Troubleshooting Difficulty Removing Brake Drums From A Trailer

Updated 03/18/2024 | Published 03/16/2024

Question:

i have the RV self adjusting electric brakes and trying to remove drum but the brakes are locked up. First, how much torque does the axel nut take to remove? i had to use an impact wrench - 2. im trying to adjust the star wheel to loosen pads from drum - How many turns of the star wheel to go from max on to max off? thanks, Bob

asked by: Bob P

Expert Reply:

Hello Bob, so to answer your first question, there is not specific torque rating for removing the axle nut. If you had to use an impact to get if off, it was probably installed incorrectly and over tightened, and was just locked up due to rust or corrosion caused by overheating.

The procedure for correctly installing an axle nut is to first wrench it down to help seat the bearings. Then you back it off a notch or two to where the hub has some freedom of movement. Over tightening the axle nut can potentially cause damage to the bearings and/or cause things to overheat. If you take a look at the video linked below, you can see the axle nut installation process around the 4:50 mark.

As far as your second question, I am afraid I can't give you an exact number of turns from max off to max on. What I can tell you is that it can take several full rotations of the adjuster wheel to see any results, and if you are trying to get them to fully separate them from the hub, you may have to give it quite a few turns. You might also try a rubber mallet to break things loose.

Again, since the axle nut was torqued down so hard, I am not surprised to hear that things have become difficult to remove. Hopefully there is no permanent damage to your hubs or bearings, although I do recommend thoroughly inspecting everything just to be sure. We can help with replacement brakes, hubs or bearings if needed.

I hope this helps. You can feel free to reach out to me if you have further questions.

expert reply by: Jesse M