Doing the brakes on my 98 GMC Sierra 1500. For the life of me I cant get the *%$#^* drums off of the rears. What gives? The E brake is NOT on. I can get the drum to rotate a little bit(until the axle is caught by the tranny) I can get it to pull out maby 1/2 inch but then it stops. Soon as I let it go it "snaps" back snug.

Is there a trick to getting these off or have I forgoten something stupid?


echo6

Feels like its spring loaded, but for the life of me, I cant figgure out how they could attach a spring to a brake drum.

Do I need to go to the auto parts store and buy another Chilton (to replace the one I have but cant find)?

Come on Hive mind, hook a brother up

Usually there is a lip worn into the drums. Unless you turned them. So you have to back off the self adjustment wheel so that it draws the brake shoes in till they clear the lip on the drum.
The spring load you feel is the retaining pin springs snapping it back into place.
If you bought the spring/hardware replacement kit, you can punch/cut off the ends of the retaining pins from the back of the housing and the drum should come off without backing off the adjusters.