperDave456]

Lots of Youtube videos on Drum Brakes.
Take a look, they may have something made on your type of drum brakes.
They are all similar. Take a look.
A picture is worth a thousand words.

 

[andyd]

Try working the drum back and forth with the bar. I wouldn't use the e-brake, it is likely frozen too. Bang on the drum edge as you turn. It is just a rusty drum.

 

[eljefino]

Drive the van around like a dog rubbing its butt on the carpet. But paved roads are for nerds. Jack it up, put it on a (long, heavy) 4x4 timber then drive/drag it off the timber so the tire bounces off the ground when it lands. The shock might shake it loose. Similarly if you have curbs, position yourself to fall off. Potholes might be great, too.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Drive the van around like a dog rubbing its butt on the carpet. But paved roads are for nerds. Jack it up, put it on a (long, heavy) 4x4 timber then drive/drag it off the timber so the tire bounces off the ground when it lands. The shock might shake it loose. Similarly if you have curbs, position yourself to fall off. Potholes might be great, too.


I think you could still get the 2.2 in '87, if so it might not have enough power to try that!

 

[B20z]

Is there a lip or edge on that model drum that you can get a 3-jaw puller mounted to? Did you try cracking the bleeder as suggested above while you try and pull off the drum?

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

Originally Posted By: columnshift
I have a 1987 dodge caravan, one of the rear brake drums is stuck. (this is a FWD vehicle) It got this way just being left out without moving too long.

(inherited it, had too many vehicles but what it could be sold for wasnt worth it so kept it) It last moved two years ago, at which point the same drum was notoriously sticky - ie it dragged (to the point of tire dragging) at first then finally freed up and worked fine. I'm sure now it'll need a total rebuilding but FIRST I have to get the dang thing even rolling to move it to another position.

It's so stuck the tire drags.

All i've done so far is spray Liquid Wrench around the outside rim of it but i'm sure that wont get very far inside.

Also note i'm not very familiar with working on brake drums - replaced discs and pads but brake drums are new to me/never had to do before.


What you have is a rusty ridge on the inside of the drum. It will hold the shoes really tight. It sounds like the parking brake linkage is stuck, keeping the shoes against the drum. You can remove the little rubber plug on the backing plate to back off the adjuster with a brake adjusting tool, or you can rent or jury rig a drum puller. Here are some links that may help. Feel free to PM me if you need more info. I'm on my 7th. minivan, so I know how to do it. Good luck.

Brake adjusting tool

youtube1

I like this one

Another good one

Worst case senario

This shows what it looks like inside

It's interesting that all these videos are about Chrysler Minivan rear drum brakes.

 

[eljefino]

If you can get a flat bar between the drum and backing plate you can then hammer on the flat bar, right there, not the other end. The vibrations will wreck your hands if you keep it up all day. But I think you have to cut your nails.

 

[columnshift]

Oldmoparguy1 thank you VERY much for the detailed videos. I'm hoping that will about cover it - unless I post again.

FWIW i'm going to let penetrating oil and hammer bangs work a little more magic (since it already unstuck once) before I try to get it off, then once I have it apart if i'm having any ongoing trouble i'll post again or post a separate topic. (since it'll no longer be unsticking a frozen drum but fixing it!)

If for some reason they stay stuck after I try the various suggested things like slackening up the parking brake and using the adjusters and dribbling out of brake fluid to loosen the brake shoes i'll post again. But i'm pretty sure between all the above they will eventually get off.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

Originally Posted By: columnshift
Oldmoparguy1 thank you VERY much for the detailed videos. I'm hoping that will about cover it - unless I post again.

FWIW i'm going to let penetrating oil and hammer bangs work a little more magic (since it already unstuck once) before I try to get it off, then once I have it apart if i'm having any ongoing trouble i'll post again or post a separate topic. (since it'll no longer be unsticking a frozen drum but fixing it!)

If for some reason they stay stuck after I try the various suggested things like slackening up the parking brake and using the adjusters and dribbling out of brake fluid to loosen the brake shoes i'll post again. But i'm pretty sure between all the above they will eventually get off.


Your welcome. If you replace the shoes, get a hardware kit, Always use new parts when replacing brake shoes.