How do you get the rear brake drum off a 1963 Volkswagen beetle?

Answer 1

i will post here because of the danger.

1: off the hub caps, there is no center cap like the front , not at all.

2: this drum is held on with 217 Foot lbs or more.

3: so dont remove it unit you are sure you can put it back on with correct torque.

4: remove the cotter key.

first drain 1/2 or all axle lube from axle or as soon as you get big nut loose

GL4 gear lobe will start leaking past the seals in the bearing housing.

all swing axle bugs. ( there is a pro trick to lock the axles up and then jack up side of car and then oil drains down the raised axle tube (above horizontal)

this trick an the magic tool , saves the axle drain.

the base of the swing arm (trick 1) has a stop, you can put a bolt or nut

in the stop and then jack up car and axle will freeze in that position.

5:

attach huge 36mm socket to bit nut.

I use a magic tool seen here to do this effortlessly.

see magic tool way 2 here

No magic? then drain the transaxle or you will have a huge mess.

ok if you dont have the magic tool get a very huge 3/4? drive breaker

bar 1/2 will break

then with car on ground tire on ground, to fat guys in back seat. (LOL)

using the breaker bar , turn it CCW , with Ebrakes set hard and full chocks on wheels. if rear brakes are oil soaked this can be a problem

if lucky they are off.

if not you will need a magic tool or a very strong impact gun to get it off

there is a tools that you an buy that has a hammer flange. i dont like them.

i dont like hammers , they mess up bearings and such.

the other trick is jack up car, and using 8 foot long angle iron with 2 holes bored

for 2 lug bolts. put angle iron to the left.

then using the extended breaker bar remove the 36mm nut.

ok its off

do not put it back on and forget to set the 217 ft/lbs torque or the

drum spline will crack and you will loss a wheel, the danger here , is near

infinite. DO NOT under torque this NUT.

btw here is the magic tool. aka Torque Dude

sold in many stores. has 9:1 ratio .