[85jeep]

I got some one piece axels for my 1985 cj7 for the model 20 rear end but there are no holes for the screws that hold the factory brake drums on. Should I drill and tap holes for this in the new axel flange or just run with out the screws the wheels will hold the drums in place. Any ideas ?
Thanks Brian

 

[Caver Dave]

[ QUOTE ]
the wheels will hold the drums in place

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly... Willys, then Kaiser, & finally AMC have done it that way for decades

 

[11764]

Every other drum brake vehicle I've done brakes on gets along fine without screws in the drums, screw'em!

 

[JimmyZ]

Heathens all of you!!!! Stainless steel oval head (more bite for the phillips head screw driver) countersunk head bolts just long enough to do the job. Plenty of high temp. antiseize. Of coarse the wheels will just hold the drums in place. The first time I took the wheels off of my "new" Jeep I almost pooped my drawers. Oh God...what if those things were rusted in place? They all came out without a problem. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Jim_Lou]

Of course, the purpose of the screws is to hold the drum on in case a wheel comes off while moving. Otherwise you'll step on the brakes, the pistons will pop out followed by all the fluid in the rear system, making a very bad situation somewhat worse.

JimmyZ as the right idea; put them back in. They're very cheap insurance against a very unlikely scenario. But I would question whether it's worth drilling and taping the flanges for them, since it is a very unlikely scenario.

It was much more important when cars had drums all around and a single braking circuit. One lost drum ment NO brakes except for the 'emergency' brake, which wasn't much back then either.

 

[11764]

Good point! I hadn't considered the safety implications. The AMC 20 is the only axle I've noticed them on. Now that you mention it, I'd guess the problem of wheels coming off is more common now that alloy rims are used more. I know a couple of guys that had alloy rims come off their YJ's, One from a Raider and I had one come loose but not off on my XJ right after I bought it. turned out it had the wrong type lug nuts on that wheel.