Where to Buy a Cheap But Superb Quality Brake Drum Puller Online
The automobile as we know it has gone through many evolutions over the years and decades.
When we think about how cars have changed, our minds may immediately go to those changes that are visible. If a car made in the 2000s was followed down the street by a car made in the 1950s, we’d easily spot the difference.
There’s also an abundance of safety, entertainment, and luxury features that have been added as technology has grown by leaps and bounds. But when it comes to those features we use but rarely consider the mechanics of, there’s also a lot of changes that have been made in these areas as well.
Braking systems have changed drastically over the decades. In the 1960s, drum brakes were the main choice of most auto manufacturers. These brakes featured shoes attached to axles, which move outward toward drums attached to the wheels once the brakes are engaged.
This system was changed for a number of reasons – and while the difficulty of changing drum brakes may have been one of them, this is an issue many people still deal with.
If you’re someone who works on old cars either to restore them or modify them, you may have to work with drum brakes. This means you may need a brake drum puller to make your life a little easier.
How Can a Brake Drum Puller Help You?
Mechanics know that having the right tool for the job – and the car you’re working on – is crucial for getting the job done right.
Sure, having the right approach to mechanics helps. But tools matter, especially when you’re working with older hardware. Even if you’ve worked with drum brakes before, having a brake drum puller can make your life a lot easier when it comes time to get the job done.
As the name suggests, it is a tool designed to pull the drum away from the brake shoes. It’s a claw-like device that can be extremely helpful, especially if the brakes are rusted from years of wear or mal-treatment by the previous owner.
A long bolt in the center is the key to the brake drum puller’s effectiveness. It applies pressure on the fingers of the puller, allowing you to pull the drum away from the shoes with greater ease. It’s the same principle as trying to pull open a jammed drawer – sometimes you may have to put your foot along the wall to get a little extra force counterbalancing on the object you’re trying to move.
A brake drum puller can save you a lot of stress and time – but if you’re looking to buy one, where should you go? We’ll go over a few of the main locations to buy online. And for the sake of simplicity, we’ll limit our guide to only including online options.
If you want to find a great brake drum puller online, here are some of the sites you may consider shopping on.
Shopping at Automotive Outlets and Associated Companies
When we’re shopping for car parts, luckily there’s a thriving market of sellers out there just waiting to promote their offering over the competitors.
This means you can find some great options from go-to locations like Advanced Auto Parts. A prime choice for anyone who is working on an automobile and needs the right equipment, this outlet offers some good deals on pullers.
A Sunex 2-ton capacity model with reversible functionality goes for $26.99 plus shipping, which is about average for this type of product. There are also plenty of other automotive companies that will provide similar deals, whether they’re established national chains or standalone operations with online stores.
Some locations are based around DIY projects and technical workmanship – thus, even if they aren’t dedicated auto part dealers, they can still offer you a decent deal on a brake drum puller. Let’s go over one of the options in this category.
The Home Depot offers the same type of 2-ton puller, reverse functionality included, for $23 plus shipping. The only difference here is that this model comes from the brand GearWrench. You’ll find that, despite the fact some stores carry different brands, a lot of features are standard across various models.
While we are talking about the online options that exist for brake drum puller shopping, we’ll throw in a series of options that adhere to this – technically – albeit not totally. If you don’t mind pulling up to your local store to pick it up, many big box retailers, both focused on home improvement/automotive work and otherwise, offer brake drum pullers for sale online.
Which one of these options is the best if you’re looking to get a great product for a reasonable price?
Shopping from Walmart and Lowes for a Brake Drum Puller
Don’t underestimate the options that could await you from big-box retailers. Whether it is a place like Lowe’s that offers a lot of products centered around DIY projects like automotive improvements, or a store like Walmart that sells a bit of everything, you may be able to find what you’re looking for.
Lowe’s carries a K-Tool International version of the puller, and like the options we mentioned above, it is reversible. The difference here is that this one is built for 5-ton jobs, meaning you could find it better for your application if yours is more demanding. This one costs $38.93, so the extra strength will cost you, but it could be worth it depending on your need.
Walmart offers a brake drum and rotor puller, and the extra functionality will cost you – this one is priced at $97.62, but it does have the features to justify the price increase when compared to the others. This includes multiple adapter sizes, 2-jaw spread capacity and 3-jaw spread capacity options, as well as an ambidextrous design suited for both right-handed and left-handed users.
You may also be able to find big deals from various other retail giants across the country – and even if their online stores don’t ship the product directly to your house, they could ship it to their closest store in proximity to your location.
But when we think online shopping, a few obvious picks come to mind. This guide wouldn’t be complete without mentioning those, so let’s give the online retail juggernauts of the world their nod.
What Do Dedicated Online Retailers Offer?
If you’re looking for a brake drum puller on one of the familiar online stores many shoppers frequent, you’re in luck – there’s more than a few options to choose from.
You can find models like the brake drum and rotor puller available at Walmart – this OTC 6980 model costs over $100, but it is designed, like the other, to handle 7-tons of force despite weighing less than 10 pounds.
It is usable with air tools and can reduce the time taken to complete the task as well as the fatigue associated with completing it.
If you’re looking to buy a more cost-efficient version, try TEKTON – this model comes in both 4-inch and 8-inch sizes, and variants with two and three jaws. This model is only and is listed as Amazon’s choice with a 4-star rating from 170 customer reviews at the top of this guide.
You may also be able to find similar models on sites like eBay that can do the job and land within whatever budget range you have. Whether you’re a seasoned mechanic or a casual hobbyist, pulling brake drums is much easier with the right tool.
Finding the Right Product Makes Your Task Much Easier
There’s nothing quiet like working on an older car – in every sense of the phrase.
On one hand, it is a glimpse back into the past. Many people would also say the chance to tinker with an antique or classic car is a great opportunity. However, older parts and decades of rust can also make it tough to work on a vehicle.
This is where having the right tools comes in handy. With a brake drum puller, you can take a lot of the stress off yourself and make sure you don’t deal with unnecessary hassle when you’re trying to complete simple tasks.
No matter how much power you need in your drum puller, there are options at various online stores – both dedicated online retailers and the online arms of standard retailers.
If you’re dealing with drum brakes, don’t inconvenience yourself – you can find a great deal on an affordable brake drum puller today
