Calling transit owners.Rear brake issue.

Any Transit owner help please. Just failed CRV test today on right rear brake efficiency. Its a drum brake on a Mk6 rear wheel drive twin wheel Transit.
How does the drum come off?

Does the halfshaft have to come out first.Dont want to go mad with pullers till I am sure.

Pain in the butt to get off. Rust around center perimeter makes them a pig to get off.

Let handbrake off full, you can try and give the drum a good thumping round and round to attempt to break the rust at the join, I’ve taken them off with the puller and I’ve got the oxy/acetylene gear in the workshop so a good heating helps.
I Remember once before removing the diff plate, pulling the ‘c’ clip on the halfshaft and taking the whole lot out but that’s a disaster of a way to get them off.
You’ll find the handbrake cables frayed at the sand plate and sticking the shoes on..... if so, the shoes will also catch the lip on the drum making it even more difficult to remove.

Make sure you mark one stud with paint and the drum beside the stud
Screw the handbrake cable right off clean the half shaft flange hammer the drum around the studs and the outer edge poss wheel cylinder leaking fluid idea off the paint !!! when you put the drum on you will return it's original position on the flange if you don’t it will cause brake vibration

Well just an update. job went absolutely fine once it was established that the drums could not be removed without taking off the half shafts. The half shaft flanges are holding the drums on . On our van its a twin wheel, 16", 6 stud wheel which has a quite different brake drum from the single wheel five stud. Took off the diff cover, which was actually un necessary as the splined half shafts would pull straight out, but maybe one would lose some diff oil so no harm. Anyway, new brake cylinders and brake shoes were fitted (€70.00 total cost of job), brakes feel much better and a re test is booked for thursday so fingers crossed.

At least Transit parts are cheap and readily available.
Thanks,fingers crossed