Rear Brakes sticking.

[larry_in_socal]

I had sometime this weekend and was getting ready to start wrenching.. my main goal was to install the new distributor, however that didn't take place as the new garage with all my tools in boxes and in disarray, I just wasn't feeling it...

 

Since the 2002 is in a single car garage, I had to move it out to start organizing the garage to make the garage ready for proper wrenching. Can't properly wrench when I'm looking all over the place for tools and parts. I crammed everything into the small garage, well now that I'm settled, I will need to work on that first.. as for the car, it starts fine and can be driven out of the garage, which is awesome, no need to remove car covers and all that bulls$i$ that I had to deal with in the past...

 

The only one issue and I know it needs to be addressed, is that I know something is just not right with the brakes. The car has always been outside and covered. The car was parked outside at my sisters house while I got situated here... on the day that I moved it on a trailer over to my house, the car would not move, something was sticking, we tried to push it in neutral, but it just wouldn't budge so my brother in law and pulled it with his truck enough to unstick the wheels, I know that it is the back wheels as when he was pulling it to "loosen" up the wheels, I could see all wheels rotate, except the driver's rear as it dragged in the dirt, till it came lose and started to roll. That was back around March 2nd, and the car has been in the garage ever since.

 

This weekend in order to back the car out of the garage, I had to use force (clutch and gas) to get the car to move, enough to brake lose the binding.

 

I replaced the lines and calipers in the front and was getting ready to replace the wheel cylinders and lines in the rear, but the move last year got in the way. I also replaced the brake reservoir, reservoir lines to the master and master grommets. I'm still using the old brake master, but I don't think that is the problem. I still need to replace the rear wheel cylinders and lines. For now I just left the old lines and cylinders in the rear. I was still able to bleed the lines all the way around, but something is just not right.

 

First of all the parking brake is all the way at the top of the range of motion, even after I was able to un-stick, drive into the garage, and now 9 weeks later the rear brake is sticking again?

I don't see any leaks and didn't seem to have trouble bleeding the lines a year ago. What would make the rear drums stick?

 

Perhaps I'm pulling the parking brakes up to the top and when I'm releasing them, the mechanism is sticking or the cylinders are shot.

 

Any ideas on what I'm up against as I chase why the rears are locking up?

 

Thanks,

Larry_in_socal

 

[tzei]

Rust makes them stick but i guess we’ll find out when disassemble them.

[Mike Self]

Didja leave it parked with the parking brake engaged?  That's almost guaranteed to "weld" the brake shoes to the drums even when parked indoors for more than a few months.  

 

Even if the e-brake was off, properly adjusted shoes are very close to the drums, and rust can bridge the gap pretty quickly, providing the symptoms you describe...

 

mike

[larry_in_socal]

Tzei --  thanks... 'm going to have to tear into them to find out..I'll need to set a plan to work on them.

 

Mike -- Yup.. I left it parked with the parking brake engaged.. Isn't that what a parking brake is used for? LOL... and I'm sort of OCD when it comes to pulling up on my brake levers, (I have three cars - two Audi's and the 2002) and I really yank on the parking brake, sometimes to the point that my wife needs me to release it because I over tighten the brakes.

 

So when I look at them (soon) what should I look for, just rust and would some brake grease and sand paper at those locations free up the issue? do they stick to the plate or the actual drums?

 

I'll need to start looking at what I'm up against.

 

Thanks,

larryf_in_socal

 

 

[Son of Marty]

There could also be rust in the wheel cylinders that's not allowing the brake pistons fully retracting.

[John76]

The parking brake lever on the rear brake pad can also stick if left for long periods.

Can you turn the adjusters on the inside of the backing plate? Try to loosen and remove the drum.

Then you can see the problem...sticking brake cylinder and/or frozen parking brake arm.

[Mike Self]

4 hours ago, larry_in_socal said:

So when I look at them (soon) what should I look for, just rust and would some brake grease and sand paper at those locations free up the issue? do they stick to the plate or the actual drums?

Probably shoes stuck to drums.  Release the handbrake (and vow to never again use the parking brake for any period of time much over a week--less if it's rainy/humid) and whang on the drum with a BFH.  That should start jarring things loose. 

 

It's a good sign that you could move the car by revving the engine in first gear so it's not hopeless.  We were able to free up a car that had been parked outside for 10+ years; knowing the drums were probably toast we used a 2.5 lb sledge and actually hoped to shatter the drums, but they let go of the shoes before they shattered.

 

Take out your frustrations on those innocent drums and have at it. 😁

 

mike

 

 

[John76]

2 hours ago, Mike Self said:

Take out your frustrations on those innocent drums and have at it. 😁

Yeah...is that called "drumming to a different beater"?