Thread: OEM 1934 Chevy Question

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A buddy has a bone stock (for now) '34 Chevy Sedan, and he's got a rear wheel hung up, likely the drum rusted holding the brake lining, but not sure yet. Looking at this picture of the rear axle flange/brake drum (haven't seen it yet other than this picture) am I seeing right that the drum is on the back side of the axle flange, held in place by the wheel studs? That means to pull the drum the axle comes out first, or as a unit? Not looking for guesses here, but hoping someone knows how this beast is built?

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Hey Roger, the first thing I do when coming into possession of a new project vehicle is to buy the FACTORY service manual from Faxon. They have the Standard and Deluxe reprint in stock for only $16.95.....see here.....
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You may find things in this manual that you could not find anywhere else. That has been the case with my purchases anyway.

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Thanks Tech, I'll definitely pass that on to my friend. I'm headed over now to lay eyes on it and try to make some sense of the beast.

Roger--------some brake drums are held onto axles and or hubs via the studs pressed thru from the back---------


Also if this vehicle still has MECHANICAL brakes, the cables are probably where its rusted/frozen up.


Sometimes you can break free up by flexing the cable housings and that will loosen the cable--used to have to do that to the parking brake on my truck before every 6 month state inspection-now law has been changed on B plates--


wear goggles while under that thing

Turned out that he had a manual, but he's not much of a car guy and he was struggling to understand what he was reading. One look at the schematic drawing of the rear end told the tale - The backing plate bolts to the axle housing just like they do today, but the wheel studs go through the brake drum, then press into the axle flange, pinching the drum onto the back of the axle. To access the brakes one must pull the back cover from the differential, pull the "C" clips, and pull the axle/drum over the shoes. One of those early designs that improved in '36, I think.
I had suggested to him that if it rolled free going into the garage then a few raps of a big hammer might free it up enough to roll. His "big hammer" was a 16oz framing hammer, but after a couple of raps at the bottom the drum moved a bit. After about a dozen sharp hits on the edge of the flange, toward the differential it rotated easier. He was needing to get the sedan out of the new shop space, over into the garage so that he can finish the floor in the new shop. We tried to get it to light off, but ended up pushing it over with a garden tractor.
He bought this bone stock '34 Chevy sedan a year ago, thinking that he would do a quick tune up on it and have a fun car to drive around. He was quickly dismayed to find that it doesn't drive "nice", the springs are not springy, the mechanical brakes are questionable, etc, etc. The car is a survivor, and truthfully is too good to be cut up for a hot rod, or even resto-rodded, but as it is today it's not much use to him. What he needs is a nice mid-60's muscle car. That's his speed!

GM Heritage Center vehicle information 1934 Chevrolet

Originally Posted by TooMany2count

GM Heritage Center vehicle information 1934 Chevrolet

Thanks, saw that one in my "Google Search", and paged through it but I don't believe it shows the detail of the axle to drum interface. Moot point, because we know the answer, got the car moved, and the only thing left is to find a buyer who wants a survivor '34 Chevy Sedan that's pretty much too good to cut.