Rear end freezing up??

[hskrbkr]

A little background first. In the last week it has gotten cold and icy around here (kansas). The problem I am going to describe had not happened prior to the last week.

I have had this problem three times now. When attempting to back out of a parking stall, I will shift my truck into reverse (it is actually shifting) and try to back out. I'm not moving? I give it a some gas, get a big noise from the rear (like something is breaking free) and away I go. Seems to only happen when it is pretty cold outside.

I am pretty sure it isn't the transmission. I can feel that shifting into reverse. I don't detect any noises or problems from the rear end when I'm driving. I shift into reverse quite a bit and it's only happened three times.

Any ideas?
Thanks.

 

[Mark Drysdale]

I have had this happen to me, and it was the parking brake shoes and mechanism sticking.

 

[Yomie]

How often do you take the truck off road, or go through more than about 1.5 feet of water. When was the last time you had your differential fluid changed? It is a possibility that you have water in the rear end that is freezing, possibility, it happened to SplashMan around christmas time

 

[hskrbkr]

I thought about the water in the diff, but I don't take this thing off-road. I haven't had the diff serviced since I've owned it (I'm sure it's due). I would think it would take quite a bit of water in the diff to freeze up though, wouldn't it?

A mechanic I talked to mentioned the parking brake. I do use that somewhat often. Maybe it's shot.

Thanks for replying so quick guys. Two good ideas. Anyone else?

 

[mrboyle]

Is there any ice on the ground? Mine makes some aweful noises every morning (when it freezes) when I go to back it up and the tires are frozen to the ground.

 

[hskrbkr]

There is ice on the ground. Come to think of it, the first time it happened was when there was a lot of standing water in this parking lot and I came out of a hockey game after it had frozen up. It happened yesterday morning after the previous day had melted some of the ice a little bit and it refroze over the night. Maybe it is the tires freezing to the ground.

 

[crossman]

I have the same problem when I use my parking brake. The rear wheels won't move unless I reallly hit the throttle, then they will break free. The ice and snow from driving around ends up freezing the pads so they stick. I try not to use my parking brake too often when it is really messy out... like now in Buffalo.