If you hit the drums from the back or used a pry bar/screwdriver, you most likely also bent the backing plates. If you hit the drums hard enough with a hammer to bend them, you will also need to plan a future bearing replacement. Stubborn drums should be removed by loosening the brake adjusters to make sure they clear the rust ridge and then, if needed, remove the axle nut so the drum can slide off with the wheel flange. Then the flange can be pressed out of the drum with out damaging anything else.

Dennis

----- Original Message -----
From: jake beaulieu <jbeaulie@ND.EDU>
Date: Thursday, March 3, 2005 1:58 pm
Subject: careful removing drums! was drums scraping backing plate

> Hey,
>
> The rear brake drums on my air cooled 82 Vanagon were so tightly
> rustedto the hub that I really had to beat the heck out of them
> with a 2.5lb
> hammer to get them off.  After I reinstalled the drums I noticed a
> verypronounced pulsing in the brake pedal.  I took the drums into
> a machine
> shop and it turns out that I actually bent them!  This also
> explains why
> they started scraping on the backing plate.  Moral of the story, don't
> beat up your rusted drums too badly while trying to remove them.  I
> guess I am also looking for a new set.
>
> Live and learn,
> Jake
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
> Of Frank Condelli
> Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 5:59 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: drums scraping backing plate
>
> In a message dated 21/02/2005 8:41:58 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:
>
> I  recently serviced the rear wheel bearings on my 82 air cooled
> vanagon.
> I  replaced the wheel bearings on the drivers side and just repacked
> the
> bearings on the passengers side.  After reassembly the drums are
> rubbing
> against the brake backing plates.  The drums are only hitting  the
> backing plates at one point (at the bottom) and only a small
> section  of
> the drum is hitting the plate.  Any ideas on this?
> The axle nut  is properly torqued to 258 ft-lbs and the lug nuts are
> also
> properly  torqued.
>
>
> Jake, the backing plate is most likely bent.   Backing plate is just
> flimsy
> metal and gets bent often causing the  rubbing.  Just find the
> spot and
> unbend
> until it has enough  clearance.  The axle nut torque is 360 lbs
> not 258.
> See
> Bentley page  42.4
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> Frank  Condelli
> Almonte, Ontario, Canada
> _BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm)  a VW Camper
> camping event, Almonte, ON, June 09 ~ 12, 2005
> '87 Westy, '90 Carat &  Lionel Trains
> Member: _Vanagon List_ (http://www.vanagon.com/) , _LiMBO_
> (http://www.bcn.net/~limbo/) , _IWCCC_
> (http://www.westfalia.qc.ca/)  &
> _CCVWC_
> (http://www.ccvwc.ca/)
> Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in  the Ottawa Valley
> _STEBRO/Vanagon Stainless Steel  Mufflers_
> (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)
> _Frank Condelli &  Associates_
> (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
> or  http://frankcondelli.com
>