disc brake wheel stud swedge tool

Please no fuss "old thread". I remembered it, so adding to it. BTW, I'm the gomer mentioned who said you can remove the hub by throwing the drum down on concrete or asphalt until it falls out. I did that once on my 1969 Dart w/ 9" drums, though might have had replacement drums. To score spare hubs for my C-body at the junkyard, I beat on the studs with a hammer, in a pattern, until they pushed thru the drum. Still seemed stuck well in the hub, though would change them anyway. Don't recall if that drum had OE swedges. Why a spare hub? I did when the outer bearing in my Dart spun in the hub to ruin it, on both sides about a few years apart, the first just 200 miles from where a shop installed new wheel bearings on a x-country trip in 1986. Took a long time to find a spare since most in the junkyards had 10" drums. They used tiny wheel bearings (SET1 & SET3) in the 9" drum hubs, so need a spare or change to 10" drums before a Wilwood disk upgrade (others?, Scarebird shuttered), or go with 1973+ spindles and rotors.

Currently changing drums (fronts 11"D x 3"W, rears 2.5" W) on my 1965 C-body with 1/2" wheel studs, which I recall is also for 1973+ A-body. The studs are swedged, so must be the factory drum. I've had a set of new drums on the shelf since ~1998, so figured to swap and put the OE on the next scrap run. My drums were botched by an auto shop in Lancaster, CA ~1992 when they cut too deep far in (~1/2" wide about 30 mil too deep), then must have noticed and reset the lathe. I didn't notice until home 60 miles away and should have raised hell for that deceit (hauled them to Court), but busy and couldn't suffer xx trips to Lancaster for justice. The new shoes wore to match, but always concerned the drum might crack where too-thin.

A 5/8"D hole saw "should work" (BinderPlanet link above), but more for wood and smallest on-hand is 7/8"D. Instead, I ordered an "annular cutter" (mostly for pricey Magnetic Drills), think beefy hole saw. I have a milling machine and 3/4" collet so "should fit". My studs protrude 1" from the drum surface, which required buying a cutter w/ 2" depth of cut. More choices in 1" depth and allows purchasing a barely-affordable set (~$80), but 2" depth makes a set too pricey (>$200). I ordered a single ACTool 13/16" HSS cutter for $26 (link). No specs on ID, as needed to clear the stud. A youtuber with video about them answered the ID is 1/4" less than OD for all in his HSS set. That about matches what I calculated by scaling a photo. Those with carbide teeth might have less ID. Carbide is good for cutting hardened steels, but the teeth can break off, and HSS can be re-sharpened, so many prefer it. Mine should have 0.5625" ID to easily clear the bolt. If lucky, a 3/4" cutter could just clear and perhaps be perfect, but if unlucky might booger the threads. Let us know if you try one. By above data, an 11/16" OD cutter would similarly be "perfect" for 1972- A-body 7/16" studs. Less risky would be a 3/4" OD cutter and might suffice for both stud sizes. If I don't edit, assume my choice worked.

A final choice is the purpose-made Goodson ST-500 Brake Drum Swedge Cutting Tool for only $109. They no longer list the one for 7/16" studs. Note they just say for drum brakes, which might add fuel to the argument above whether K-H rotors were swaged to their studs. I have no idea (nor care since have no KH cars). The photos suggest if they were it used a different circular-bulge swedge, not the pinched sides on Mopars and other drum cars. Actually, in the BinderPlanet photos, I don't see swedged studs, but not picking a fight there. Those guys drive big trucks ("rigs" to you little A-body guys).

(Amazon product ASIN B07527MV7ZBrake Drum Swedge Cutting Tool