2000 4x4 3.0 4x4 5 spd wouldn't move this morning

[kart45]

Started the truck up to let it warm up this morning. When I came out to leave for work the truck wouldn't move. RR was stuck solid. full throttle in 1st then in reverse, it just ended up slipping the LR. the whole truck would lurch a little, pivoting around the RR. I engaged and dis-engaged the parking brake a couple times hoping it might break it free.
(btw - I would have put it in 4x4 but my shift motor is dead, replacement should be showing up today sometime.)

I would assume its the parking brake. We got snow a couple days this week but I think for the most part it should be melted out of there by now...

Anyone have any tips on this? I'm gonna head home @ lunch and see if it's thawed out by then...

 

[Boggin]

is it cold up there? maybe try the heat gun on the brake drum and around the cable and the back of the drum

 

[kart45]

Sorry, guess I should have disclosed a bit more; it got down to single digits last night. The truck spends its nights outdoors uncovered in the driveway, so I have to let 'er run for 5-10 mins before heading out.
I was more hoping to find some sort of solution to avoid the park brake freezing situation. I'm sure the heat gun would work, I'd just rather not have to bust out the heat gun every morning just to break it free. If the 'ol 3.0 had any sort of compression I wouldn't worry so much about the park brake, but if I just leave it on any sort of incline (like my driveway) without the park brake engaged the truck will roll away, slowly but surely.

On this same note, I've been having a helluva time with the drivers door freezing shut too, I'm worried I'm gonna pull on it some cold morning and pull the handle off...

I was thinking maybe a layer of white lithium grease along the contact surfaces? I've heard to use tire dressing or graphite.

 

[99RangerBoss]

yeah i hear ya man i get the same problem with my ranger sometimes except im rwd what i did is lubricate all the pivot points in the brake drums and i changed my cables too i lubricated my cables with dry graphite lube as well, the main culprit is because i have side exhaust which comes out before my wheel so all that moisture in my exhaust condenses and makes everything rust and freeze.

 

[Doofy]

In cold parts of the country, the e-brake should almost never be used because of the brake shoes freezing to the drums. Other times, the e-brake cables will ice up and will not release.

My 3.0 doesn't have enough compression, either. I can't leave it in gear on an incline and be sure it will not move. You can make a good set of chocks and chock the wheels.

I spray all my rubber door gaskets with silicone spray and they never freeze shut.

 

[greenpus]

Never have had my truck ebrake freeze but then again I never use the ebrake

 

[kart45]

In cold parts of the country, the e-brake should almost never be used because of the brake shoes freezing to the drums. Other times, the e-brake cables will ice up and will not release.

Is this common to Rangers or just any vehicle in general? I've lived in Boise, Idaho most of my life and I know things can get cold, but never heard of the brakes freezing solid (enough to lock a vehicle in place), especially when the moisture we've had in the last couple weeks has been average (cpl inches of snow, temps in the teens, standard stuff for winter months)

If this problem is common only to Rangers, would an Explorer/Mustang/Crown Vic etc... disc swap help at all?
Maybe I could just throw money at it and make it go away... oh wait, thats my wallet calling, it says

Thanks to all for the tips

 

[Boggin]

My 3.0 doesn't have enough compression, either. I can't leave it in gear on an incline and be sure it will not move

really? i never heard of that before

 

[gettle03FX4LevelII]

has happened on all three of mine either dont use it or chalk it with a 4x4. to get it unstuck reach behind the rear wheel where the e-brake cable goes into the rear drum and grab hold of the cable and shake it. Do it on both sides and it should free the pads from the drum. I never use my e-break even though i have a 5 speed its just to much of a pia when it gets cold out.

 

[gcfishguy]

Yeah, same issue here...happened several times, and it's not even cold yet....well, cold, as in -20C cold.
Tonight we got home with the wife's car, I hopped in the Ranger to move it ahead in the driveway, feels like the LR is the one that stuck. I got it moved but it's stuck hard enough that I stalled it a couple times just moving it ahead 10'.

2 things going on with mine....the shoes are freezing to the drums, it's seized solid and they have to snap loose. Then one side or possibly both, the brake cable itself is frozen.

Likely if the cable wasn't frozen, the return springs would pull the shoes away from the drum when you released the brake.

Anyway, wow...there's a design flaw somewhere....I thought it was a fluke but obviously I'm not the only one. I've had park brake not want to release properly at -30 or -40, but it's only -6C out there now. Had it happen the other morning and it was -1C.

I've lived here all my life and this is the first vehicle I've had that this would happen to. 4x2, road truck only...no wheeling through water holes and so on....

 

[84stealthranger]

ive givin up on my e brake. the thing sticks when u use it, then when u go to take off its almost impossible for it not to stall lol. i just dont park on hills and if i have to i turn my wheels to what ever way it should roll to least danger.