• Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Register for our forum. Even if you don't want to post, you can still 'Like' and react to posts.

locked up brakes NEED HELP


jammert609@yahoo.com

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2011
Messages
231
City
Backwoods NC
Vehicle Year
84/89
Transmission
Automatic
I parked my truck on a hill an set the emerency brake an went back acouple hours later an noticed i wasnt going anywhere an the truck was struggleing,I checked an pulled up on the em brake pedal it was fully relased but i think that brake didnt release. I realized it was the brakes after it started smoking badly,I took it down my driveway slinging the rearend trying to unlock but did not work an in the process i found myself drifting, I am glad this didnt happen on the highway going 65 or so because i would have wrecked. Is there anything i can do to temararrly unlock them an justed use the front brakes untill i find me another vechicle that isnt my daily driver...help would be appreciated
 
Last edited:
Did you release the parking brake before you drove off...? You didn't mention it so I thought i'd ask. If you did, set the parking brake again and pull on the release handle kind of hard and it should release. I've had that issue before, but I knew immediately what it was and didn't drive around with my parking brake set...
 
Its either the E brake cables or the rear brakes seized up. Pull the drums and check it out.


BTW, much better on the spelling. :icon_thumby:
 
Take the rear wheels off and smack the drums with a 5lb hammer. If it's anything but the cable, it should release it.
 
This may have no bearing on the cure, but....
Which way did you move when you drove off, forward or reverse?

Maybe (BIG maybe) try re-setting the pedal, and going the opposite direction than when you took off in your truck, before sliding all over the place trying to bully it away.

Don't move far....just a few (maybe 10 or 15) feet. Maybe that will "un-lock" whatever may be stuck inside the drum, if it's not just a frozen E-brake cable.

(Oh, and were both wheels being stubborn, or just one side? You didn't say......)

IF this works, and it should unlock, then take whichever side it was (or both) to see what isn't fastened down anymore.

At this point anything's worth a try.
 
(Oh, and were both wheels being stubborn, or just one side? You didn't say......)

I've driven off with my brake set, and I've driven with a frozen brake.

The fact that the rear went sliding all over the place kinda tells me it may have been only one wheel that was stuck.
 
This may have no bearing on the cure, but....
Which way did you move when you drove off, forward or reverse?

Maybe (BIG maybe) try re-setting the pedal, and going the opposite direction than when you took off in your truck, before sliding all over the place trying to bully it away.

Don't move far....just a few (maybe 10 or 15) feet. Maybe that will "un-lock" whatever may be stuck inside the drum, if it's not just a frozen E-brake cable.

(Oh, and were both wheels being stubborn, or just one side? You didn't say......)

IF this works, and it should unlock, then take whichever side it was (or both) to see what isn't fastened down anymore.

At this point anything's worth a try.

i moved it forward and it was the passager rear
 
Last edited:
Did you release the parking brake before you drove off...? You didn't mention it so I thought i'd ask. If you did, set the parking brake again and pull on the release handle kind of hard and it should release. I've had that issue before, but I knew immediately what it was and didn't drive around with my parking brake set...

I checked an pulled up on the em brake pedal it was fully released but i think that brake didnt release.
 
I agree with adsm, it needs a smack on the drum with a 5 lb. hammer.
 
I checked and pulled up on the em brake pedal it was fully released but I think that brake didn't release.

The release handle just actually "lets go" of the pedal, where it's held in place. There's spring-tension on the cable "downstream" of the pedal that keeps it tight when engaged and "locked" in place by the applied pedal.

This one cable splits and "pulls" on both sides equally, if working properly. If one (or both) cables sieze up internally, then their last gasping act is usually one of two things -

1. No application at all.
2. Lock-up, with no release when the release handle is pulled.

I'm sure there's degrees of how well it works. To me, an E-brake either works or it doesn't.

My best guess at this point is somewhere between where the cable splits, and the passenger-side drum, the cable is frozen (rusted) stuck. Fairly easy to replace, and since you should check on both sides anyway, well......be one less thing to worry about for a while if you re-do it now.

That's where the hammer will come into play.....
 
Last edited:
you gotta pull the drum off either way so just do it
 
Yeah, while you're in there. Sounds like time to replace them. I still need to do that on mine, as well.
 
thanks yall, I think i have got it temporarly unlocked, I used the adjuster screw on the back of the hub, i am still going to use the 5lb hammer to it tho.durn its nice when people are nice about things an not assholes
 

Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

TRS Events

Member & Vendor Upgrades

For a small yearly donation, you can support this forum and receive a 'Supporting Member' banner, or become a 'Supporting Vendor' and promote your products here. Click the banner to find out how.

Recently Featured

Want to see your truck here? Share your photos and details in the forum.

Ranger Adventure Video

TRS Merchandise

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Sponsors


Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad


Amazon Deals

Sponsored Ad

Back
Top