Stuck brake adjustment wedge

[Jwilli]

I have a brake adjustment wedge on the drivers side that is bad stuck. It is also rounded as if maybe vice grips have been used in the past. I have been soaking it with blaster and using heat. Using vice grips, I have not been able to move it at all. Even tried moving it clockwise in hopes of breaking it loose. Thinking of grinding 2 sides flat so I can use an open end wrench. All ideas and opinions will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Art Newland]

Front or back?

[Jacksonlll]

Turn it clockwise to make sure it is not bottomed out. It comes out that way anyway.

[Jwilli]

I should have said it is front drivers side. Have tried turning both CW and CCW.

[Joe K]

PB Blaster works. You want to spray it until it pools on the floor. Then every few hours or so use a small ball pein hammer and give it lateral "taps" around the clock (as in do 1 o'clock, then 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock, etc) More PB Blaster as you go along.

Then finish it up by giving it a good strong tap "in" on the exposed square. Did I say more PB Blaster?

And yes, you can grind flats on it to help turn. I've found that an impact wrench with a true "square" drive (no 12point pretending to be 4 point) will remove almost anything square.

Do this for a week. If no satisfaction THEN try heating the adjustment wedge only (NOT the backing plate casting it turns in) with a torch and let it cool. Then start the round the clock again.

You should be able to turn it in (clockwise) to the point where it "pops off the cap" which covers the wedge. If you get to the point where the wedge is loose and now just turning - you can give the exposed square end a whack with the hammer and remove the cap that way. (It will fly out across the garage and hide under something heavy.)

You can put it all back together with a NEW wedge and put the cap on and pein the cap seat area edge to hold the cap in place. I've also found you can gently "unbump" the cap a bit to make it fit more snug. (the act of removal tends to increase the dishing and reduce diameter of the cap.)

Joe K

[Jwilli]

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Joe K you have some good advice. I can't get the drum off. Must get the brakes as loose as possible.

[Big hammer]

Can you make a dam too keep it wet? Maybe a plastic tube sealed to the backing plate?
I use PB Blaster and like it, it creaps but I think you need too keep it soaking wet!

[Joe K]

Originally Posted by Jwilli

Joe K you have some good advice. I can't get the drum off. Must get the brakes as loose as possible.

May be a job for a rear hub puller? As in soak the entire brake drum with kerosene (I'm cheap and would save the penetrating oil) and then use one of the rear hub pullers on the front.

This kind available at AutoZone for $25 - or free if you use their "borrow tools" advantage.



Not the rear hub knock-off kind which I have but won't use.

You're at the point where you don't worry about keeping the brake lining - or possibly even the brake shoes - both can be replaced.

Joe K