Removing stuck rusty rear drums...

[Raider9864]

Smokstac....I agree with the prying part, because I have bent some backing plates, but nothing that was too severe. As for the retaining screws, I never had much luck trying that method. I bought an impact screwdriver from Matco and it does wonders! I had an el-cheapo Craftsman one that was $25 but it broke constantly! A co-worker of mine swears by his Snap-on impact driver, but our Matco rep is much friendly when a bit breaks and you need it swapped out. It has saved me a lot of time and drill bits.

[smokstac]

I hate to damage the backing plate in any way since, after all, that is the only thing that keeps your shoes aligned properly.

I actually almost got to the point of failure with the hammer and screwdriver that I was almost tempted to pop off the cover on the hub and remove the hub and drum as an assembly then give the studs a good whack to loosen the rust when I just happened to notice that one small hole there. What a lifesaver. The drums on my other Protege don't have those holes.

I have thought about an impact wrench and once I move and get settled in (hopefully with a garage!) I'll invest in some better tools.

[Raider9864]

Well, if your looking for a 1/2" impact gun I just so happen to have a Snap-on one I would be willing to part with. I do have pics of it, but they are not up to CP guidelines which is why I have not put it in the FS thread yet.

[meGrimlock]

thats what those holes are there for. rotors usually have them too.

i use the bolt that holds the scissor jack in the boot. its the right size and thread pitch for the rotors. also, aftermarket rotors may not have the same hole as the OEM rotors so getting the new ones off will be a new adventure.

[9918939]

Boy do I feel like an idiot. I haven't had the need on most of my vehicles in my life to remove the rear drums, but, usually they tend to be stuck and hard to get off due to rust that forms between the axle/hub and the inside of the drum where the wheel studs go through the drum. Usually I end up pounding them off with a hammer or mallet.
Then I noticed a small hole on the surface of a drum. "Could a bolt be threaded in there to help pop off the drum?" Sure enough, found a suitable 12mm bolt, started it in the hole until it bottomed out and I could hear the audible "pop" of the rust breaking free, lightly tapped on the drum 180 degrees from the hole, and viola! Off comes the drum.
I don't know if any of the stuck drums I removed in the past had these threaded holes, but, I figured I'd post this anyways in case someone decides to do a search.
Turns out the drums and shoes were fine, so, I brushed off the dust inside and reinstalled everything.

just went thru this- only 1 (one) hole on the drum! weird since i torqued it down and would have to nudge the other side so it could come off evenly.
that raised relief or lip was a b$%^tch since in getting the drum off it caught and pulled the shoes to the point it broke the retaining clip pin. but that was the only way and luckily I had bought the hardware kit as well
E-brake needs some looking at- but at least it's rolling