Stuck parking brake.

[coolride]

Stopped at the store (on way home from work.) I got back in the TB and put it into reverse. The truck was frosen in place. Shifted into drive, and also was stuck in place.

I guessed that the parking brake was stuck because the back driver's side rotor was a little warm. I was about to call AAA then instead, decided to get down into the ice and slush and push-pull the brake gizmo at the back of the dust shield. Somehow that worked and I rolled the 3/4 mile home. (I think it's still grabbing a little.)

How do I fix this?

 

[TollKeeper]

I could be wrong, but if memory serves, you can take apart the rear brakes, to the point of taking out the pivoting actuator. Then you putt it on a vice, and work it with penetrating lube, and when moving, oil, and then grease. There was a recent episode of Wheeler Dealers and they did this on a Land Rover that had this same problem.

 

[Mooseman]

If you have trouble pulling the rotor because the parking brake is holding it, thread a couple of bolts into the threaded holes in the rotor to force it off.

 

[coolride]

I'm not sure how the parking brake works. It was locked solid, and when I got behind the wheel I only wiggled the cable-lever mechanism. And that freed the wheel. I'm surprised that I didn't have to move the cable much at all (forward and back.)

 

[Mooseman]

It was probably frozen. The thing with the parking brake, you either use it all the time to keep it working well or you don't and it gets stuck. Even using it regularly may not prevent it from freezing in winter. Some lube at the cable sheath ends and in the drum mechanism should help it.

 

[coolride]

Yeah, I use it regularly. But we did just get the first snow storm of the season.

 

[coolride]

This picture isn't great. But I think that the problem might be this return spring and the plastic collar (yellowish thing at the the end of the spring.) They both look real tired. Also, the rubber gasket has seen better days.