Brakes: Pulling 2R10 truck rear brake drums

[tertium]

It's been 30 years since I pulled the rear drums on an R10 and I can't find any specific info in the shop manual. It seems to me that I need to pull all the nuts off the axle flange, which I did, and then remove the axle but it doesn't seem to want to budge. Before I get out the torch and heat things up that I shouldn't, I thought I should ask somebody who knows. This '49 truck's been sitting for 25 years. I do have the right drum puller for rear drums.

Help!

[41 Frank]

There are little split wedge shaped cones that center the axle that are keeping it from coming loose. Just use a hammer and bang the end of the axle and it will ldislodge the wedges so you can remove them from the studs and pull the axle out. After that it is just a matter of taking the nuts off that hold the hub on and remove the hub. Won't need a puller on a full floating rear end. Hub should come right off if the shoes are not holding it on.

[PackardV8]

Just use a hammer and bang the end of the axle

Heavy BRASS or COPPER hammer around the perimeter, please. Steel hammers will definitely leave marks. I see too many of these axles which look like someone went at it with a sledge and a cold chisel.

Also doesn't hurt to squirt some WD40 into the little cones at the base of the threads. There is a slot which will allow some of it to get onto the stud threads and ease removal.

While you're in there, plan on repacking the wheel bearings and replacing the inner seals. Bearings and seals are standard items available at any bearing house.

jack vines

[sasquatch]

Should be like this:

[kmac530]

You already have some of the wedge cones out but not all of them. WD40 will help or PB blaster type of penetrant.
I agree with the brass hammer, but if you do not have one, you may have a brass punch, you can lay the punch cross ways and flat against the center axle plate, and hit that with a steel hammer. If you only have a steel hammer, try hitting the center nice and flat on that raised area that look like 2 letter C s. This will cause a bounce that will often pop out the wedge cones. If you hit the round outter edge it will ding up bad. Once all of the wedges are out it will not take much to pop the cap loose {I say cap, but it is actually the entire end of the axle.

Then you need to bend the lock ring flange back flat and remove the outter nut. Then slide out the lock ring, these are reuseable but maybe only once. Then remove the inner nut, the washer, the outter bearing and pull the drum off, unless it is rusted to the shoes it should slide off pretty easily at that point. Then it is similar to any standard front hub with a seal on the back covering an inner bearing.

I found that the bearing and race numbers and seal numbers crossed easily and were delivered the next morning to my local AP store. Napa may have them in stock. The seal were a bit pricey but the bearings were average priced with any comparable sized bearing.

As Jack said, pack the bearings, but I do not go crazy on those 3/4 or 1 ton rears since they are wet bearings, meaning that diff oil comes down the center of the axle tube and goes out around the axkle shaft and to the bearings, so they are cooled and lubed by gear oil. A bit of grease never hurt and it will get dissolved and break down into the oil over time.

Kelly

[JohnM15]

Careful, not all those floating axle rear ends are lubricated by the differential oil. My M15A Timken is not.

[kmac530]

I do not know about your Timken rear end, but my Timken rearend which is the same as Tertiums from what it looks like, is diff oiled. Tons of oil cam out when my shafts popped loose, and the bearing were wet with diff oil and NO grease in them. They were in great shape but for the price I just thought why not put in new.

The 2R10 should be a Timken 51524

[JohnM15]

Timken 53625 requires wheel bearing grease as the differential does not flow to the bearing. I know it seems odd but that's the way they designed it. Even with a full case and one wheel lifted the oil will not flow to the bearing. I know it seems odd, it threw me also. The manual also says to pack the bearings.

[kmac530]

Just to note, I have been spending a bit of time looking at the 2R and the M parts books I have for the difference in the Timken rearends.
The only thing I can see different is that the M15A has a washer between the rear seal and the rear and bearing and another one between the front bearing and the front nut that has the item number of 1408-8 on the outer and 1408-10 on the inner in the picture for both of them. These MUST be a sort of seal that keeps the oil out of the bearing area. The 2R10 Timken rear does not have these so the oil comes right out the shaft line and puddles to the lower half of the bearing and is carried around as it turns.
I hope this helps and it sounds or looks to me like we are both right here.

[tertium]

Guys, thanks for all the help. As soon as I saw the answers, I remembered stumbling on the technique on my last 2R10 but that was a long time ago. Hate to admit it but I'm a little older than the truck and the memory sometimes needs a little jog. Good advice on the brass hammer, too.

Speaking of things not to do, I knew a young guy years ago who made the mistake of using one hammer to hit another one to drive a u-joint out of the yoke. Naturally, he had no glasses on and a chip came off the ball peen and hit him in the eye and he ended up losing the eye.

[kmac530]

I did not realize anyone meant for you to use a brass hammer to "JOG" your memory...

[ROADRACELARK]

I bet THAT left a mark!!!!!!

Dan Miller
Auburn, GA

[tertium]

Well...as we get older some of us get a little hard-headed

Drums finally came off along with several wasp nests inside.

[PackardV8]

Hi, Bill,

I was born and raised on Studebakers in Alabama. However, I've lived in the northwest so long, I've forgotten about fighting wasps and dirt-dobbers for possession of my Studes. Up here, out in the farm country, it's mice who are the enemy. I'm in town, so I have none of the above.

jack vines

[kmac530]

Good news that they are off Bill. No wasps still active I hope?
Were your bearings oil lubed or sealed?