Jeep- rear right tire locks up when braking in rain/snow(intermittent)-Very dangerous

[Seth_TJ]

hey guys,

I wondered if you had any opinions on my problem i've been having for over a year. It is very intermittent 95% occuring in winter in snow or ice and sometimes when it is rainy. It has done it 3 times on dry pavement. Hasn't done it for quite some time. My neighbor who is a gearhead and I have both looked at it.

When i'm driving and push on the brake all the brakes work fine but the right rear will lock up and skid me out of control almost. As soon as I let off it unlocks, brake again locks up. I can get it to go away if I ride the brake for a while and then use them again.

The wheel cylinder shows no sign of leaking at all, all the springs look good too. The shoes are worn some and the shoe on the culprit side always looks slightly glazed and a different color.

For an immediate fix I have taken off the tire, sanded it lightly and cleaned with alcohol. has always worked.

I bought new drums, new shoes, and new wheel cylinders, plus all new springs. I haven't put anyhting on there I wanted to try one more time to find the cause.
The drums were 50 a piece, OUCH.


Thanks,
Seth

 

[cousincletus]

My guess would be you have a wheel cyl. sticking. You're on the right track but I would replace the rubber flexible hose also. If drums are expensive you can have the stock ones turned and take the new ones back to the parts store.

 

[Shannow]

Seth,
I've had this heppen to me a couple of times on Holden Toranas, and more recently 2WD Toyota Hiluxs.

(Same thing cause my brother to literally tear one of his cars apart against a pole).

Check that the self adjusters are capable of free operation, and a couple of times a week give them a good hard "reset" (Usually rolling back down a light hill, and applying the brakes firmly a few times).

 

[Seth_TJ]

Thanks guys.

The day it did it on dry pavement I about crapped my pants!!! It was so loud...


The drums are 45 dollars for Napa brand or the Raybestos pro grade are 56 a piece plus shipped and they are about 35lbs for both of them. Don't you think a drum is a drum? I mean the Raybestos can't be that much better than a Napa Tru-Stop one.


-Which rubber hose part do you mean? The brake lines?


Also, when I brake I feel a "tug-tug-tug" at low speed. Feels like The drums catch a little bit at a certain point... Maybe a warped drum exaggerated by a messed up shoe or quirky wheel cylinder?

 

[Dan4510]

Tug tug tug is out of round drums or rotors that have high/low spots in them.

Best thing to do is to start doing one thing at a time. Sounds like something is sticking, you have found no grease/oil on shoes and that is usually the cause. Wheel cylinder would be next in my trouble shooting. Do them in pairs.

Here's a brake troubleshooting guide.

http://www.classicperform.com/TechBook/BrakeTroubleshoot.htm

from another site:

Problem: Rear wheels locking up
Probable Causes:Master Cylinder/Power Booster holding pressure
Solution:Replace as nescessary
Actuating mechanism in rear calipers bound up
Solution:Replace as nescessary
Wheel Cylinders frozen due to heel/toe wear
Solution:Replace as nescessary

Problem: Single Wheel Locking up
Probable Causes: Flapper valve in hose
Solution:Replace hoses on that axle
Frozen Caliper piston/wheel cylinder
Solution:Rebuild/replace calipers on that axle or Replace wheel cylinders on that axle
Oil contaminated linings
Solution:Replace linings and disc/drum
Failing Proportioning valve/Combination valve
Solution:Replace Faulty Valve

***********************************************

One Or More Brakes Lock Up:
When you step on the brakes, the car veers sharply to one side or the other and a wheel may or may not lock up.
Possible causes:

1.

Brake pads/shoes are loose or broken: Replace the brake pads/shoes as required.
2.

Bad front disc caliper or rear drum brake wheel cylinder: Replace or rebuild both front calipers. Replace or rebuild both rear wheel cylinders.
3.

Loose or bad front wheel bearings: Replace bad wheel bearings. Repack and retighten loose wheel bearings.
4.

Brake pads/shoes are contaminated with grease or oil: Replace the brake pads/shoes as required.


Out to give you somewhere to start.

Dan

 

[427Z06]

I deleted my original post since I just reread your original post and discovered you haven't replaced any of the parts YET!

[ October 07, 2004, 06:45 PM: Message edited by: 427Z06 ]

 

[Gary Allan]

Good link Dan.

This would point, for me, to the wheel cylinder on the opposite side being seized. If this was the front I would maybe say a seized caliper or kinked brake hose. I'd reject the hose on the rear, since they typically share one hose and are 't-eed" at the axle housing. The kinked hose typically applies fluid slower to one side ..and then releases is slower. You'll get two pulls ..one direction upon application ..then you're yanked the opposite direction when you let off. That side typically drags for a little while after you let off the pedal.

being out of adjustment shouldn't really cause this condition. The fluid would move the properly adjusted brake shoe to contact ..any additional fluid application would be directed to the other assembly. Now they can be so under adjusted that neither of them can work well ..but you can't just lock up one because of adjustment. Effectively the limit of the master cylinder by the limit of the front brakes prevents the full application of the rears.

Other than the wheel cylinder (on the opposite side) being the cause, the only other thing that I can think of is that they lining itself is defective and wants to "grab".

 

[JohnnyO]

I had that problem early on my first Ranger, even with ABS the rears would lock up easy in damp and/or cold weather in the morning. After a few stops they were fine but it would wake the neighborhood.

I took it back to the dealer, they said sometimes the brake shoes can absorb moisture and lock up easy. They just put on new brakes and after that it was okay. For What It's Worth (FWIW).

 

[mechtech]

Sounds like the shoes were contaminated at some point - very hard to get oils/brake fluids/rear end lube out of the pores of the shoes.
Betcha new shoes fix it.