I ended up with a set of used 16x8 factory aluminum Dodge Ram 2500 wheels a while ago. One of the wheels has a brake drum wedged tight in the back of the wheel. Those wheels are not designed to fit over brake drums, as the stiffening rib of the drum is too large in diameter to fit inside the factory aluminum 16x8 wheel, as those aluminum wheels were designed for use with disc brakes. Someone installed the wheel over the drum on the rear of the truck and likely used the lug studs and nuts to force it on.

Does anyone have any thoughts as to how I might remove the wedged drum out of the aluminum wheel?

 

A punch and a hammer is where I would start. I know if you hit that drum hard enough it will shatter into a million pieces

 

I've tried beating on it with a big hammer and punch, in addition to a big hammer and a prybar, but the drum did not budge at all. The brake drum is wedged into the back of the wheel really tight.

 

Force is all ya got. Use a bigger hammer.....

 

Yep BFH time

 

Can you get to the outer area of the drum from the front through the openings in the rim ? If so go around the drum and whack it good. Next level is air hammer. Another idea is to take a grinder/cutting wheel and cut the drum from the backside. Might only need a slot in the braking surface to take some tension out. Just don't cut the rim....

One thing doesn't compute for me though: The HD trucks got rear discs in mid 2001, I don't think Chrysler/Dodge made a wheel specific for 1.5 model years. Third gens all have 17" wheels AFAIK. Is that an aftermarket drum or maybe not from a 2nd gen Ram ?

 

The 16x8 factory aluminum wheels were available starting around 1999 or 2000 and rear disc brakes were an option for the 2500 trucks during that time. Those wheels can be used on drum brake rears, however, the drum must have the stiffening rib turned down a little more than 1/16" all the way around it for the aluminum wheel to properly clear the drum. The steel wheels don't have the issue, since they are not wide enough to overlap the drum stiffening rib.

The grinder idea might just be the ticket, as pounding the drum is getting nowhere...

 

How is the wheel designed? Do you have cooling holes in it? I used to get wheels for drum brakes that were installed on disc brakes when there was a difference between the wheels. If you can get a solid rod through the wheel, brace the wheel with the drum down on some wood. Put a steel rod through one of the openings and wail away. Be aware that each time you hit the rod with a DBH, the tire assembly will want t bounce. You should be able to punch it through and get the drum out. Make sure you don't miss and hit the tire as that's a good way to hit yourself in the head with a hammer.