I was going to post a bunch of great pictures - but I keep forgetting my phone crashed and I lost most of them. Unfortunately that includes documentation of an entire L110 brake system rebuild (wheel cylinder honing, seals, axle shims and gaskets, creepy things living where brakes should be, etc.). However, I do have one of my drum puller. As bedrockjon described, they don't pull so much as violently shock. The threaded part sets up the tension, then the BFH releases it by pounding on the center of the handle. The forces involved must be terrible. It's a hefty chunk of steel.
- Taller than a longneck Spiffy
Hopefully you can rent one. I couldn't find a rental so bought this instead, and I'm glad I did. I've used it a lot recently.
The drum and hub are swedged together, which is why the darn drum won't come off. The studs are put in a press and essentially deformed like rivets to hold everything together. Crappy design, in my opinion. If, for instance, a previous owner forcefully separated the assembly to perform a brake job without a puller, you might end up with damage that could set you back months, including several misadventures at the only shop in town that (almost) knows how to swedge new drums. Just saying...
On a related note, my brother and I are currently coming up with a low-cost modification to the rear hubs which will allow them to use brand new slip-on drums and forever be done with this swedging, hub-pulling nightmare. Should be ready this weekend.
Bonus pic (meaning the only other one that didn't get deleted): A 1/2 ton axle shaft freed from its hub and housing. That taper on the right side doesn't look like much, but oh man it's a beast to get loose.
- The source of our frustration