Thanks everyone for your help, ill buy a jack and remove the tires so i can hit the drum with a rubber mallet. btw: should i spray wd40 on the drums to get rid of the rust? or would that prevent the brakes from working properly?

cheers.

 

I can't image how anyone would think spraying brake parts with a lubricant would be a good idea!

 

i have a scissor jack with a 700kg max load, will that be enough to lift the backend of the caravan?

 

the jack for the vehicle will be enough to get the back up. one side at a time. (how ya think we do it in the junkyard?)

But Please Lord USE JACKSTANDS!! before you do anything else like pounding on the drums or even removing the tires for that matter.
I dont think anyone you know could lift this thing off you if it came down.

 

i jacked up one of the rear sides and used some wood logs as a jackstand.
thing is, how on earth do i remove the nuts which hold the wheel in place? ive just about spent all my energy using a socket wrench. how would i do this if it was an emergency on the side of a road?? jes*s.

 

you have discovered the BEST bonding agent known to man.

that's the consequences of not rotating your tires on a regular basis and having someone tighten a wheel beyond recommended torque spec. I have a special tool that induces heat into the lug nuts in seconds for easy removal. (no it's not a torch). then I don't have to worry about damaging aluminum rims.

 

lol. how does that help me?

 

spray em with some penetrating oil and let em sit for a bit come back to them.
Use a breaker bar or a pipe to extend the handle of your ratchet. line the handle horizontally gently stand on handle and use your body weight and gravity to try and crackem. (short sockets work best for this)

If your ratchet is only 3/8 drive it WILL break. if they are siezed hard enough they might break your 1/2 drive too.

If you have a plumbers torch you could try heating them up too.

 

I can't wait for the post "i rounded off all the lug nuts now what do I do".

this is a really common problem. best of luck. make sure you use a quality 6 point 19mm socket. do NOT use a 12point socket, you will for sure round off the nuts.

I assume you know righty tighty lefty loosy that you're not tightening. Have to ask cuz you wouldn't believe how many people I see doing it wrong.

 

I raised the van on the drivers rear side.. and was able to spin the wheel myself.. so that ones good.. and i assume the two front wheels have disc brakes which do not seize up so they are also good.. then i raised the van on the passenger rear wheel and found it was impossible to spin. So I set the van back down, grabbed a cross-shaped tire iron (aka four way lug wrench) and was not able to get the lugs off. I sprayed wd40 and let it sit over night but with no success. so I bought penetrating oil which doesnt appear to be working but im gonna let it soak over night. i think your right, its not rust holding the lug nuts on its just they were screwed on too tight. if i bought a breaker bar would i seriously have enough torque to unscrew what the mechanic must have screwed on with an air powered torque gun? instead, what do you think if i just put the van in gear and hit the gas, would that break the rust free from the brake drum? or would that break the transmission, axle, wheel or damage the van in any way?

Id hesitate at buying a plumbers torch cause i wouldnt know how long to keep the torch on the nut and i dont want to risk blowing out the tire?

yes, i also tried a 3/8inch socket wrench, i dont have a 1/2 inch.