DRUM REMOVAL

Most old cars that I have worked on have a securing screw that is usually done up too tight. These screws are there to stop the drum coming off with the wheel when it is changed, therefore do not need to be
done up tight "too" tight at all. If you have a suitably sized screwdriver that can take a hit on the handle,  put the driver in the screw head and give the screw a hit before you try to loosen it (if you have such screws fitted) If that don`t work.....an impact driver might do the job. (Please remember to NOT use it to
put them back on! Some anti-seize on the threads can help next time you decide to remove them.

Now on getting the drums off......generally there is a build up of rust around the edge of the drum where the shoes do not rub, in an old car there can be a ridge here due to drum wear as well as the rust and this in leaves a ring that stands proud of the area swept by the shoes on the drum.  If the brakes are adjusted so that they are just free when the pedal is released, then there is a good chance when you try to withdraw the drum that this higher "step" will prevent you from doing so. Your best plan is to release the brake adjuster on the back plate as much as is possible. If the drum still hits the step/ridge and won't come off,  it is often the case that part of the hand brake mechanism is partially seized and thus not allowing the shoes to fully return to their rest position. Here, disconnecting the hand brake at the back plate is usually my preferred option.  If it STILL will not come off........then the wheel cylinder  may be partially seized. I use a 2lb club hammer and hit the drum hard around its outer diameter in four places 90 deg apart, this shock can loosen the grip of the studs to the drum and occasionally shock a sticking piston enough to get the drum off. I have used this method regularly and have never broken a drum. Once removed clean out the drum, that dust can have a retrograde effect on the retardation process....... Try not to breathe it in as it has equally bad effects on the breathing process.

BRAKE ADJUSTMENT

Rear brakes are often maladjusted as the result of partial seizing of either the hand brake mechanism or the wheel cylinders.

It is wise to check the whole of the hand brake mechanism and make sure it is operating properly and lube all the parts to ensure that it stays that way. The actuating arm that connects to the shoe is the final part of the system and should be free to move and with the drum off it is simple to see how it works.

Once you are sure that it works and is in its free position then you can discount the hand brake having any drag effect on the rear brakes. You should check the operation of the wheel by cylinder lifting the outer rubber dust cover from the cylinder ....... if it is dry in there you're fine. On the other hand, if it is wet, it is only a matter of time before you have a brake problem as the main seal is likely to be weeping. If the piston moves then it is likely that all is serviceable. If the cylinder is a two piston type, then I force the brake shoe against one side of the cylinder and use a strong lever against the rim of the back plate bearing on the shoe to force one piston back into the cylinder and force the other out of the cylinder.......  enough to be sure that neither is seized. If possible, screw the back plate brake adjuster all the way in and out a little anti seize compound on the threads can be a good idea here.

If both rear brakes are found to have serviceable cylinders, shoes, adjusters, return springs and hand brake operating levers then it is reasonable to replace the drum. the ideal here is to do both rear brakes together and have the axle up on stands.

With the hand brake cable disconnected from the back plate lever, adjust the brakes until the drum can
not be turned then back off approx. a quarter turn at a time (dependent on type of adjuster) until the brakes seem just free of the drum, now use some means of operating the back plate hand brake lever to ensure that it operates the brake and releases again to return the shoes to the normal (now adjusted) rest position. once this has been achieved for both brakes, it is wise to check the operation of the foot brake, again the wheel should lock then free when the pedal is pressed then released, any measure of
sluggishness on the part of the shoes to return to the rest position will show up as a partially binding brake, assuming all is well it is now time to reconnect the hand brake mechanism and adjust it, I prefer at least three clicks on the ratchet from full off to full on.