Wheels locked
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 72
Likes: 5
From: Sewell NJ
Wheels locked
I have an 86 with what I believe is a brake issue. The wheels will not rotate. I can't get the car out of my garage and can only access the left side of the car (right side too close to the wall). With the left side jacked up the left rear will turn by hand about an inch or so in either direction and the left front will rotate but sounds like the brake is rubbing.
It sure sounds like I have a brake issue. Anyone disagree? Big question is how bad and what's next? Resevoir was low, might have air in the lines. Old car with old components/lines as well. The C-4 manual I have doesn't offer a troubleshoot option for this issue. Anyone been here before that would care to provide some direction?
It sure sounds like I have a brake issue. Anyone disagree? Big question is how bad and what's next? Resevoir was low, might have air in the lines. Old car with old components/lines as well. The C-4 manual I have doesn't offer a troubleshoot option for this issue. Anyone been here before that would care to provide some direction?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,090
Likes: 80
From: Burleson Texas
Dave - jack up the side of the car you can reach, bleed both front and rear, keeping the resevoir full of clean fluid. Let the car back down and climb over the engine and open the bleeder on the front brake caliper. Crawl under the read and perform the same on the back caliper. See if you can now back the car out of the garage, using the emergency brake to stop the car. Once outside, tighten the loose bleeders and bleed the brake system beginning with the wheel furtherest from the master brake cylinder. If this does not clear up the problem, the master brake cylinder may be bad and require a rebuild or replacement.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 175
Likes: 1
From: Cave Creek Arizona
I cannot believe that there is any hydraulic pressure holding your brakes.
Sounds like the calipers are stuck or the pads are stuck to the rotors. I would try to tap them with a hammer, maybe you will need a pry bar or tire iron to reach inside the wheel and tap the caliper with a hammer.
Are you sure you are in neutral?
Sounds like the calipers are stuck or the pads are stuck to the rotors. I would try to tap them with a hammer, maybe you will need a pry bar or tire iron to reach inside the wheel and tap the caliper with a hammer.
Are you sure you are in neutral?
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 3,946
Likes: 63
From: Marianna FL
If the left rear turns about an inch or so and the front turns, then I don't think your issue is brakes.
How long has the car been in the garage?
Is it an automatic or standard shift transmission?
When you put it in gear and try to back out, what happens?
How long has the car been in the garage?
Is it an automatic or standard shift transmission?
When you put it in gear and try to back out, what happens?
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Could be a bad master cylinder. It's possible that when the car was put in the garage and the pedal released, the master cylinder did not allow for a release of pressure.
The quick way to tell is to raise one wheel, remove it and try to bleed that caliper. With the bleed screw open, the pedal should force fluid out as it's depressed. If the pedal doesn't move then I would suspect a frozen piston in the M/C.
If the fluid was that low, it may be that the old fluid has contaminants in it or some gunk has blocked up a hole or hard line.
Air in the lines will typically cause the brakes to not work. Air in the lines compress as the pedal is depressed and there will be no (or very little) braking.
The quick way to tell is to raise one wheel, remove it and try to bleed that caliper. With the bleed screw open, the pedal should force fluid out as it's depressed. If the pedal doesn't move then I would suspect a frozen piston in the M/C.
If the fluid was that low, it may be that the old fluid has contaminants in it or some gunk has blocked up a hole or hard line.
Air in the lines will typically cause the brakes to not work. Air in the lines compress as the pedal is depressed and there will be no (or very little) braking.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 72
Likes: 5
From: Sewell NJ
Thank you for the response and direction. I sure hope I'm not in the "replace mutiple brake component" category but I fear I may be. I'll try bleeding first thing tomorrow weather permitting.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 72
Likes: 5
From: Sewell NJ
Here's the events leading up to the wheels locking. It's a Standard tranny. During the winter I drive the car every weekend to get it out and run it weather permitting. When I first tried to roll it out of the garage today it moved a couple feet freely then felt like I hit a wheel block. Put it in gear and it moved forward with what seemed like ease. Checked for a wheel obstruction - nothing. Went to roll it back out and rolled a few feet and locked up again. Pulled it forward once more. It wouldn't roll back this time so I put it in reverse to back it up and the wheels would move very little with plenty of resistence. Goes easily into each gear (including reverse). No grinding sound making me think it is gears in either tranny or rear end. Haven't had anything like this happen before except I did notice that although there has not been any sign of any fluid leak the brake fluid seemed excessively low this time (the very bottom of the resevoir).
One other thing - maybe my imagination but I added brake fluid and pumped the brakes after the wheels locked. The brakes seemed to have less travel. Think I'm bleeding brakes tomorrow - hope it's not the master cylinder.
One other thing - maybe my imagination but I added brake fluid and pumped the brakes after the wheels locked. The brakes seemed to have less travel. Think I'm bleeding brakes tomorrow - hope it's not the master cylinder.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 423
Likes: 48
From: winchester Virginia
I once had a chev pickup that locked up one wheel every time I put on the brakes. Rubber brake line failed on the inside of the line and the rubber that came loose acted as a check valve; not allowing pressure to release when pedal was released. Totally locked the wheel. Seems unlikely to happen coincidentally on more than one wheel but who knows?
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Drifting
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,293
Likes: 36
Geez....you could have a busted differential.......
.
Simple.......jack car up and remove a wheel. If it is a brake issue, you will see that the brake disc is locked up solid.
If is it s differential issue, the brakes disc will move slightly.
If you are really doubting it, simply remove a caliper. If caliper refuses to come off, you've got a parking brake, or seized caliper issue.
.Simple.......jack car up and remove a wheel. If it is a brake issue, you will see that the brake disc is locked up solid.
If is it s differential issue, the brakes disc will move slightly.
If you are really doubting it, simply remove a caliper. If caliper refuses to come off, you've got a parking brake, or seized caliper issue.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 655
Likes: 2
From: Rio Vista ca.
Don't know if the master cylinder is the problem but if it is, it's not too expensive to have it fixed. My master cylinder failed recently and cost me just a little over $200 to get replaced. My mechanic got a re-manufactured cylinder from NAPA for $106 and charged just over $100 to do the work. However, a new cylinder from NAPA was over $400 and from the GM dealer in town it was over $700.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 658
Likes: 0
From: Lubbock for now, headed for Oklahoma
Geez....you could have a busted differential........
Simple.......jack car up and remove a wheel. If it is a brake issue, you will see that the brake disc is locked up solid.
If is it s differential issue, the brakes disc will move slightly.
If you are really doubting it, simply remove a caliper. If caliper refuses to come off, you've got a parking brake, or seized caliper issue.
.Simple.......jack car up and remove a wheel. If it is a brake issue, you will see that the brake disc is locked up solid.
If is it s differential issue, the brakes disc will move slightly.
If you are really doubting it, simply remove a caliper. If caliper refuses to come off, you've got a parking brake, or seized caliper issue.
This is where I was headed as well. You could have lost some thrust on the pinion and have put a burr on your ring and pinion. It would allow forward travel and not reverse. There is actually a couple of situations in the differential that could cause this.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,867
Likes: 3
From: Pasadena Maryland
Remove all the brake lines going to the master cylinder, this will relieve all the pressure in the system. If the car still does not roll then it's NOT the master cylinder. You could have a locked up caliper?