C3 Rear Wheels Locked After Long-Term Storage
 

Finally getting rid of my 79 to make more space in the garage. Unfortunately, both wheels seem to be locked. I pulled the brake pads, which made no difference. I then took a hammer to the brake hats thinking that the parking brake might've seized (although they were not engaged when the vehicle was parked). While this may truly be the problem, trying to tap them free did nothing. Then, I tried to (slowly) pull the vehicle with my truck, and the tires simply skidded across the driveway.

I know that the transmission (automatic) is at least shifting from the interior and the likelihood of some catastrophic internal trans failure is slim.

How common is it for the rear bearings to seize? My inclination is that the issue still might be the parking brakes, but either way it looks as though I'll be drilling out the brake rotor rivets this weekend..

Parking Pawl won't release?
Really, really bad driveshaft U-Joints?
Posi Unit clutches?
Half-shaft U-Joints?

The Pawl could be stuck, that did cross my mind.

There was no issue with the driveshaft originally, but I could always pull it. Even if the U joints are bad, it wouldn't lock both wheels in place.

If the differential was bad, both wheels would simply spin forward. There is no movement of the wheels whatsoever.

The brake pads may be stuck to the rotor... remove the wheels and pry on the metal portion of the pad, see if this free's it up. We purchased a 65 years ago with this problem and this solved the issue instantly.

Willcox

I pulled the pads from the calipers as my first step in trying to remediate the issue. As stated above, it unfortunately made no difference.

Sorry, I missed that in your post.. Okay, have you tried to back off the parking brake shoes as mentioned above.. it's more common for these to stick vs the bearings sticking... the odds of the bearings sticking is between slim and none.

Willcox

Through my career, I have impound or stored many abandoned vehicles from the streets and private properties.
Most of the time it is the parking brakes or the shoes or pads rusted to the drum or rotor.
After some distance pulled behind the tow truck they will free up.
I have seen wheel/axle bearings rusted or seized up and have seen the tow truck drivers have to remove a few driveshafts due to transmission issues.
Just call a flatbed tow.
They'll drag it up the slide bed and haul it away.

Which means that the brake is rusted to the rotor. Since you removed the pads, the only thing left is the parking brake.