This is the scenerio. I drove my truck a week ago, ran perfect and no problems. I started it up yesterday and tried to back out. No go!!! Put it in Drive.......No go!!! The transmission shifts into gear perfectly, but its like the rearend is locked up. I applied the "E" brake several times and no go. Its like the shoes are applied fully to the drums. I have had the wheels lock up leaving a parking lot before. The tire skidded and released within a couple of feet, this was about 3 months ago. How do I get the brakes to release without pulling the drums off. My truck is stuck on pavement until I can figure out how to release the rear brakes.

 

If you are sure its the brakes and not a transfer case or the rear end consider a broken parking brake cable. I would also jack up one side at a time and see which side is affected. Usually its one side. if you can't release it, thats really bad because getting those drums off will be tough even if you back the adjusters off .
PS access to the adjusters thru the backing plate thru the rubber plug with a pick and screwdriver to turn the wheel.

 

Thank you for the reply! Here's another critical piece of info that may help troubleshoot the problem........ The driver's side rear inside wheel is soaked with oil or brake fluid (can't tell) There is a fluid leak coming from the drum area. Could a leaky wheel cylinder cause a brake adhesion problem?

 

The fluid is most likely gear oil leaking past the spindle seal. Very common. See Jim Lanes how to in the sticky on that. Not likely brake fluid but anything can happen. Could be a piece of hardware jammed in between the pad and drum

 

If the problem is within the brake-drums, then it is likely that some portion of the brake assembly has came loose and wedged a shoe against the drum.

If that be the case, it is gonna be a night-mare getting that drum off.


I highly doubt that your problem is in the brakes, though.

Reason being, the chances of both sides locking up are little to none.

If one side is frozen, the other wheel would spin --- even if the rear is limited-slip.


I suspect the trouble is more likely within the rear-end; trouble there can very well lock both sides.


It is a hard call to make when I do not have the truck in front of me.

 

All I gotta add is have fun.

 

Got the truck to move, the rear driver's side brake was the only one "stuck" I slacked off the brake adjuster all the way and gave the truck some good throttle. I heard a "POP!" while going forward and the truck broke free. I drove it to my folks' place and disassembled the affected drum. The shoes were clean, the inside drum was clean, all the brake hardware was intact, and no signs of "binding". I am really at a loss for what caused this. The fluid found on the drum face was all coming from the gap between the wheel studs plate and the drumm housing.............weird? Are these 2 pieces? The fluid is seeping between these two places.

 

Could be one, or both, of the e-brake cables are not releasing enough. Mine was doing this for quite some time before I finally got around to installing new cables. I would release my e-brake in the cab, then have to reach under the back by the rear drivers wheel, and manually push the cables back into there housing the last inch or so.

When you release your e-brakes from the cab is the pedal tight against it's stop under the dash? Or is there a little bit of play or movement. If there is movement then your cable(s) are more then likely not releasing.

 

Atta' Boy Brian!

you can grab the cables to the wheels and wiggle them back and forth to free them up more

Soak them with some used diesel oil. Great stuff. It sounds like the cables are sticking

If it persists, you'll need new cables.

Have ypou considered NOT using the P Brake? It's an automatic isn't it?

 

I would check your cables, I noticed on my truck that at some point someone towed my truck (previous owner) and put a good kink in one of my cables.

 

If the truck sits for a while, the shoes can become "rusted" to the drum. You may have broken them loose, and then, driving it, cleaned all the evidence off the drum.

 

pin in the differential? lost tooth on the pinion?

maybe its time to change the diff oil.

 

Stop parking your truck after wet weather and putting the e-brake cable on. It just rusted the pad to the drum. Had this happen a few times especially if you let it sit put away wet.

Broke mine away a few times before I stopped putting the e-brake on and checking a few time myself.

 

There is a recent thread about this, it is a crack in that assembly. I'll try to find the thread. Is it rear end lube and not brake fluid?...Mark

 

Here it is...Mark