Rear Brake Problems!

Survivor61 · January 25, 2006

Went to pull out of driveway the other day and couldn'd move. Felt like the brake was on. Turns out the right rear tire was locked up. Not sure why still, finally got the drum off and cleaned and replaced everything. Seemed to work fine for a few days.

Have a feeling it has something to do with ABS as the ABS light comes on every once in awhile. I am not familiar with how the ABS system works.

Anyone have any ideas/suggestions?

This is on my 91 Explorer 4x4 BTW.

Steve

marragtop · January 26, 2006

Was there any fluids (like axel grease) on the drum and shoes? If so, probably a leaky axel seal which can result in the wheel locking.

mrfishnhunt · January 27, 2006

Check the small wire cable (it has a loop on one end and a hook on the other) Mine broke once and it caused the brake to bind up, the hook end pulled off. I think that it has something to do with the parking brake.

86caprirs · January 28, 2006

Sounds like a siezed or seizing park brake cable.Remove the drum.step on the park brake.Then release it and see if the rear brake shoe is still sticking out and not seated back into the anchor point.

Smaug · December 14, 2011

I too am having rear brake seizure issues !

I replaced front rotors and pads as well as rear drums, shoes and all rear hardware at the same time (4 months ago). At this point I started to have problems with what seemed to be the rear brakes self tightening , (seizing?) most noticeably the driver side. Since then all rear brake lines-hoses have been replaced as well (2 months ago)…. problem got worse over time.

After some driving and then parking for for a short time and then restarting to leave, the rear brakes seem to be engaged and if I drive few feet and apply the brakes the left rear will lock up the hardest and I get a rubber to pavement screech.

As far as I know the emergency brake has not been used since 2008? The Self Adjuster cables were both broken before the rear brake job was done and I had no problems with the brakes while they were non-functioning and flopping around inside drums.

The ABS light comes on and goes off (1 second) only when I start the truck (I believe this is a normal system checking function) and it does NOT come on any other time.

I'm thinking of removing the Self Adjuster cables and disconnecting the emergency brake cables from the rears.. Any comments???

marragtop · December 14, 2011

Disconnect the e-brake and self adjuster cables will eliminate them as potential problems. If you continue to have locking on just one side, consider replacing the wheel cylinder. Not to sound like a smart a#&, but when you replaced all the rear hardware, are you sure it went back together properly? Based on your post, it sounds like that's when the locking problems started.

Smaug · December 14, 2011

Yeah that's right… problem started immediately after a, no longer there, mechanic did the job and the owners have had to re-bleed the system twice. Both owners of garage (father & son) have gone over and over this and say that parts are installed right. We're pretty sure the right parts were used too… There was a recall of shoes for this truck but it think I should be OK there too (???) Using riveted shoes as per Ford's recommendation.

Too bad they don't have drum brake restrictor straps in order to test brake function with the drums off.

The mechanic that did the job was not all there and is gone.

Will have my local M---s B---e shop do an inspection again. They're always looking for work and are happy to find real problems. {:->

I think my next action should be to disconnect the emergency brake cable ends and remove the self adjuster levers and cables and see what happens. Up here in the snow/salt belt self-adjusting pretty much stops after 1 or 2 winters anyway.

SwaintaN · December 14, 2011

mine did this... e brake problem.. sometimes will start to drag or just feel like it dont wanna move... havta spray the ebrake cable and pull on it and works free... mine was cause by this and a faulty adjuster...

Tony H · December 15, 2011

Smaug said:
I too am having rear brake seizure issues !

I replaced front rotors and pads as well as rear drums, shoes and all rear hardware at the same time (4 months ago). At this point I started to have problems with what seemed to be the rear brakes self tightening , (seizing?) most noticeably the driver side. Since then all rear brake lines-hoses have been replaced as well (2 months ago)…. problem got worse over time.

After some driving and then parking for for a short time and then restarting to leave, the rear brakes seem to be engaged and if I drive few feet and apply the brakes the left rear will lock up the hardest and I get a rubber to pavement screech.

As far as I know the emergency brake has not been used since 2008? The Self Adjuster cables were both broken before the rear brake job was done and I had no problems with the brakes while they were non-functioning and flopping around inside drums.

The ABS light comes on and goes off (1 second) only when I start the truck (I believe this is a normal system checking function) and it does NOT come on any other time.

I'm thinking of removing the Self Adjuster cables and disconnecting the emergency brake cables from the rears.. Any comments???

If your wheel cylinder is leaking , brake fluid on Brake shoes will cause a locking affect when first using the brakes. The Shoe surface get very Grabby with Brake fluid on them. Was the Brake area all Dry when you replaced the shoes last?

DeRocha · December 15, 2011

I went through a similar issue a few years ago. I could back up fine, but when I drove forward it would feel like the driver's rear shoes would partially engage from time to time. As you would imagine it got worse not better over time.

It turned out the Upper Locating pin for the shoes had pulled/broken slightly away from the the backing plate (making it no longer perpendicular to it). This caused the shoes to be slightly skewed (no longer parallel to the drum). The more I used the brakes the more the pin got tweaked. I tried bashing it to death with a sledge but it didn't budge much. I ended up pulling the axle shaft and getting a new backing plate at my local bone yard. I slapped in new shoes and my rear brakes were fine again..

Hint: If you need to rotate the drive shaft at the bone yard (helps to get "C" clip out) just disconnect the transmission linkage from under the hood and shift into neutral

Smaug · December 15, 2011

DeRocha said:
I went through a similar issue a few years ago. I could back up fine, but when I drove forward it would feel like the driver's rear shoes would partially engage from time to time. As you would imagine it got worse not better over time.

It turned out the Upper Locating pin for the shoes had pulled/broken slightly away from the the backing plate (making it no longer perpendicular to it). This caused the shoes to be slightly skewed (no longer parallel to the drum). The more I used the brakes the more the pin got tweaked. I tried bashing it to death with a sledge but it didn't budge much. I ended up pulling the axle shaft and getting a new backing plate at my local bone yard. I slapped in new shoes and my rear brakes were fine again..

Hint: If you need to rotate the drive shaft at the bone yard (helps to get "C" clip out) just disconnect the transmission linkage from under the hood and shift into neutral

No.... no fluid lose. Yes... Mostly the left rear is grabbing and much less on the right... better in reverse.

DeRocha · December 17, 2011

Here is a picture of the bent rear brake shoe post.. Make sure your post is perfectly straight..

Smaug · December 17, 2011

DeRocha said:
Here is a picture of the bent rear brake shoe post.. Make sure your post is perfectly straight..

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WOW ! ! !

Rear Brake Problems!

Survivor61

Member

marragtop

Explorer Addict

mrfishnhunt

Member

86caprirs

Well-Known Member

Smaug

Member

marragtop

Explorer Addict

Smaug

Member

SwaintaN

Explorer Addict

Tony H

Explorer Addict

DeRocha

NEX Vice President

Smaug

Member

DeRocha

NEX Vice President

Smaug

Member

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