I just went through this with a parts car.  3 corners seized.  Ended up having to destroy the drums. Looked like they had been sitting in water for  few years.

Wheel cylinders are a breeze to replace.....shouldn't need more than half hour each side.  If installing new shoes, take note of installation direction.

I would do all four cylinders on the front.

success!! it finally came off. the trick was jiggling the adjuster back and forth and then it started to come off. looks like the cylinders have seized.  how much time would you set aside to replace them.  also do the other wheel as well ?

To perhaps make this even clearer...
to loosen (or tighten) on one side of the car one must go in the opposite direction on the other side.

 thnx for the  tip. will try again tomorrow

If you go too far back on the adjuster you can actually re-engage the shoe !

They tighten in direction of travel (move the spanner in the same way as the wheel rotates going forwards) so it may be worth checking your definitely in free travel on the adjuster.

Don't worry about using a lump hammer on the drum, you can normally play whackf**k on them quite happily with no adverse effects.  I doubt even a large boxwood mallet will impart enough of a shock compared to a BFH.

i have whacked and prodded and whacked some more and prodded some more (with a wooden mallet) .  this drum does not want to come off.  adjusters have been backed off and the brake line bleed screw opened to relieve any excess pressure.   looks like i might have to whack it with a metal hammer and fracture the drum and take the losses.  unless anyone else has a better suggestion. ?  maybe remove the whole hub assembly and take it to a machine shop and get them to take it off?  is it possible to remove the whole hub with the drum still on?
thnx
b

Thanks Harvey for the clarification on the clips.

I was suspicious that the reason for a bolt/screw/clip to hold the drum on was that it was used in the assembly line before the wheel and tire gets added later.

Sure enough, this is what Tire Rack says:

Many American built cars and trucks have small retention clips mounted at the base of the studs. These stud clips were designed to secure the brake rotor or brake drum to the hub as the vehicle was moving down the assembly line in the factory. Once the brake calipers and pads are installed, they serve no real function. The clamping force of the wheel and lug hardware is what keeps the assembly together once the wheels are installed and torqued down. These clips are usually discarded the first time a brake job is done on a vehicle. If left on the hubs, the stud clips can cause major vibration issues and damage to the wheel and the vehicle when aftermarket wheels are installed. If your vehicle has these on the studs, they need to be removed before you install your new wheels.


for more, see https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=315

I had a wheel come off. I didn't want to address the clunking noise, DUMB move. wheel came off, ruined the mag, elongated the holes, slid on the ball joint stud and nut. I won't do that again as I will recognize the sound of a loose wheel.

I think the safety concern for the screws is over-stated. Many larger vehicles use tin clips or none at all, the clips merely to hold the drum steady while the wheel is off. In a Mini, the wheels should never come off (except maybe in racing) if the wheel nuts are properly torqued. How often do they really come off? If a wheel did come off and the drum hit the ground, the driver would immediately apply the brakes, which would hold the drum on. A brake drum provides very little traction - it would slide easily and the other 3 wheels would provide control. But to each his own.

I never knew the purpose of those screws. I always thought of them as redundant but kept them. I use never seize at the tip.

I take the Phillips retaining screws out and replace them with socket flat head Allen screws.

NOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!!

Terrible advice.
The screws are a basic safety thing.

If you lose a wheel with no screws holding the drum on, the drum can also come off and the first touch of the pedal will see the pistons pop out of their cylinders... and that's a one-way trip to a massive accident as you will have absolutely no brakes.

As before, remove the metal link pipe or cut the flexi hose to release all pressure and also remove the fault mechanism you've just encountered - you're going to be replacing all of everything anyway with it in this bad a condition.

Then it's back to tappity-tap with the hitting stick.  A breaker bar jammed between the studs to gain mechanical advantage can help while hitting & turning, just be sure you haven't damaged the threads before reassembly.

WD40 does NOT swell the brake shoes and brake shoes are cheap as chips to replace.  Works for me....

I would avoid spraying WD40 into the inside of the brake drum. WD40 will contaminate the brake shoes and the drum itself. It may even make the brake shoe lining swell. WD40 will be a B****R to remove as it is designed to stay put. You may end up replacing the shoes and the drum.

Follow Alex's advice.  I suspect his "Medium hitting stick" equates to the "large Chevy wrench"

The only thing I might add is that your car may still have its drum retaining screws. Remove them and throw them away. If they are rusted or their dumb Phillips slots are shredded, you have a new challenge.

You can put the lug nuts on to protect the threads and use a large tire iron or pry bar to rotate the brake drum.  Spray WD 40 behind the drum to reach the brake shoes and let it soak in while you rotate the drum.  Keep prying on the drum and turning it and it will come off.  Sometimes beating it with a large Chevy wrench (5 pound hammer!) works well too.....

with a bit of whacking of the drum with a wooden mallet the drum now turns backwards by hand but is still extremely stiff.  it won't get any slacker no matter how much i hit it. i made the mistake of pressing the brake pedal and that seized it all up again.  what an idiot.  i guess i need a cup of tea then start again.  

ok alex
thanks for the tip. i will have a go at that method when i get an hour or two to spare.  will let you know if i am successful.  thnx
B

The wheel will rotate backwards only due to the design of the leading shoes - they pull themselves into the drum when set up correctly.  This is good news, as it's not utterly seized.
Undo the brake pipes on the back of the cylinders to allow any residual fluid out in case the flexi lines have perished and are hold a smidge of pressure.

Squirt penetrating fluid around the studs.

Back off the adjusters, remembering that they're a half turn adjuster and not a screw-in like on the back.
Tap the outside of the drum with a medium hitting-stick while rotating it (backwards) to gently shock it free.

You should find that it gets easier and starts to part from the hub.

There isn't really anywhere you can attach a puller, but once it's starting to move you ought to be able to prise it off the front of the hub with a pair of large flatbladed screwdrivers. Be aware that the shoes will turn and jam as you do this, so keep tapping to reseat them.

Hello everyone

i have a 1963 850, fully restored ten years ago that sat the last year or two in the garage (dry).   the front right drum is seized.  it is a twin leading shoe model.  the adjusters turn.  the drum will turn with the wheel on, but only backwards.  it is too tight to turn with the wheel off (no leverage).   i guess a shoe is jammed up against the drum due to a frozen wheel cylinder or maybe the springs are rusty?  can anyone advise on how to remove the drum without damaging the drum.  is there any way a puller can be used ?  thanks in advance for your help.
barry new zealand