Brakes seized?!

[ronsrecord]

Happy New Year one and all!!

The van has been having a little rest over Christmas - but had been used a lot prior to that.

Jumped in today to go to work and it wouldn't move. Gears are engaging, van is trying to move forward, but it seems that the brakes are locked on. Brake fluid all okay. Haven't had a chance yet to hike it up to see what's stuck, front or back. Needless to say, handbrake was left on over Christmas. Surely it wouldn't seize up that quick??? Have just applied plus gas to handbrake cables - any other tricks I could try before getting heavy artillery out?

[lloydy]

Does the handbrake lever drop down? Or is it stuck up? If it drops down its most likely the shoes have stuck. Press on the brake pedal REALLY hard, the pedal exerts more force than the handbrake so should free them off

[ronsrecord]

Hi Lloydy - yep, handbrake drops down fine. Will pop out now and try the pedal method.

[Plasticman]

As ^^^^^ and stick it in reverse and snatch it back a time or two and dont leave it parked with hb on
mm

[ronsrecord]

The bugger won't budge!! Actually it is easing off a tiny bit - a tiny bit more movement back and forth. Will have to wait til tomorrow morning to start winding the neighbors up again!

Have absolutely learnt my lesson about leaving handbrake on!! Let this be a lesson to anyone else who does it.

[1664]

I always leave my handbrake on - I rather thought that was the point of having one. Had the rear wheels go 'thunk' as I've pulled away on a couple of occasions (rare) but never seized as such.

[California Dreamin]

Shoes rusted to the drums...pretty common mate, just dump the cluch with a few revs and 'bang' off they come (lever released of course).

Martin

[ronsrecord]

Cheers Martin - will have a go tomorrow - see if I can bump into my neighbors Chrysler on the way!

[California Dreamin]

Hmmmmm, yes dificult if you're in a tight parking spot...may have to ask the neighbour to move his Chrysler.

Martin

[DuaneEddy]

I had the same problem on a "tranzit" van ( - Auto Corect Function) and they wouldnt crack by dropping the clutch - the back end just dragged!
I jacked it up - took the wheels off one at a time and gave the drums a light knock with a copper hammer - couple of bangs - sorted -Same time of year funny enough!

[Oldiebut goodie]

My Merc does it after a period of damp weather and no use - foot down and drop the clutch gives you one heck of a clonk and away you go.(4+ tons of van doesn't drag the wheels though) I've started leaving the handbrake off now also.

[ronsrecord]

Thanks guys - will have a go tomorrow morning when the neighbors have disappeared

[AdrianC]

Shoes rusted to the drums...

Had that on the 205 when we got it out the lockup after a year and a half - a few revs and clutch sorted it in seconds, no ill effects. I've never had it on anything else, even getting out of storage after numerous years.

However, we also had it on the van back in Sicily last winter - one morning, I tried to move the van, but nothing happening. The back wheels were SOLID. By the time I'd jacked the back, and got the wheels off, the drums had decided to free up - and haven't given a problem since. We'd been in the back brakes a few months before, new hold-down springs and a clean/grease. I _think_ what happened was that the auto-adjusters had managed to almost click onto the next step, but not quite, so hadn't latched, but were holding the shoes on just enough. <shrug>

[CovKid]

Ron, give it loads of revs and let it plough through that fence and down the allotment.

[jrt]

This happens every January after the Christmas break to our plant trailers at work. I always make sure they're left with the hand brakes off but then some nosey sod comes along and yanks them on super tight ! A quick rev and a 200 yard drag over the speed ramps usually does the trick!
David