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350 Rancher rear drum vs 20 ton press

914 Views 5 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  fishfiles
Been working on the rear brake drum on this 350 I'm fixing for my wife's uncle.

It was STUCK. Have heated with MAPP torch, PB Blaster, hammer, pry bars, even welded on the drum to try to get it really hot...NOTHING.

I unbolted the backing plate, slid the whole axle out with backing plate and drum, put it in my press.

Cranked, cranked, cranked, nothing....keep in mind I've been soaking and heating this thing over and over again for two weeks.

Then I get a big "CRACK" and...the backing plate exploded. Flew apart into 3 pieces. Axle is still stuck in the drum.

Repositioned it, tried again, and was terrified that something was going to explode and send a piece of steel through me. I had THAT much pressure on this thing. I finally chickened out and stopped applying pressure with the press, got a deadblow hammer and started beating on the drum.

On the third whack it sounded like a gunshot and the axle popped loose.

Worst one I've had yet.

Had to order a new used backing plate on ebay.
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Man I've never seen or heard about one that bad. Thats incredible! You are definitely earning your keep on this one!
yepper, that's a frequent occurrence for me. seems like no one that fixes these machines around here has heard of grease or antiseize.
Those things can be a female dog for sure!
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I have a brake drum stuck on the axle right now on a 250ES rear end , trying to rig up a puller to grab the holes in the drum , it is almost there , little more grinding on the arms of the puller , but I doubt it will work before breaking the drum , I have in the past used a torch and melted the cast part of the drum and cut the metal inner spline collar and got them off with out damaging the axle , but I feel that when you put heat to it then you are transferring heat to the axle and changing the hardness of the axle , and I have had trouble with the axle hub splines wearing out and wonder if that is one of the axles that I cut the drum off of
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