Brake drums are containers made of cylindrical iron and attached to a mini truck’s wheels. It is the same case for any other vehicle out there. Brake drums make a similar rotation to the wheels. In the brake drum, there is a drum brake which are other essential components making up the entire braking system like the brake shoes. The drum brake system is standard in various cars and trucks. In cars and mini trucks, they are attached to the rear wheels and are essential when parking on sloppy ground. The drum brake is an old-style but still used today in mini trucks. This guide discusses how to remove brake drum from the hub in a mini truck.
How to Remove the Brake Drum from the Hub of a Mini Truck
The drum braking system stops the vehicle by pressing the brake shoes against the inner surface of the brake drum. To safely remove the brake drums consider performing the following steps.
Remove the wheel
Before removing the wheel, ensure your mini truck is on a flat surface, and the hand brake is engaged. Put on eye and hand protective equipment such as gloves and goggles. Ensure you have the required tools, then loosen the nuts on the wheels. Use a jack to lift your mini truck. Before lifting your mini truck, support the jack using a hard wooden material. Wood is preferred because the jack cannot easily slide off it. Do this gradually until the jack suspends the wheel. For the safety of your mini truck, use wheel chocks. Altogether remove the nuts you had loosened previously before lifting the mini truck. After removing all the nuts, gently pull out the wheel.
Dismantle the drum
After removing the wheel, you see the drum and dismantle it. The first step is locating the hole on the drum. Align the hole to the adjuster screw, then insert the screw into the hole to loosen the brake shoes. Turn the adjuster screw in an anticlockwise direction until you feel it has reached the maximum. The shoes will detach from the wheel. At this point, try to pull out the drum. If it is hard, unscrew it, and it will quickly come out. Is Dismantling the Brake Drum becoming Hectic? There are alternatives if the drum does not want to come out quickly.
- Consider sliding your screwdriver below the flange of the drum.
- Hit the screwdriver using a mallet. Do this gently.
- When using the brake drum puller, evenly place the three hooks around the drum.
- Fasten the puller using a screwdriver, but you should not tightly tighten it.
- Gently hummer the drum and it should come out.
Conclusion
Inside the brake drum, there are the brake shoe and other components. These components may malfunction due to dirt or wearing out. The steps above will aid you in removing the brake drum without involving a mechanic safely. Accessing the brake drum is handy when you want to check the brake shoes’ condition and other components of the drum braking system.