I have been trying to get the drum brakes off and replaced on my sammy for the last couple of weekends (still has blown head gasket i am putting off). I am having problems getting the philips head screws out to even start the brake pad swap. I have put PB blaster on it and let it set for days.....used an impact screwdriver, but i am not able to get these stupid screws out! Any ideas? Not sure about welding a nut to them since they are so small but that might work....
OH THOSE PHILLIPS-HEAD SCREWS!
Leave 'em alone. The metal ring that those screws hold down are dust covers. The drum will slide off without removing them.
The thing that you need to do to get those drums off is to disconnect the emergency brake cables to make sure that the shoes are properly retracted. It may be necessary to turn the adjusters to further back the shoes away from the drum. This is because you may have a "wear lip" on the inside edge of the drum that the shoes cannot clear even though they might not be touching the drum surface itself.
Remove the four bolts in the center and attach a slide hammer to the wheel studs. Give it a healthy slide whack. The drum should come off. A squirt of PB Blaster around the inner edge of the brake drum where it attaches to the axle can also help it release.
The local public library is an excellent place to find repair manuals if you are not into buying one at the moment. Just remember to check out the Haynes manual only as a last resort...ÂÂ
Hope this helps!ÂÂ
