Seized offside rear. Solution pls!

[squirejo]

Hello gurus. Can you help? Popped to lockup tonight to get my '68 Cooper out for MoT tomorrow. And blow me, the left rear wheel is seized solid. SOLID. Admittedly the last time I used te car it had a very thorough wash but also a good dry. I jacked it up, wheel off, drum retainer screws out and a goo bash with mallet but could not get drum off. But it does wiggle. Do you think it's the brake bound to the deum, or the hub seized somehow? Thoughts and solutions welcome!

[Cooperman]

Back the adjuster as far off as you can. Turn the wheel in the direction of forward using a long crow-bar if you have to. Then remove the wheel, clean up inside the drum and lightly abrade the linings.
Re-fit the drum and adjust. Drive the car, then adjust again to finally seat the linings.

[squirejo]

ah yes - but - the wheel won't turn AT ALL. I have tried forward / reverse with some gutso to try to break a bind but the wheel just drags along. Would that really be normal for a bound drum / pad? I will try again tomorrow night and take a mallet to the flat face etc. I presume it would be unusual for a previously fine order wheel bearing to suddenly seize?

[squirejo]

just checked - the NSR wheel bearing The offending wheel not as per title) was replaced by somerford last november - so about 150 miles ago. can't be that. Hammer time.

[Cooperman]

Have you undone the 1/4" square adjustment screw in the inside face of the back-plate? If this is still set tight then the drum will never come off. if undone as far as it will go then the drum will come off with a mild clout with a mallet.

[squirejo]

yep I had taken the retainers out. I'll do it all again tonight and take a hammer to it. Worst case scenario I guess is 2 new drums....

[Crosswise]

Don't destroy the drums, the Mk2 Cooper has a 1/4" spacer built into the drums, try finding new ones! As others have said, back off the brake adjuster all the way then try and turn it.

[squirejo]

My thanks for everyone's help and advice, a very satisfying victory, even though I did resemble Clarkson for a minute with a blow torch and sledgehammer.....

[Cooperman]

Is it all OK now?

[squirejo]

Yes, got it off, cleaned up and all back together again last night. But it took a lot of persuasion! A small smear of wd40 in side the drum should keep rust at bay and burn off on first brake application.

[Cooperman]

I do hope you don't mean you have sprayed the linings or the lining contact area on the drums with WD40. If you have, you'll have to strip it all, clean the drum with brake & clutch cleaner and fit new linings. Brake linings and any sort of lubricant simply don't mix.