wow man,
are you suggesting that undoing the big nut is a near impossible task ?

I 'should' have made and sell a flange holder tool.
I made my current one out of the center of a mercedes benz steel wheel, with
a fat
18 inch long flat welded to it ..............so you remove the wheel, bolt
this wheel holder onto the flange with
the wheel nuts........and then you have a rock solid flange holder tool.
  but then you need a 3/4 drive breaker bar, and a big socket, and a real
good cheater bar too.  .

  That's probably too much to expect people to have or deal with.   Good
idea -  just cut the drum off with a torch.
Don't worry about the brake fluid fire or anything.
 < grins >
scott

----- Original Message -----
From: "craig cowan" <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 7:46 PM
Subject: Re: Rear Brake Drum Removal Suggestions?

> Did you seriously just suggest taking off the big nut, as a "simple"
> solution to pulling the brake drum!?
> I'd rather cut it off with a torch than do that.
>
> -Craig
> '85GL
>
> On Wed, Jul 23, 2008 at 10:35 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
> scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>
>> another affective way is to undo the big nut and take off the drum and
>> flange together.....
>> then a simple hammer whack or two will knock the flange out of the drum.
>>
>> heat is good too of course.
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Walt Spak" <b20swalt@CITY-NET.COM>
>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 6:56 PM
>> Subject: Re: Rear Brake Drum Removal Suggestions?
>>
>>
>>  The key is to heat it, as Craig said, according to Ken's instructions,
>>> around the center of the drum where it contacts the hub.  Then hit it
>>> with a heavy hammer and sizable drift in between the studs.  That will
>>> knock it loose with our distorting or warping the drum.
>>>
>>> I always loosen the drums before I take the bus in for inspection,
>>> because my inspection mechanic did warp a drum once.
>>>
>>> Walt
>>>
>>