HELP 60 cad bearing Seized

[60eldo]

   So I hear a grinding on the right front wheel, so I knew it was a bearing, easy fix. So I took the tire of, dust cap, and the nut. Now I pull on the drum and it wont budge. The drum turns easily. Ive been wacking the drum for 2 days now and it just wont let go. I think the inside of the  bearing is seized to the spindle. I dont have a puller, Ive looked. Any ideas out there? How do I get the drum off?

[Daryl Chesterman]

Jon, I used a drum/hub puller such as this one when I had a situation similar to yours on a 1961 Mercury Monterrey, which is the same wheel bearing situation.

https://www.amazon.com/ABN-Axle-Front-Wheel-Puller/dp/B01LYSTFGD/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=brake+drum+puller&qid=1588975821&sr=8-7

I used 3 appropriate sized flat washers to cover the slots in the puller, along with three of the lug nuts with the flat side of the lug nuts facing the washers and was able to pull off the drum/hub assembly.  The spindle was galled a bit, so I used a flat file and some 200 grit emery cloth to dress down the bad places on the bearing surface of the spindle.  Using the new bearing, I made sure that it would smoothly and easily slide on the spindle.  It is not cosmetically pretty but it is functional.  You could replace the spindle if you think it is necessary.

Daryl Chesterman

[fishnjim]

Something doesn't sound right here.   No vehicle history given.   If it was truly seized probably wouldn't turn easily and probably would have made a large cloud of smoke when the grease burnt.   
I wouldn't apply a lot of force with a puller or do a lot of hammering until I understood what the issue is.   I don't think puller is required normally.   Best to look at the shop manual on this one*.   Missing something here, like have to back off the adjuster first.   Brake lining could be grooved into the drum, bearing installed backward, etc.   

I'm not sure if these were ball or roller and maybe changed at some point and miss installed, etc.   I'm fairly certain this is still the integral drum/hub era, where it all comes off with the drum.       
* - I had a problem with another brand/earlier vintage and there was a trick.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Me tinks that your drum is being held in place by a badly worn brake drum with adjusted shoes that are out on the brake surface area, and a ring of unworn brake drum on the inside is stopping the drum from coming off.   

You need to back off the brake shoes by "Un-adjusting" the brakes, but need to see the Shop Manual to see how it is done.

It involves using two tools, one to release the Self-adjusting arm from the adjuster wheel, and then with the other tool, reverse the adjuster to slacken off the brake shoes.

Thew 1960 Model was the first year of the "normal" Cadillacs with Self-adjusting brakes.

Bruce.

[Daryl Chesterman]

 

If it was truly seized probably wouldn't turn easily and probably would have made a large cloud of smoke when the grease burnt

.

Jim, on the 61 Mercury, the drum/hub assembly turned easily, although had a rumble, so I knew it was a bearing problem.  In my experience, if removal of the drum/hub assembly is difficult because of needing to back off the brakes, when one pulls outward on the drum, the drum contacts the brake shoes and feels a bit springy, not solid like it felt when the outer bearing was seized to the spindle.  Also, if one is pulling outward on the drum and trying to rotate the drum at the same time, one can feel the rubbing of the shoes on the drum--an indication that the shoes need to be backed off.  Once I had the drum/hub assembly removed from the 1961 Mercury, it was evident that the grease was dried out in the hub and the rollers on the affected bearing were starting to turn blue from the heat, but there was still no spalling of the rollers or the outer race.

Daryl Chesterman

[savemy67]

Hello Jon,

I don't have a '60 manual, but if you do, it should have a diagram of the bearing and seal arrangement in the front hub.  If I recall correctly, from outboard to inboard, there should be a dust cap, cotter pin, castle nut, washer, and bearing.  You should be able to remove all of these parts with little effort.  The bearing is the outer bearing, and what you can remove is the bearing cage assembly with the bearings, and the inner race.  The outer race (of the outer bearing) remains pressed in the hub.

At this point you should be able to pull the drum off the spindle although the inner grease seal may prevent the drum's easy removal, but the drum will move away from the spindle.

On the inboard side of the hub you will find the inner bearing's outer race pressed into the hub, the inner bearing cage assembly and bearings (and the inner race), then a grease seal.
If I have goofed on the order of parts, someone will correct me or post a diagram from a '60 shop manual.

If the drum turns and you removed the outer bearing, I think it is unlikely that the inner bearing is seized.  If the entire bearing was seized, that is the bearings were fused to both the inner and outer races, the drum would not rotate easily because the hub would have to be turning the inner race on the spindle, and there is a lot of friction at this spot.  If the bearings were seized to either the inner or outer race, either condition would not prevent the drum from moving since either condition would be contained withing the bearing assembly, which would not affect the movement of the drum.

I agree with the previous posts in that the most likely cause is that the brake shoes have gouged a groove on the inner surface of the brake drum, and the drum is getting hung up on the shoe.  I don't know if your brake linings are bonded or riveted to the shoe, but I have seen riveted linings that gouged a groove so deep in the drum, that it was impossible to remove the drum by backing off the shoes.  Hopefully yours is not like this.

I would consider backing off the shoes as far as the adjuster wheel allows them to be backed off, and try again to remove the drum.  Under normal circumstances, the drum does not require a puller for removal.  Even if a bearing is seized, a puller should not be required based on my explanation above.

Respectfully submitted,

Christopher Winter

[60eldo]

  Thanks guys, I was able to locate a drum puller and I did remove it. Now to put in fresh bearings. Only the outer bearing was crushed. I wonder why, but,,,,thanks to all