Brake Drum headache!

[Section8]

Ok! Here it is!
I am either really stupid or the brake drums are freaking welded on the axle!
I have my driver side front tire off my rig for a paint stripping and re finish.
So I figured I would check my brakes while I had the tire off. Well be ****ed if I can't get the drum off the axle!!
I have beat the thing to death with a sledge and it aint moving!!
Am I missing something here?? Is the drum part of the, center hub, for lack of a better description, since I am new to this.
Am I going to have to pull that center cap/flange apart as well just to pull the freaking drum off to check my brakes every time I need to service the brakes!!
Or is the drum just REALLY stuck?!?
Does anybody have an exploded view diagram of the axle/hub assembly I could use as reference!!
Other wise the dent in my fender is gonna get bigger the more I hit my head on it in frustration!!
Any help would be great!!

 

[gimpyrobb]

Maybe the pads are too close to the drum for you to get it off. Have you tried backing the pads off a bit?

 

[Section8]

The drum spins freely by hand with the axle jacked off the ground so I figured the pads must be backed off enough. Could give it another look tomorrow. Are the studs part of the drum? Or is the studs a part of the axle and the drum is drilled to allow the wheel studs to pass through?
I doused them in WD-40 at any rate. Can't hurt!

 

[Evil Dr. Porkchop]

here is a link to the tms for your gmc, since they are not on steel soldiers.
JATONKA's M135-211 TM  download page

 

[Section8]

Thanks very much!! I hope I can download these manuals!!!
Might save me from denting anymore fenders with my head in frustration!!

 

[Evil Dr. Porkchop]

Thanks very much!! I hope I can download these manuals!!!
Might save me from denting anymore fenders with my head in frustration!!

Operational and Organization Maintenance M135 M211 Part 3 of 4, service brake system starts on page 433

 

[Stan Leschert]

As I said before, Miltrucks.ca has the TMs that you need. go download them

 

[NDT]

You need to take the drive flange off and remove the wheel bearing nuts. Then the hub and drum will pull off in your hands. You may have to back off the brake shoes.

 

[Section8]

Razzle frazzen zarg barg a ding dong!!!
Thanks NDT! That bit of info helps since my computer won't let me download the TM's for the truck!
I freaking hate computers! Gonna have to find someone with a computer that works proper and get them to download the TM's onto a memory stick then go to Staples and print them out!
If I pull the drive flange off and the drum hub assemble, will I lose my gear oil out the flange?
If that's the case it seems like it is kind of a retarded set up just to service the brakes.

 

[nattieleather]

You shouldn't have any gear oil up in the barrings unless you have a bad seal. The barrings are packed in grease just like an car. If you pull the hub and drum and find gear oil in there you'll have a little more work to put it back together, but since your making a bobber road machine you might want to do that anyway. Fix it right the first time. The drums are very much just like an older car just bigger.

Yes get the manual. If you can't download it you might try ebay for the acutal book.

Also when you go to pull the rear drums you have to pull the axle. That's not a plate like on the front it is the whole drive axle and you'll need a BFH to get them loose. I'm not talking small hand sledge I'm talking 20 pound log splittin concrete bustin type sledge. There are tappered washers that hold the axle in place and the only way to get them to let loos after you remove the nuts is hitting the middle of the axle with afore mentioned sledge.

 

[Gunfreak25]

A 5lb hammer is sufficient, anything more than that and you just put huge dents in the hub and axle flange. Put a bucket under there, gear oil will likely be inside the bearings. The old cork keyway gaskets like to deteriorate after several years.

 

[DeucesWild11]

Section8 Try print to a PDF, that way it saves the web page as a PDF on your computer.. well at least it does for mine..