How to get drum off?!!

[sting]

So, I was going to check my rear drum brakes on my 02 Protege...

Took the four lug nut off and removed the tire
The drum had two big philips type bolts so I took those off.
Released the emergency brake so the when could be spun by hand... but the drum wouldn't budge!

There is a sort of "hub cap" type thingy in the center of the drum - see the attached photo - that looks like it might pop off but I didn't want to start hammering on things I shouldn't hammer on as it looked to be attached quite securely.

Anyhow, what am I missing here?!

Also, the Hayne manual cautions to wear a mask due to asbestos in the brake dust, but the Mazda manual doesn't seem to... don't they care about us or is Haynes wrong about the asbestos??

Thanks,
Lance

 

[Bala]

Release the e-brake ... "should" slide right off.

 

[dominoy2k1]

smack the drum with a hammer.

 

[sting]

Ya, but it did have the e-brake off Bela de Plata - I could spin the wheel by hand, but when I tried to pull off the drum it was on there solid!

So, just to confirm, I only need to remove the 2 philps bolts in the face of the drum, right? I don't have to remove the "cap" in the center of the drum?

Lance

 

[Bala]

Ya, but it did have the e-brake off Bela de Plata - I could spin the wheel by hand, but when I tried to pull off the drum it was on there solid!

So, just to confirm, I only need to remove the 2 philps bolts in the face of the drum, right? I don't have to remove the "cap" in the center of the drum?

Lance

D'oh!, I've taken off lots of rear drums - but not on the Protege. It looks like you'll have to remove a center bolt on the drum (under the cap), phillips bolts, make a mark near one of the wheel studs for ref. etc.
Workshop manual: http://protege5.ugly.net/
Start at 04-11-26 and follow the "special notes" - (4-11-27,3-11-4, 3-11-7)

 

[sting88]

MERCY - Someone who's done drum brakes on 3rd gen Protege PLEASE SAVE ME!

I've taken the wheel off twice now, but have still been unsuccessful in getting the drum off to check my brake pads!!!

I've taken the two phillips screws out of the drum and it spins OK, but I can't pull it off!

From what I think right now, I need to take the little hub cap thingy (that can be seen in my photo at the beginning of this thread, but I can't get this off either! How do I get it off? I've pointed a screwdriver into the lip where I think it joins with the body of the drum and pounded it with a hammer, but that just kind of dents and warps the edge of the hub cap thingy.

Does it need to come off? How?

I'm really quite inexperienced, but not an idiot, I just don't want to go banging/hammering where I shouldn't!!!

People have been helpful thus far in guessing at what's is up, but is there anyone who's actually done this and can help???

Lance

 

[Shane5425]

once u take the wheel off, get the bolts out, then spray the center cap with wd40, let it soke, then take a big hammer and hit it on both sides of the drum, the problem is the center cap and the drum are a bit rusty and locked together, once u break the seal they will slide off, you might have to hit it one side to the other with the hammer to get them off...

 

[sting88]

Ok...

once u take the wheel off, get the bolts out, then spray the center cap with wd40, let it soke, then take a big hammer and hit it on both sides of the drum, the problem is the center cap and the drum are a bit rusty and locked together, once u break the seal they will slide off, you might have to hit it one side to the other with the hammer to get them off...

So, just to confirm, it is necessary to take the center cap off to get the drum off, right???

Also, is there a way to check the brakes without taking the drum off? I pulled this little rubber plug out from the rear of the assembly hoping to peer in, but it was quite tiny of a hole...

Lance

 

[Bala]

*** http://protege5.ugly.net/
Start at 04-11-26 and follow the "special notes" - (4-11-27,3-11-4, 3-11-7)***

 

[Shane5425]

So, just to confirm, it is necessary to take the center cap off to get the drum off, right???

Also, is there a way to check the brakes without taking the drum off? I pulled this little rubber plug out from the rear of the assembly hoping to peer in, but it was quite tiny of a hole...

Lance

i have the same 4lug setup as you, i dont have to take the center cap off..

 

[sting88]

Ah ha!

i have the same 4lug setup as you, i dont have to take the center cap off..

HA! Interesting, because the shop manual seems to suggest that YOU DO - as Bela de Plata has pointed out... but I have this Haynes manual with a photo of a 4 lug setup and it has a photo of the drum off and the center cap is still on which suggests that YOU DON'T... this has kind of puzzled me until now!

It's odd that the shop manual leads one astray in this way... unless there are many configurations and some require center cap removal so they just put that in as part of the procedure even if it's not required in all cases?

Lance

 

[sting88]

Did it!

Good news! I managed to get the drum off!

I did it by spraying WD40 around the center hub AND into the normally empty screw hole on the drum - into which I then screwed IN one of the two phillips screws that I took out from their normal holes. As I screwed it in it unseated the stuck drum as this "special" hole is supposed to.

Thanks for the help!
Lance

 

[sting88]

How much pad is left???

As a last question... when I have gotten brakes checked in the past, the mechanic would say "You've got about x percent left on the pads"

So, I've never seen a new protege pad, can someone tell me from the attached photos, about what % of the pad is remaining?

Thanks again,
Lance

 

[Shane5425]

u have alot of pad left, just clean and adjust...

 

[hi-perf]

yes that is a lot, the minimum before you have replace them is 1mm according to the manual, it looks like you have a lot more than that remaining.

 

[Ondes]

Regarding the asbestos, you should wear a mask approved to filter asbestos (ie. HEPA) as many brake components such as pads, shoes, and clutches still are made with asbestos. Haynes wasn't wrong when they recommened that. Other things I've read in their manuals are to not spray with compressed air to stir up the brake lining dust. If you choose not to wear a proper mask, at least be careful with the dust and handling of the products.

Read this link for more info. http://www.osha.gov/dts/shib/shib072606.html

 

[FSCatalyst]

This thread is a little old... but for the newbies. Don't be afraid to smack the face of the drum with a hammer with alot of force to shock it. Its designed to handle the force. Its a common way to take off drums.

 

[red95_240sx]

my problem is getting drum bac on. the new shoes seems too fat.

 

[macklum]

my problem is getting drum bac on. the new shoes seems too fat.

The e brake is the adjuster for the drum ,you have to push the pawl in to release the shoes pushing them in at the same time . once the shoes are pushed in the drum will slid on , once you have both drums on ,pull the e brake handle a couple of time to adjust the shoes

 

[red95_240sx]

the pawl is the gold thing? the piston is pushed all the way in. the fit is too perfect