Thanks for that!  Do you have to remove the axle nuts, do you know?

-- Edited by rousifier on Tuesday 25th of September 2012 05:34:42 PM

Well it only takes a few minutes to pop off the axle nut to find out for sure. Mine are different, flat GM style drum and just pop off. 

-- Edited by B-52 on Tuesday 25th of September 2012 09:42:15 PM

He was asking about the front drums where you have to remove the axle nut to take the drum off.

Picture coming. Thanks, I have backed off the shoes via the star wheel, which I did not know existed in '52, but it could be that my brakes have been redone, as the driver's side has a rubber grommet and the passenger's side has a metal plug. Weird, but both appear to be auto adjusting, without the tensioning pawl.

Standby...,

R.

i'm not seeing any rivets

Is that a screw in the top left? It could be holding the drum on?

Pop the centre hub grease cap off, remove the cotter key, un-do the big nut, & remove the hub & drum!! You may have to wiggle it back& forth to clear the shoes!!!

OK, Nailhead, I'll try 'er again. More heat...,

Damn, I just had to rewrite this post. Lost my previous one during the photo attachment phase on advanced editor.

Anyway, removed grease cup, cotter pin and castellated nut from driver's side and off came the brake drum, easy as pie, with the integral axle end attached!! Pictures to follow. BTW, castellated nut is left hand thread, just like the lug nuts. There are a couple of sets of ball bearings, loose, in the axle end. I have never packed or cleaned this type of setup before, so will search the forums for advice. If anyone can point me in the right direction for this procedure, as well as how to visually check the drums and shoes, that would be considered real handy and cool. R.

are they loose because the ball bearing cage is worn out? replaced my ball bearing in the front of my 55 gmc a month ago with a tapered roller bearing set made by cpp. how is the drum fasten to the hub? my parts book shows 3 rivets but i don't see any in your pics

There will be roller bearings available for your application.
And remember you don't tighten roller bearings as much as the older ball bearings.

rousifier wrote:

---

Damn, I just had to rewrite this post. Lost my previous one during the photo attachment phase on advanced editor.

Anyway, removed grease cup, cotter pin and castellated nut from driver's side and off came the brake drum, easy as pie, with the integral axle end attached!! Pictures to follow. BTW, castellated nut is left hand thread, just like the lug nuts. There are a couple of sets of ball bearings, loose, in the axle end. I have never packed or cleaned this type of setup before, so will search the forums for advice. If anyone can point me in the right direction for this procedure, as well as how to visually check the drums and shoes, that would be considered real handy and cool. R.

---

 OK, now you have my attention, I have just spent a couple weeks trying to get the lug nuts off a rear wheel of the 50 Pontiac I bought.  Now I put my best move on these nuts and eventually, with the help of a big A** breaker bar, I thought I broke them loose.   Only to find the entire nut and stud is now turning in the wheel and the backing plate.  My next move was going to be a grinder to take them completely off and remove the studs.

Now, the front of this 1950 frame has had a 70's model trans am subframe grafted to it for a wider engine space and more modern front suspension.  The rear differential appears to be original but I found the rear wheels have a 4 3/4 bolt pattern and my book says it should be 5x5.  That one I haven't figured out yet.  It sounds like you are saying my rear lugnuts may be left threaded, explaining the difficulty in breaking them loose from the wheel stud???  I don't know although I can't tell now as the entire stud is turning.   Is my lack of experience with cars prior to 1962 showing???