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Brake drum frozen solid on an old Clark forklift.


ThaddeusW

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So I got to working on my forklift yesterday (old Clark Y40, supposedly 1948) . One of the front driving wheels is frozen solid to the brake shoes. I yanked the wheel and tried to remove the brake drum. Turns out, the hub and drum appear to be one piece. I pulled the axle shaft, got a long 8 foot heavy pipe on one of the studs and tried to pry the hub/drum to no avail. I bent the pipe and almost damaged the thread on the stud.

What is the best way to free a stuck brake drum? I tried beating the drum with a drilling hammer, didn't free nothing. I don't want to hit it too hard as I fear I may crack the drum. Would heat help?

-Thad

What America needs is less bull and more Bulldog!

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So I got to working on my forklift yesterday (old Clark Y40, supposedly 1948) . One of the front driving wheels is frozen solid to the brake shoes. I yanked the wheel and tried to remove the brake drum. Turns out, the hub and drum appear to be one piece. I pulled the axle shaft, got a long 8 foot heavy pipe on one of the studs and tried to pry the hub/drum to no avail. I bent the pipe and almost damaged the thread on the stud.

What is the best way to free a stuck brake drum? I tried beating the drum with a drilling hammer, didn't free nothing. I don't want to hit it too hard as I fear I may crack the drum. Would heat help?

Heat will help but not the concentrated flame front provided by a cutting torch. I would use a "rosebud" type tip to be more even. Don't heat the drum much past a very dull red and keep the flame moving. When the complete drum is too warm to touch, tap around the inside perimeter on the outside of the drum to allow the frequency of vibration break the sucker loose. If you have a large three jaw puller this would make it easy.

The hub and drum are an assembly until you have it on the floor. Then you can separate the pair.

Rob

Dog.jpg.487f03da076af0150d2376dbd16843ed.jpgPlodding along with no job nor practical application for my existence, but still trying to fix what's broke.

 

 

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Does it have juice brakes? Did you try releasing pressure from the bleeding screw on the wheel cylinder? Might not really help, but there again? How's the emergency brake? It might be too tight also?

Likely just rusted together,but if you can unload any pressure on the pads it might release??? Just a thought.

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Larry

1959 B61 Liv'n Large......................

Charter member of the "MACK PACK"

 

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Does it have juice brakes? Did you try releasing pressure from the bleeding screw on the wheel cylinder? Might not really help, but there again? How's the emergency brake? It might be too tight also?

Likely just rusted together,but if you can unload any pressure on the pads it might release??? Just a thought.

Yep hydraulic brakes. The left front wheel turns just fine. The parking brake acts on the very short drive shaft, not a drum parking brake but something like it.

-Thad

What America needs is less bull and more Bulldog!

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Heat will help but not the concentrated flame front provided by a cutting torch. I would use a "rosebud" type tip to be more even. Don't heat the drum much past a very dull red and keep the flame moving. When the complete drum is too warm to touch, tap around the inside perimeter on the outside of the drum to allow the frequency of vibration break the sucker loose. If you have a large three jaw puller this would make it easy.

The hub and drum are an assembly until you have it on the floor. Then you can separate the pair.

Rob

Hmmm, dont have a torch that big. I do have a pretty hefty propane torch though, I will give that a try.

-Thad

What America needs is less bull and more Bulldog!

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Hmmm, dont have a torch that big. I do have a pretty hefty propane torch though, I will give that a try.

Use MAPP gas through your propane torch. Much higher BTU content than LP.

Rob

Dog.jpg.487f03da076af0150d2376dbd16843ed.jpgPlodding along with no job nor practical application for my existence, but still trying to fix what's broke.

 

 

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You can always cut away the outer edge of the backing plate to get to the shoes. I assume you have backed the adjusters out as far as you can. If they are frozen soak them in blaster overnight and try again.

Money, sex, and fire; everybody thinks everyone else is getting more than they are!

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  • 5 years later...

sounds like the shoes are stuck on the drum try to loosen the wheel cylinder then use a good puller on it with some heat and PB blaster oil on it I think that's how I removed my uncle's but it was  a long time ago I might have even put a rolling jack under the free wheel and dragged it back and forth with another fork tuck to loosen it up.

Edited by DJG
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