Remove Drum On Truck Bed Trailer?

Hard to find info through search engines 'cause all the results are on replacing the brakes.

I have an old Ford truck bed trailer. It doesn't have trailer brakes and doesn't need them. But it does have the original axle, differential and the original drum brakes, with hydraulics and cables cut. I've got the axles out right now. I want to reduce weight and unnecessary parts. I could just remove the pads and parts, but the heaviest (and most likely to rust and be a pain to remove) are the actual drums.

Is there an issue with bolting the axle shafts back on without the drums?

 

Maybe hub bore size if the hub has a raised bore? Otherwise I don’t think it would be an issue.

 

What year ford rear end? 9"? Dana60? something else?

My old fords had the drums sandwiched between the wheel and hub face (as most do) which could cause a few potential issues if left off. The three biggest issues I can think of are: like @KNABORES said - the hub bore size may be different or simply not flat enough to mount the wheel to (the hub may be radiused at the base?), though typically the the wheels were lug-centric and not hub-centric so that's probably less important; two - the lugs may be knurled fairly deeply and you may run out of threads to securely bolt the wheel on; three - the drum helps keep crud out of the bearing retainer plate. I don't think the third would be a big deal, but some combination of the first two may cause issues.

Also, the effective wheel offset is going to change, pulling the tires further in to the wheel well. I wouldn't think you would be in danger of hitting inner fenders, spring perches, or shock mounts from such a minuscule change, but maybe...?

Post some pics of it all torn apart.

 

Ah, I see, thanks! 9". Hard to say. Been a truck bed trailer for who knows how many years, I just bought it last summer. It's a bumpside Ford, and that's as much evidence as I have for its age. But a gasket for a 9" rear end fits. I'll likely just pull all the brake components and keep the drums on. The pads were definitely engaged more than I'd like. No need for all that drag.