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Post Info TOPIC: 1952 Chieftain brake drums won't come off!!


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1952 Chieftain brake drums won't come off!!


After days of bashing, heating, tapping, penetrating fluid applications and some light profanity, I stopped by our local mechanic shop to look for some expert assistance.  A young fella' whose mother wasn't born when my '52 rolled off the line suggested each of the foregoing steps.  He included the last one, the use of colourful language to disintegrate decades old rust, which surpised the s**t out of me.  The, the impertinent lad asked me if my drums were of the style where the drum and the axle cover/bearing holder were one piece?  I looked at him with the wisdom of age on my side and fairly convincingly said, "I haven't the foggiest idea.". 

 

Could someone please reassure me that the drums are of the conventional type - fairly flat on top, five studs and slip over the axle end?  Please?  BTW, have you seen the teenage cops and doctors that are running around these days, posing as adults?  Shameful!

 

R



-- Edited by rousifier on Tuesday 25th of September 2012 08:51:15 PM

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Rousifier - 1952 Chieftain Deluxe, 4 Door Sedan, Survivor

 

"Neanderthals camped for a living."



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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

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Rousifier - 1952 Chieftain Deluxe, 4 Door Sedan, Survivor

 

"Neanderthals camped for a living."



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Can you post a picture of it? Just want to see if they are like mine. I didn't have to take anything else off, just tapped the drums and they popped off. Of course the previous owner redid the brakes four years before I bought the car, I wonder if the brake shoes are a little over adjusted and won't allow the drums to come off. I'm just guessing though, I'm only an interior guy



-- Edited by B-52 on Tuesday 25th of September 2012 09:49:09 PM

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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

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fronts looked to be on the hubs. the rivets can be cut off after the hub is pulled. don't have to replace rivet. rears are free of the axle

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sTevE

55 GMC, 70 Pontiac 2+2 rag

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

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you have to grind the 3 rivits off in between the 5 wheel studs-be careful not to grind the wheel studs. The drums are probaby no good now, but at least they will be easy to change later after the rivits are gone.

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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.

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Rousifier - 1952 Chieftain Deluxe, 4 Door Sedan, Survivor

 

"Neanderthals camped for a living."



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Here's a couple of pics of the driver's side.image.jpgimage.jpg

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Rousifier - 1952 Chieftain Deluxe, 4 Door Sedan, Survivor

 

"Neanderthals camped for a living."



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i'm not seeing any rivets

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sTevE

55 GMC, 70 Pontiac 2+2 rag



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if you take the bearing nut off and pull the hub with the drum? then seperate?

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

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Take the drum and hub off as one piece. If it's time to do the brakes it's also time to clean and repack the bearings.

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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!!!

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Thanks very much fellas. Try it tomorrow...,

R.

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Rousifier - 1952 Chieftain Deluxe, 4 Door Sedan, Survivor

 

"Neanderthals camped for a living."



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

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Rousifier - 1952 Chieftain Deluxe, 4 Door Sedan, Survivor

 

"Neanderthals camped for a living."



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Will listen for 'tink' or 'woo-woo', (sound of fire siren), and advise...,

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Rousifier - 1952 Chieftain Deluxe, 4 Door Sedan, Survivor

 

"Neanderthals camped for a living."



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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.

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Rousifier - 1952 Chieftain Deluxe, 4 Door Sedan, Survivor

 

"Neanderthals camped for a living."



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1952 Pontiac Chieftain brake drum with integral hub.JPG1952 Pontiac Chieftain brakes 1.JPG1952 Pontiac Chieftain Brake drum (inside).JPGPictures of 1952 Pontiac Chieftain brakes, drum and axle bearings unit.



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Rousifier - 1952 Chieftain Deluxe, 4 Door Sedan, Survivor

 

"Neanderthals camped for a living."



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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

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sTevE

55 GMC, 70 Pontiac 2+2 rag



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As to the rivets, nor do I. I'm not sure how they're stuck together, but damn are they ever! Wheels weren't loose, I just wanted to check the brakes and drums and cylinders prior to redoing the master cylinder. All looks good, as far as I can tell. No grooves in th drum and lots of material left on the shoes. Thinking seriously about repalcing existing, non-operational master cyliner with a dual cylinder model, for safety sake. Dunno...,

I wonder if there's a compatible roller bearing for the '52? Do you know? I'll check their website and see.

Tks - R.

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Rousifier - 1952 Chieftain Deluxe, 4 Door Sedan, Survivor

 

"Neanderthals camped for a living."



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

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Thanks, Norontcan. Any specific suppliers in mind?

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Rousifier - 1952 Chieftain Deluxe, 4 Door Sedan, Survivor

 

"Neanderthals camped for a living."



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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. biggrinbiggrinbiggrin  Is my lack of experience with cars prior to 1962 showing???



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forespeed wrote:

 It sounds like you are saying my rear lugnuts may be left threaded, explaining the difficulty in breaking them loose from the wheel stud??? 


 In the pictures above they show "L", left-threaded studs Norm



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'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.

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