Need help pressing on new drums!

[fordhombre]

Had to buy some new drums with my new shoes on the front end, and I'm having a problem getting the drums fully around the wheel piece that goes over the spindle. I'm not sure the name of it, but it's the piece the wheel studs are driven into.

Anyway, there's a groove in the center of that wheel piece that slides into a similar groove in the center of the drum. Problem is, I can't get the drum completely over that piece. I went ahead and put the wheel on and tightened the lugs, thinking that might help it on, but no dice. I'm afraid if I drive it in this condition it'll eventually tighten up, and then my lug nuts won't be so snug anymore...

anybody have any ideas on how to get this thing on? I went after it with a mini-sledge until I was afraid I might crack the drum. not sure what else to do.

[70_F100]

Not sure I've seen what you're talking about.

Can you post a pic or two?

[fordhombre]

well i'd have to pull it back to the street to get some pics of it, and it got red tagged two days ago. I'm a little weary to put it out there again...

so i went looking through the diagrams and yeah, i couldn't find anything that looked like what I have. In the "typical" setup pictured here, the studs go through the back plate.

But mine has another piece with bearings inside that slide over the spindle... I can't find any pics of it in the diagrams, but it's similar to the rear brake axle that goes over the brakes in the center. I thought this was just so common...? To get to the brakes, i had to remove the grease cap, cotter pin, locking nut, bearings and wheel stud piece, then the brakes. Is that not the norm?

[mrsnicks]

Check out this picture and tell me which part you're talking about.

drum brakes.jpg

Are you talking about the adjuster at the bottom?

[fordhombre]

nope, it's not on there at all. I'm talking about the front end. In the center of the assembly is the tapered spindle that this piece fits over. Maybe I just need to risk it and take a pic...

found this pic. it doesn't have the piece i'm talking about, but this is the same style brake:



edit again: here's an LMC diagram that's got the part on there. It's greyed out, but it's the bottom-left pic that the wheel studs are mounted on. The center of that piece has a flange in its center that's supposed to fit inside a groove on the drum. The fit is so tight, it won't go it...

[knightfire83]

Here's a thread that deals with the problem you are having:

http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... ub#p417881

The part you are talking about is the front wheel hub. Usually there isn't a need to separate the hub from the drum on a 2wd unless you are replacing the drum, as in your situation.

The link above should help you out. And you are correct, if you drive it like the way it is now it could loosen up on you.

[fordman]

clean the rust and stuff from around the center of the hub. then the drum should go on all the way. or the wheel studs were put in before the drum was put on.

[70_F100]

Are you talking about the knurled "ring" on the wheel studs, right up next to the hub? When the hub/drum assemblies were manufactured, the studs were knurled after the drum was installed, to hold the drum tight against the hub during assembly of the vehicle. It's nearly impossible to separate the drum from the hub without removing the studs, but it can be done.

If that's the case, you'll need to remove the wheel studs (just knock them out with a BFH).

Get new studs, stick them in from the back side of the hub, and then pull them in using a regular hex nut. You'll probably need to put a couple of loose flat washers behind the nut so that it doesn't run up against the shoulder on the stud, and use anti-seize lubricant on the shoulders and threads of the studs so you don't mess up the threads. Then your brake drum should slide right on.

If this is what you have to do, go back and re-torque the lugs about every 10 miles up to about 50 miles, again at 100 miles, then again at 200 miles so that you're sure the studs are seated properly.

On the other hand, if you're talking about the raised ring on the hub where it sticks through the drum, the hole in the drum needs to be pretty snug around that raised area, as that's what the drum pilots on. If the center hole in the drum is too small, you've got the wrong drums. You don't want to try to enlarge it without putting drum on a lathe so that the hole is centered and is symmetrical. Take the new drums back and get the right ones.

[fordhombre]

crap... i just put new wheel studs on there. think there's any chance of salvaging them by knocking them out, then again again, or am i just asking for trouble?

many thanks for all the help!

[fordman]

alot of times you can save the wheel studs. by puttign a nuts on the end of the stud when you are beating on it. put on so its level with the end of the threads.

[70_F100]

alot of times you can save the wheel studs. by puttign a nuts on the end of the stud when you are beating on it. put on so its level with the end of the threads.

And if you have a dead-blow hammer or a big chunk of brass, use that instead of just hitting them with a BFH!!!

Also, make sure you hit them square!! You definitely don't want to bend the studs nor bugger up the threads!!

[knightfire83]

crap... i just put new wheel studs on there. think there's any chance of salvaging them by knocking them out, then again again, or am i just asking for trouble?

many thanks for all the help!

Did you replace all the studs or just a couple on that hub?

Referring to 70_F100's last post, you can leave the new ones in the hub as they are not knurled, and just replace all the remaining old ones. So long as all the studs are new and the old knurled ones are replaced, the drum should (hopefully) fit correctly.

[70_F100]

Knightfire is dead right with that!!!

Another thing, you might be able to push the new drums over the knurls using the same method I suggested for pulling in new studs. You'll definitely need flat washers, and they'll need to fit somewhat loose. It may be worth a try!!

[fordhombre]

i replaced all the wheel studs before i put this back together. the lugs were driven on cross threaded w/ an impact at Sears when I bought my tired and that wallered out the wheels. So I ended up replacing all studs, lugs, and that wheel. It was tough goings slamming those studs in there, will it be even worse trying to go through the hub and drum? Seems like the drum holes are juuuuuuust big enough...

[70_F100]

i replaced all the wheel studs before i put this back together. the lugs were driven on cross threaded w/ an impact at Sears when I bought my tired and that wallered out the wheels. So I ended up replacing all studs, lugs, and that wheel. It was tough goings slamming those studs in there, will it be even worse trying to go through the hub and drum? Seems like the drum holes are juuuuuuust big enough...

Get the studs started in the hubs enough so that they will stay in place, and put the drums on the hubs before you pull the studs all the way through.

Use the nuts and washers like I suggested, and once you get them in, tighten the h@!! out of them. If you can get grade 8 bolts, and have an impact, that would be my suggestion, just use PLENTY of anti-seize compound on the threads. If you don't have an impact, make sure you have both drums on, and use a good sized pull bar while someone holds the brakes.

The shoulders on the studs will come through the drums a little bit to help hold the drums in place, and pulling them through with the nuts should make them come through pretty easily, since the metal in the face of the drums is fairly soft.