Rear Drum Hell
 

First off, just want to say that the pads on my 2005 went out at 33K. Seems a little early. But that's not what this thread is about. I tried to pulla rear drum to check the shoes,but can't get it off. Removed the 3 lockwashers on the studs first, of course. Don't want to force it too much in case I'm going about it all wrong. And the parking brake doesn't grab at all, and braking in reverse to tighten/adjust isn't working.
HELP!

RE: Rear Drum Hell
 

First off - I run used to run through brake pads at the rate of 1 set a year or more. If you have bonded linings they'll last longer as long as they're not drilled or grooved for racing purposes. Next - your drums will never come off unless you take off the parking brake. The reason it's different from say a Chevy is because Chevy parking brakes usually don't hold (defect from GM factory). If the pads are gone the metal on metal could have lightly welded (by heat) the metal shoe to the drum. Or the center hub that the drum goes over could be rusty and need cleaned up a bit. With light welding or rust problems use a rubber mallet around the drum a bit and it should loosen up. If your E-brake is on - block the wheels to keep it from rolling and take the brake off (unless you're on a hill - in which case find a new level spot to park first).