95 Caravan Rear Drum...

Anyone know if the drum is loose or part of the wheel hub? I need to know before I dig in to replace a broken stud. The studs look like they are pressed into the drum, which would lead me to believe the drum is part of the hub. Anyone comment?

Thanks,
David

The only thing special about the drum is that it has inner and outer wheel bearings. The axle is just a spindle shaft. To remove the drum, one has to just remove the axle nut, remove the outer wheel bearings, and pull off. The studs are just pressed into the drum.

Thanks for the reply. Too bad I have to deal with bearings now! Anyone have the torque spec for the hub nut? Is the procedure the same as with older Ford front hubs? Most everything I've had to deal with the past 15 years has been sealed hub assemblies, and I've probably forgotten everything useful.

The axle nut is tightened a little over finger tight. It should be tight/snug, but the wheel should not be binding. The cotter pin will retain the nut.

Spin the wheel and tighten the nut at the same time. When the wheel slows because the bearings are binding (too much), back off the nut. Repeat until the nut is tight, but the wheel spins relatively free.

On both my '94 and '99, the drum and hub can (usually) be separated so you don't need to take off the axle nut and get brake dust in the bearing grease. To make your life easier if the shoes are old (and there is probably a ridge on the drum), take out the rubber plug at the bottom of the backing plate and rotate the self-adjuster star wheel upwards to back off the shoes. The drum should pop off the hub leaving the hub and studs in place. I have had to resort to smacking the drum a couple of times with a 2x4 (careful with cast iron, it can shatter). Normally I wipe a very thin film of "never seize" on the flat surface of the hub where the drum contacts before putting the drum back on to prevent sticking the next time. It doesn't take much and you definitely don't want any to get into the braking surfaces. While you have it apart, check the self adjuster cable for rust - they sometimes rust and break right where they wrap over the curved guide at the top. When you put everything back on, put the wheel back on and rotate the star wheel down while spinning the wheel until the shoes start to drag, then back off the star wheel a couple of clicks.