First the pictures to explain what i'm on about:

hub

diff

Right the problem:

I am trying to remove the brakes including back plate and all (as shown in pic 1).
The hole in the centre of the plate is to small to fit over the hub, so the hub has to come off.
So do I undo the thing in the middle (pic 1 again) to remove the hub without the shaft.
Or do the half shafts undo inside the diff (pic 2) and all slide out together.

I'm sure this has been asked before but i couldn't find it.

Thanks,
Chris

Undo the four bolts in the centre of the drumbrake.

Attach a slide hammer to the four wheel mounting studs and use it to pull the half-shaft out in one piece.

Then the brake will pull off the end of the axle casing.

There are 4 bolts in the centre holding the back plate to the axle tube, you access these through the two holes in the hub, when all 4 are out you use a slide hammer to pull the halfshaft, bearing, and backplate out, the brake backplate then comes off over the halfshaft and bearing. The inner part of the shaft is splined into the diff planet gears, and pulls out so no need to disturb the diff.

Only 4 bolts retain the back plate & wheel bearing retainer each side then just pull the shafts.

The diff can only be removed after both shafts are removed.

Warning --- don't touch the big nut in the middle of the propshaft flange !

[Edited on 14/7/08 by britishtrident]

Ifyou dont have access to a slide hammer then an old ford steel wheel bolted on and belted with a 7lb mallet at various ways around the circumference works wonders!!

looks suspisciously to be a ford english axle.

^^^ what they say.

if you have n o slide hammer, you can use 8 mm bolt and a studding connector to press off the flange - ooh err.

search for my post on removing half shafts; it has photos and everything.

Very simple to remove the shaft all you need to do is use an old steel wheel bolted on backwads -- hit the tyre with the 1kg hammer pull the opposite side at the same time --- always works never causes damage.

[Edited on 15/7/08 by britishtrident]