The retaining set screw in a brake drum really is a redundant item. In a
brake designers' head many years ago was the thought that a drum may fall
off when you remove the road wheel. We all know it doesn't, in reality we
all know that at times it is a real pain in the ass to remove both the screw
and the drum. However, the sole reason for it being there is to hold the
drum in place when you remove the road wheel and it serves no other purpose.
When the wheel is on and torqued up it is doing nothing at all.
The theory is with a new setup and with parts that are corrosion free and
correctly adjusted with no wear the drum is loose enough to 'fall off'
(ROTFLMAO!) when the road wheel is removed. Yeah right!!! However,
translate this to a modern disc with wheels retained by wheel bolts rather
than studs and the freakin' discs, unless they have a retaining screw, are
forever falling off the hub. They tend to get jammed in place by the brake
caliper shoes. I've had this happen on Rovers, Audis, Vauxhall (GM) and
others, even when they have a few miles on them.
If you are replacing one make sure the replacement fits, from length (too
long and it will rust behind the hub and you won't get it out) to the
correct angle on the head countersink and, as someone else has mentioned,
get the correct posidrive or phillips head. There is nothing wrong with the
correct length of allen bolt (although the head chamfer may not be right.)
High temp grease on the screw when you replace it and just nip it up tight
enough to hold it, don't even tighten it 'hand gripped on screwdriver
handle' tight. Just finger tight is enough. When your wheels are on it
can't go anywhere and 12 months down the line at service time you will be
able to remove it easily.
Guy R Day
A-HJ Sprite Mk IV
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