Help with brake hangup

[gjh2007]

Hello all:

Took my 250 our for a tool this afternoon (65 & sunny N of Boston) & I noticed my left rear brake hanging up. Hit brake pedal, backed up, used parking brake, but by the time I got home 3 miles the drum was pretty hot. I had both drums off when I first go the car & did the brake drum adjust & parking brake adjust. I do notice the car pulls to the left slightly on a hard stop.

Anyhow, off came the drum again & it appears to be spinning freely, I readjusted the p brake loser (very loose) & everything seemed ok. well another 3 mile run & the drum is hot again. The wheel cylinder seems to be sliding on the backplate, springs look ok & didn't see anything else unusal.


Prob gonna pull the shoes off & clean the whole mess up & lub the plate.

Any thoughts? Maybe the flex brake line not letting fluid back through? The look pretty old.

Thanks for any input.

 

[piman]

Hello Gary,
the flexible is a good possibility. Run the car until you get the symptoms, then crack the bleed nipple on that side, if fluid comes out under pressure, and the brake is then free, it is almost certain that is the problem.

Alec

 

[gjh2007]

Thanks Alec, will do; I actually just read a post on the six pack mailng list which describes the same thing about the hoses. I'll probably change them anyway as I don't know what the PO has done to the car.

 

[Geo Hahn]

Had the same thing happen on my TR3 and a wheel cylinder rebuild kit took care of it.

Could be the flex line as noted -- I knew that wasn't my problem because solid axle cars only have one flex line in the rear and it serves both rear wheels.

FWIW -- to drive when this happened I clamped the flex line with hose clamping pliers, cracked the bleed to relieve pressure and drove home using the front brakes only.