Ford Focus 2005 - left-rear wheel locked

Hello folks - Ford Focus 2005 here. Odd problem, or maybe I'm missing something obvious.

Car wouldn't start, assumed the battery was clapped out, left it for a week and got it started with jump leads. Grand.

But now the left-rear wheel is locked solid and won't move. The other three are rotating freely as normal. I tried gently rocking it back and forth on the clutch but no dice; it won't free.

I don't have the keycode for the radio - does this affect the immobiliser somehow? Or is the left-rear brake assembly just jammed?

Hopefully it's my fault for forgetting something simple.

Thanks!

CJhaughey

Deleted User wrote: »

Hello folks - Ford Focus 2005 here. Odd problem, or maybe I'm missing something obvious.

Car wouldn't start, assumed the battery was clapped out, left it for a week and got it started with jump leads. Grand.

But now the left-rear wheel is locked solid and won't move. The other three are rotating freely as normal. I tried gently rocking it back and forth on the clutch but no dice; it won't free.

I don't have the keycode for the radio - does this affect the immobiliser somehow? Or is the left-rear brake assembly just jammed?

Hopefully it's my fault for forgetting something simple.

Thanks!

Its probably the brake shoes rusted to the drum, try taking the wheel off and beating the drum with a hammer, it should come free after a few hits.

Alanstrainor

CJhaughey wrote: »

Its probably the brake shoes rusted to the drum, try taking the wheel off and beating the drum with a hammer, it should come free after a few hits.

Yes. By the sounds of it the car hasn't moved in some time and was likely left with the handbrake on. It's common for the shoe's to get stuck to the drum. It's hammer time.

CoBo55

Don't hit the drum directly with the hammer put a piece of timber against the drum and hit that. Obviously make sure the handbrake is released.

CJhaughey

Hitting the drum won't hurt its feelings in the slightest.
Using wood defeats the purpose of applying shock, and makes it difficult because you have to hold two things.
A 2 lb lump hammer will get most seized hubs working well after some persuasion.

rex-x

Id say the lining is after coming away from the brake shoes and is now wedged, no amount of hammering will fix that

CoBo55

CJhaughey wrote: »

Hitting the drum won't hurt its feelings in the slightest.
Using wood defeats the purpose of applying shock, and makes it difficult because you have to hold two things.
A 2 lb lump hammer will get most seized hubs working well after some persuasion.

Ford drums are like polish tins, as weak as fcuk, a few direct clouts and it'll be like Ted's car!!

jochenstacker

Are we sure it has rear drums? Lots of Foci had rear discs.

colm_mcm

jochenstacker wrote: »

Are we sure it has rear drums? Lots of Foci had rear discs.

Any Mk2 Focus I’ve seen beyond the likes of an ST had drums.

w211

colm_mcm wrote: »

Any Mk2 Focus I’ve seen beyond the likes of an ST had drums.

That car have both versions, disc or drum. Both EU versions. I do not want to read the ford remarks, there is big mess.

SCOOP 64

rex-x wrote: »

Id say the lining is after coming away from the brake shoes and is now wedged, no amount of hammering will fix that

Exactly what happen to my Astra after not driving for a week after heavy rain then frost, new brake shoes needed.

w211

1 week does not to do any harm for car brakes. These should be on bad condition long time before that time. If you never lubricate your handbrake cable, what other result you can expect? Yes all the problems starts from that, because it does not release fully the handbrake. The movement are so tiny and one day you can not release anymore the handbrake, it does not go off. 14 years old car may have too stretched hand brake cables too. One day if you replace the rear breaks, replace the handbrake cables too. 1 job and it add only little amount labor minutes for entire project.

Grateful for the input, folks. Turned out that the left-rear hub was so corroded that when I tried to remove the wheel it was rusted firm to the drum.

Size 9s and WD40 sorted that. The hammer did the job on the drum. And the rest is in the hands of the mechanic for a full service.

Much appreciated.

w211

It happens because previous mechanic made the bad job. Is it really so hard to add one or two grams the anti-seize? Are you 100% sure the brake shoes did not hold it? If you remove the drum you should release the adjuster.

w211

w211 wrote: »

It happens because previous mechanic made the bad job. Is it really so hard to add one or two grams the anti-seize? Are you 100% sure the brake shoes did not hold it? If you remove the drum you should release the adjuster.

yes