rear drum brakes - removal and refitting?

[Mad Ax]

I need some advice re: rear drums- I assume that being Ford-based, the rear hub nut needs to be removed in order to remove the drum from the axle. The hub nut on my Jeep would appear to be an inverted cone-shaped circular thing with two holes on either side - so not a regular hub nut...

Is there a special tool for removing this thing? Can I still get hold of a tool like this? I tried making a brace out of some strong bolts and angle-iron, but succeeded only in bending the bolts and the iron...

Also, does the right-hand hub nut have a reversed thread?

Or am I barking entirely up the wrong tree, here?

I'll post a photo of the drum / hub nut tomorrow when I can get access to a PC compatible with my camera

Cheers all

[little jago]

is it mark 1 or mark 2 back end as then we might beable to help if we know which 1 as i have an haynes manul for the mark 2 so i could lok in there for u if it is mark 2 if mark 1 sorry cant help

[Mad Ax]

I *think* it's MkII but I'm not sure, it's a 2.0 pinto and has been chopped and changed a fair bit by numerous owners so TBH it could be anything.

Here's a pic of the rear drum if that helps:

[IanA]

So- spiders nest and broken wheel stud so it's not been disturbed for some time.

There should be a small retaining screw offset 45deg from one of the studs- appears to be missing on yours, I've never seen one either. The drum should come off without undoing anything else, except for backing off the brake adjuster on the backplate.

The drum may be rusted to the halfshaft so some WD40 in the centre between the studs will show up the join between the centre of the halfshaft (that inverted cone with two holes in the centre) and the drum itself.

***BODGE ALERT*** proceed at your own risk

I've always used a wooden mallet against opposite sides of the drum to loosen it. Then attempt to lever off against the backplate. You can bend the backplate or crack the drum if you're not careful. That's why I don't use a hammer- much...

Hope this helps
Ian

[Mad Ax]

cheers, I'll give that a go

An ex-tyre fitter was telling me that I need to remove the rear hub nut on all Fords to get the drum off - I think that must only apply to the FWD Fords he's played with in the last few years!!

Cheers guys

[tonkaland]

Yeah he will be used to Fiestas and MK3 onwards Escorts/Orions , people forget all Fords were once rear wheel drive.....

[techsec]

Hi

The rear drums on the Mk1 and Mk2 Escort are basically held on pure and simply by the wheel being in place.
You are thinking of rear drums on the front wheel drive cars which often rely on the nut that holds the rear wheel bearing to the stub axle and in some cases these also have a counter sunk headed machine screw fitted to assist the holding of the drum whilst the nut is being fitted/removed.

On the Mk1 and Mk2 Escort drums it is usually just a case of making sure the handbrake is released a quick spray of WD40 or similar around the half shaft "hub" where the drum circular cut out is and then a good tap all around the drum side with the hide side of a copper/hide mallet and then remove the drum as squarely as possible.

Often to replace the drum the adjusters need slackening off just slightly.

Hope that helps and solves the mystery of the rear drums.

[techsec]

Oh yes I nearly forgot the broken wheel stud will need replacing. To do this you need to know whether it is a Mk1 or a Mk2 Escort half shaft as the splines that hold the stud in the half shaft hub are different.
A good spraying of WD40 or similar followed by a good thump with a hammer and punch should get the broken bit out.
To fit the new stud, insert it into the back of the half shaft hub and with the splines lined up place several slightly oversize washers on the wheel side of the hub and fit the wheel nut as you tighten the wheel nut the stud will pull into the hub (so long as the washers don't bind) and will be ready to accept the drum and wheel when all is reassembled.

[little jago]

last time i did this i had to put the road wheel on back to front and whck the rim with the old hammer and it just poped off but it took some doing hope this helps