](./images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall"){kind=small}
ok so this is the problem. I was driving, just took off from a stop light, and my drivers side rear wheel locked up. I had it towed home where i could try and fix it. Let me mention that a couple of months ago, the same thing happened but it was when I was trying to back out of my driveway. After messing with it a little, it popped out and worked. It locked up one other time after I backed out of my driveway and applied the brakes before shifting into drive. All I had to do was pull the e brake and it unlocked. No problems until this nightmare!!! After hours upon fricken hours of researching, I have come to conclude that I need to try and adjust my parking brake. Now...i am no mechanic...but i can read and follow instructions - written or via video. I've probably watched every video there is, I downloaded a service manual, and read probably every post on the interweb and CANNOT for the life of me figure this out!! It is so frustrating!!! I am using 2 screwdrivers to try and adjust the star wheel and tried turning it upwards and downwards...NOTHING. I tried the rear passenger wheel to see what happens and I can adjust that one using only 1 screw driver. That wheel also rotates whereas the drivers side does not...AT ALL!!! It WILL NOT budge no matter what I do!!! I don't know what to do at this point and I really can't afford to take it to a shop. Please please help me before I rip all my hair out or light the damn car on fire!!Rear drivers side wheel locked up
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greeneyes1679
- n00b
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2020 8:19 pm
Rear drivers side wheel locked up
ok so this is the problem. I was driving, just took off from a stop light, and my drivers side rear wheel locked up. I had it towed home where i could try and fix it. Let me mention that a couple of months ago, the same thing happened but it was when I was trying to back out of my driveway. After messing with it a little, it popped out and worked. It locked up one other time after I backed out of my driveway and applied the brakes before shifting into drive. All I had to do was pull the e brake and it unlocked. No problems until this nightmare!!! After hours upon fricken hours of researching, I have come to conclude that I need to try and adjust my parking brake. Now...i am no mechanic...but i can read and follow instructions - written or via video. I've probably watched every video there is, I downloaded a service manual, and read probably every post on the interweb and CANNOT for the life of me figure this out!! It is so frustrating!!! I am using 2 screwdrivers to try and adjust the star wheel and tried turning it upwards and downwards...NOTHING. I tried the rear passenger wheel to see what happens and I can adjust that one using only 1 screw driver. That wheel also rotates whereas the drivers side does not...AT ALL!!! It WILL NOT budge no matter what I do!!! I don't know what to do at this point and I really can't afford to take it to a shop. Please please help me before I rip all my hair out or light the damn car on fire!!-
occasional demons
- Junior Admin
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- Location: Ashland Ohio
Re: Rear drivers side wheel locked up
If you cannot get the adjuster to move, you may have to resort to trying to pry the drum off, after removing the spindle nut in the center, just to make things easier. The drum does come off the hub, but they tend to rust bond together. Without removing the nut, you will be fighting both the friction of the brake shoes wedged against the drum, and the hub and drum being stuck together.
It will take a large pry bar, and a small sledgehammer, plenty of beating and prying to get the drum off of the shoes.
Chances are everything in there will need replaced anyways, so don't worry about damaging the brake parts. The drum will take a fair amount of abuse. The only part that really needs to be watched is prying against the backing plate.
But if they are really rusty, the backing plate itself could be the issue. My wife's Sundance had an issue where the backing plate rusted enough that it bent a little under the pressure of braking, and locked up the brakes on that wheel. I had to buy an entire rear axle, since the backing plate on those are no longer available, and junk yards in my area would not sell just the backing plates.
Worst case is the rear drum might have to be torched or cut somehow to get it to come off.
At least it is something that can be replaced, for under $100, partswise anyways.
But nextime it acts strange, maybe try to listen to your car a little sooner.
It's easier to take it apart and look while it is still turning. But we all have to learn the hard way, at least once.
You will need a 30mm socket and ratchet or breaker bar to remove the spindle nut. Use a lot of care to get the cap off in the center, as they are pricey from a dealer. IIRC Modern Performance sells them for a more reasonable price, but you are looking at a few days for shipping. A putty knife and some light tappnig on the knife with a hammer can work it loose.
You can buy a new nut, or use some blue threadlocker when reinstalling it. The torque is 160 ft. lbs. (217 N·m)
It will take a large pry bar, and a small sledgehammer, plenty of beating and prying to get the drum off of the shoes.
Chances are everything in there will need replaced anyways, so don't worry about damaging the brake parts. The drum will take a fair amount of abuse. The only part that really needs to be watched is prying against the backing plate.
But if they are really rusty, the backing plate itself could be the issue. My wife's Sundance had an issue where the backing plate rusted enough that it bent a little under the pressure of braking, and locked up the brakes on that wheel. I had to buy an entire rear axle, since the backing plate on those are no longer available, and junk yards in my area would not sell just the backing plates.
Worst case is the rear drum might have to be torched or cut somehow to get it to come off.
At least it is something that can be replaced, for under $100, partswise anyways.
But nextime it acts strange, maybe try to listen to your car a little sooner.
It's easier to take it apart and look while it is still turning. But we all have to learn the hard way, at least once.
You will need a 30mm socket and ratchet or breaker bar to remove the spindle nut. Use a lot of care to get the cap off in the center, as they are pricey from a dealer. IIRC Modern Performance sells them for a more reasonable price, but you are looking at a few days for shipping. A putty knife and some light tappnig on the knife with a hammer can work it loose.
You can buy a new nut, or use some blue threadlocker when reinstalling it. The torque is 160 ft. lbs. (217 N·m)
Bill
1999 neon coupe 2.4 swap
2021 Forester
2000 Neon MTX swap with '02 R/T PCMOlha Koba, a psychologist in Kyiv, said that “anger and hate in this situation is a normal reaction and important to validate.” But it is important to channel it into something useful, she said, such as making incendiary bombs out of empty bottles.
1999 neon coupe 2.4 swap
2021 Forester
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greeneyes1679
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- Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2020 8:19 pm
Re: Rear drivers side wheel locked up
Thank you so much for responding. This has been such a nightmare. And yea...I should have gotten it in sooner...but like you said, we all have to learn lol. I did finally get the drum off after alot of beating and prying lol and the shoes are really bad so at least I know what it is now so im going to go get the parts and try and put it together. Wish me luck...I'll either tell you how it turns out or be asking for more help!!!