Any ideas what is causing my drivers side rear wheel to lock up at stops?

[natedilla]

Im new to 4runners and mainly new to drum brakes. My drivers side wheel gets stuck at stops and has to "break free" when i accelerate and sometimes even drags along the ground before it disengages. i figure it may be the emergency brake mechanism in the drum. It happens when cold the most. I can either mash the gas until it loudly pops free or i can let it roll very slowly in reverse then switch to drive. Strangely when rolling out of reverse the wheel doesnt lock.

Also, while im at it lol... ive got a hesitation on acceleration and driving uphill. No check engine lights. If it were plugs or wires wouldnt it trip a code? could it be fuel filter?

[troyboy162]

they are generaly very easy to look at. the drum will most likly come off by hand after you remove the tire. but i think this is one of the symtoms of a leaking axle seal. is there any oil spraying on to your rim from the drum?

[fenrisx]

My drum took a bit of tapping, banging, and pulling to get mine off. There's holes for bolts to push it off, but I don't know what size bolt is used for that.

[CJM]

iirc those holes are metric 10 or 13mm or so.

It could be:
-Bad rear wheel cylinder
-Bad springs on the pads
-Brake shoes on incorrectly
-Bad drums that are worn with a groove where the shoes are getting stuck
-Drums that are worn unevenly
-E brake is getting hung up
-Leaking axle seal, whichin turn cases the gear oil from the axle to push past the seal of the actual axle shaft and coat the pads and drums. You will notice immediately b/c it will be gooey and smell horrible.
-Worst case: You have a had axle shaft and its not rotating properly cause its bent or the bearings bad and the shoes arent being applied correctly cause of it. This is a MAJOR pita and what happened to my T100, but it was also noticed much more that the truck vibrates bad in the rear and you could see the shaft was not rotating right when you removed the drum and watched it spin in gear.

Start with the basics, check the wheel cylinder to make sure its working good and look for grooves or unevenness on the shoes and drum

[4x4mike]

There is a little adjuster wheel visible from the rear of the backing plate if the drum is hard to take off. I'm thinking the shoe could be broken, really worn, or the drum really worn. You could also have a bad axle seal and gear oil has leaked in there. This will cause sticking and poor performance. Once you get enough in there it leaks out of the drum onto the inside of the wheel making a mess.

[MTL_4runner]

they are generaly very easy to look at. the drum will most likly come off by hand after you remove the tire. but i think this is one of the symtoms of a leaking axle seal. is there any oil spraying on to your rim from the drum?


X2

I'd put money on a leaking axle seal. Definately take the drums off and have a look.