Suspected Rusted Brake Drum

wishihadalife

Hi ,

I have a problem with my car (1.5 Almera 2002) , I have been away for two weeks and when I returned I was unable to move the car , it appears that the rear right wheel has seized and wont budge.

I thought initially that maybe it was frozen ( though it is stored in an underground car park ) , but after taking the wheel off last night to have a closer look and to see if I could hammer it free it appears to just be rusted badly.

My question is what is the best approach here , I was going to see if my Breakdown Assistance would cover coming out to have a look at it or if I am better off just going to my local garage and asking someone to come out and have a look ( obviously I cannot move the car).

Avns1s

Probably just that the shoe has stuck tight to the drum, try rocking the car with the handbrake released (obviously). If this fails take the wheel off and try to move the drum on the hub. Lever it, do not hit it with the hammer as you will break it.

You could also check that the handbrake cable to that side isnt stuck, another likely cause. You can do then when the wheel is off.

wishihadalife

Hi ,

Thanks for the reply I have tried rocking the car and tried taking the wheel off and moving the drum to see if I can get full motion but there is very little movement there as in it turns a little but not very much.

How can I check the handbrake line on that side?

Avns1s

When you drop the handbrake, can you feel the "weight" of the brake pulling the lever down?

If the cable(s) are seized you will only be holding the weight of the lever itself.

Can you try and move the cable as it enters the brake housing when the wheel is off?

Even simply moving it as far as possible left to right might give enough movement to release it if this is the problem.

ianobrien

Have you smacked it with a hammer (seriously, I'm not joking...)

I've used the lump hammer before, and also rocked the car on the clutch and it worked for me every time. Make sure you have the car well supported (not just the car jack) before you break out the hammer......

I've seen it before where the shoes stick to the drum and/or the mechanism sticks. If you get it free, take it to a proper garage for them to have a look and to stop it happening again.

If you're sure it's the handbrake cable, cut the cable (it's rodgered anyway if it's stuck) and drive it STRAIGHT to a garage for them to fit a new one....

Avns1s

ianobrien wrote: »

Have you smacked it with a hammer (seriously, I'm not joking...)

I've used the lump hammer before, and also rocked the car on the clutch and it worked for me every time. Make sure you have the car well supported (not just the car jack) before you break out the hammer......

I've seen it before where the shoes stick to the drum and/or the mechanism sticks. If you get it free, take it to a proper garage for them to have a look and to stop it happening again.

If you're sure it's the handbrake cable, cut the cable (it's rodgered anyway if it's stuck) and drive it STRAIGHT to a garage for them to fit a new one....

That is seriously bad advice. What about if he frees it with the hammer...... and its cracked, a section of the drum might separate from the rest! What do you think might be the consequences of this???

Answers on a postcard please!

maidhc

Avns1s wrote: »

That is seriously bad advice. What about if he frees it with the hammer...... and its cracked, a section of the drum might separate from the rest! What do you think might be the consequences of this???

Answers on a postcard please!

An application to the Guinness book of records?

Avns1s

maidhc wrote: »

An application to the Guinness book of records?

Would that be for the quickest stop or the slowest stop? :D:D

ianobrien

Avns1s wrote: »

Would that be for the quickest stop or the slowest stop? :D:D

Tell you what, I'll give you a brake drum and a lump hammer. I'll use a calendar to time you how long it takes you to crack it by smacking it, not flaking it full force....

It's the shock that breaks the adhesion between the shoes and the drum, and believe me, it works. I've recovered quite a few cars that have been in storage for a few years, and the first thing always is a smack of a hammer to free the stuck drums.

wildefalcon

If a lump of cast steel breaks with a bang from lump hammer, it is unsound.

Different, if it was cast iron, but cast steel is a malleable metal and thus able to absorb impacts.

Afterall they survive the potholes of irish roads!

Though, the correct answer is to remove the drum, and hand brake cables - check, inspect, lube and replace.

Curran

OP; the exact same thing happened her 2004 Almera! And would you believe the car wouldnt start the morning either and it was in the driveway...so I couldnt rock the car, using the cars power, couldnt jump start the car as it was parked nose in, and couldnt roll the car out of the drive to jump it or push start it! :rolleyes:

Ended up jacking the car off and taking the wheels off, one at a time. The drivers side was stuck. Tried the passengers side and the hub was spinning. Jacked back up the drivers side and managed to get the hub turning. Let the car down and let off the handbrake and the car wouldnt budge again...drive way is on a slope and the wheels just locked straight away. Repeated the process again and same result.
Said Id try get the hub off and have a look, but couldnt get the hub off...I poured a boiling kettle of water over it, to see if it would free up the hub (not very mechanical I know...but I hadnt any 13mm bolts to screw into the hub to help it off), stuck the wheel back on and it seem to have helped a bit. When I dropped the car back down and let off the handbrake, the car moved a small bit, could hear the grinding from the hub. Got the car out of the driveway and got it jump started....some ordeal but all good now!!

dnme

If its rear wheels, put car in reverse and drive it a meter or so. That'll free it up.

pegasus1

dnme wrote: »

If its rear wheels, put car in reverse and drive it a meter or so. That'll free it up.

and your handbrake will be fecked!

hitting the drum with a hammer on an iron bar is sound advice...had to do it a couple of times on our car....

if you get a mechanic out that's all he will do!!

Capt'n Midnight

Domo-kun wrote:

The customer complained of brake fade on their car and after some heavy inspection the problem was discovered.

redman

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

brake fade!

OMG!!:eek::eek:

biko

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

pics

I'm not a praying man but - Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

dnme

Whats keeping the outer remaining piece of the disk in place?

pegasus1

dnme wrote: »

Whats keeping the outer remaining piece of the disk in place?

looks like the brake caliper is...those are shocking pics!

dnme

Who was this kuhndt?
M/F?
Age ?
Profile?
Area or county?
City or country person?