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[amba]

The handbrake shoes have either created a lip on the inside of the drum or the liners have broken and are jamming the drum from being removed.

[Andy B]

Well shoes are fully free and handbrake cable fully backed off and I still can't get the rear disc off. It must have been off before because there is copper grease around the centre hub. Only thing I can think of is to disconnect the rear caliper so I have access to the disc to hit it loose with a hammer. What do you think?

Surely you've already removed the caliper to remove the drum ..... 

[Olympia5776]

Have you removed the recessed hex head screw that retains the disc to the hub ?

[Doctor Gollum]

Have you removed the recessed hex head screw that retains the disc to the hub ?

That would do it

[Andy A]

probably a lip on the inside of the drum ,
is it solid or just moves but won't come off
smacking round the drum section is ok, smacking the disc (where the shoes bite) is a NO no

Its solid. No movement at all.

[terry paget]

If it has not been removed for 10 years or so it can be hard to shift. I've removed mine recently and know! Obviously it still rotates. You must fully slacken the adjuster, remove the caliper and the countersunk screw. You say the hub shaft shows signs of copper ease so is presumably not rusty. The disc/drum should now come off.

Turning it, clouting the drum with a hammer, heaving on the disc, and levering it at the back, should shift it a fraction. Turning the drum a bit and repeating these efforts should eventually get it off.

If. god forbid, the linings have come off the shoes, you have a problem. I have done a dozen or so, and the problem in the end turns out to be a ring of rust inside the drum where the shoes do not rub. That is why it is vital to retract the adjuster fully!

[Andy A]

If it has not been removed for 10 years or so it can be hard to shift. I've removed mine recently and know! Obviously it still rotates. You must fully slacken the adjuster, remove the caliper and the countersunk screw. You say the hub shaft shows signs of copper ease so is presumably not rusty. The disc/drum should now come off.

Turning it, clouting the drum with a hammer, heaving on the disc, and levering it at the back, should shift it a fraction. Turning the drum a bit and repeating these efforts should eventually get it off.

If. god forbid, the linings have come off the shoes, you have a problem. I have done a dozen or so, and the problem in the end turns out to be a ring of rust inside the drum where the shoes do not rub. That is why it is vital to retract the adjuster fully!

I've removed the hex screw. Fully loosened the cable adjuster under car. So far as I can tell, the shoe adjuster is fully retracted but could be seized half way. I pulled the handbrake cable behind the drum/disc a few times to check mechanism was working and free and it is.

I at least expected a slight movement. Between the drum and the hub looking in the bolt holes there is no movement at all. Never had one like this before.

Do you clout it in between the wheel bolt holes on the front or on the side of the drum?

[dave the builder]

Side of the drum,shock should break the mating surfaces apart , rotate the drum as you go
perhaps it has never been off ,despite copper grease on the hub
that being the case,there will be a big lip, may rip the retainers out the back plate 
I remove all drums ,strip brakes every year prior to mot ,grind off any lip ,clean everything and adjust
some people just try to adjust handbrakes with the nut at the compensater bar
not the way to do it ,causes the issue you have now
best of look

[LC0112G]

I've removed the hex screw. Fully loosened the cable adjuster under car. So far as I can tell, the shoe adjuster is fully retracted but could be seized half way. I pulled the handbrake cable behind the drum/disc a few times to check mechanism was working and free and it is.

You can see the adjuster through the hole in the disk/hub. It's fully retracted once you can't see any thread on the screwy out bit.

Time 3:43 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osIFghKM8cM

[terry paget]

If it has not been removed for 10 years or so it can be hard to shift. I've removed mine recently and know! Obviously it still rotates. You must fully slacken the adjuster, remove the caliper and the countersunk screw. You say the hub shaft shows signs of copper ease so is presumably not rusty. The disc/drum should now come off.

Turning it, clouting the drum with a hammer, heaving on the disc, and levering it at the back, should shift it a fraction. Turning the drum a bit and repeating these efforts should eventually get it off.

If. god forbid, the linings have come off the shoes, you have a problem. I have done a dozen or so, and the problem in the end turns out to be a ring of rust inside the drum where the shoes do not rub. That is why it is vital to retract the adjuster fully!

I've removed the hex screw. Fully loosened the cable adjuster under car. So far as I can tell, the shoe adjuster is fully retracted but could be seized half way. I pulled the handbrake cable behind the drum/disc a few times to check mechanism was working and free and it is.

I at least expected a slight movement. Between the drum and the hub looking in the bolt holes there is no movement at all. Never had one like this before.

Do you clout it in between the wheel bolt holes on the front or on the side of the drum?

I clout the back of the disc where the brake caliper used to be. There is probably a strong rust bond between the hub and the drum centre. Spray some WD40 around the bond. The copper ease was probably used to free the alloy wheel centre, that tends to get stuck on the hub too.
Bash it good and hard and you should see it rock a bit. Turn the wheel a bit and repeat. Spray more WD40. It's got to come off. The drum is expendable.

[cam.in.head]

As above. Its a common enough place for rust to develop and make the disc stick. Easy to tap off in 99% of cases. Worse is when your wheel gets stuck to the hub. Ive seen that a time or two !

[Andy A]

I'll have another go next weekend if I have time and let you know how I get on.

Thought I would have a brake from it for now and concentrate on renewing the over due cam belt, new oil filter, oil change, new air filter and new pollen filter. Got all the parts so I'll get that done.

Thanks all for your help and advise so far. 

[johnnydog]

With a bit of careful positioning, you can place an axle stand under the metal strap / surround of the rear diff mountings. They need to be reasonably extended though. I would always have a secondary support elsewhere, even if it is just the wheels themselves under the car on the 'chassis rails'. Don't under any circumstances place the axle stands or a jack under the diff itself as it will destroy the mountings because of the upwards force.

But then you are putting yourself unnecessarily at risk as you position the axle stands.

As I stated, there is no reason why you cannot position the axle stands beside a carefully positioned trolley jack on the main jacking point plate.

I have done that ever since my first Omega donkeys of years ago.

Without sounding like 'teaching your Granny to suck eggs', any Omega owner who intends to do their own servicing and maintenance should, in my opinion, have two full size 3 ton trolley jacks at their disposal. The weight of an Omega exceeds many other vehicles, and having two jacks makes many jobs so much easier as the car is equally positioned / balanced when up in the air. Axle stands should also be used as a further precaution of course.
The cost of relatively decent trolley jacks these days is a minimal outlay when your own safety is at risk juggling between just one jack and axle stands.
A fellow club member in a classic car club lost his life a good number of years ago when the vehicle he was working came down on him, crushing his chest and trapping him. Sadly his wife found him but it was too late. A sad lesson to be learnt unfortunately.

[terry paget]

As above. Its a common enough place for rust to develop and make the disc stick. Easy to tap off in 99% of cases. Worse is when your wheel gets stuck to the hub. Ive seen that a time or two !

Wheel stuck to hub - easy -loosen wheel nuts half a turn and drive car a couple of miles. Then remove wheel and wire brush hub. This problem only occurs with alloy wheels with steel centres. Bring back pressed steel wheels and wheel trime!

[Andy B]

As above. Its a common enough place for rust to develop and make the disc stick. Easy to tap off in 99% of cases. Worse is when your wheel gets stuck to the hub. Ive seen that a time or two !

Wheel stuck to hub - easy -loosen wheel nuts half a turn and drive car a couple of miles. Then remove wheel and wire brush hub. This problem only occurs with alloy wheels with steel centres. Bring back pressed steel wheels and wheel trime!

IMHO a couple of miles is too far. Back the bolts off, move the car on the drive & slam on the brakes. That's always worked for me ..... always other people's cars though.