My brakes are seized (1988 Nissan Micra 1.0 Automatic)
Car has been sitting off road for nearly 5 months, regularly used before then.
Engine is not a runner as I'm changing headgasket & haven't finished.
I need to move the car in next few days.
I've released the handbrake, car is on a very slight gradient, tried to move it, push it, bump it, but it's not budging !!!!
1) Any tricks to get car moving without me taking wheels off & having a look at brakes, as I want to get it movable as quickly & easily as possible ????
2) If I need to look at brakes, any suggestions on what to do to free the brakes ??
(Brake shoes at back, discs at front)
Edited by peter973 on 16/02/2009 at 21:01
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Most likely the handbrake has caused the shoes to rust to the drums. I once freed the brakes on a caravan that had been stood for a few years by removing the wheels and hammering the drums (with a block of wood in between) A few dull thunks and then a ringing sound as the shoes let go. Conversely on my project car I had to hammer the drums off as the wheel cylinder had seized and the drums weren't for shifting.
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Might try a few tugs from another car with a tow rope.
I'll also get my rubber mallet & hammer/wood ready.
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A few dull thunks and then a ringing sound as the shoes let go. Conversely on my project car I had to hammer the drums off as the wheel cylinder had seized and the drums weren't for shifting.
I've had a look at the back wheels.
Both back wheels were seized after releasing handbrake.
First back wheel:
Managed to release one wheel by hammering the brake drum inwards & wheel nut studs in rotary motion to rotate the wheel. It eventually freed off.
Second back wheel -Won't budge, even after towing
Tried hammering like for first wheel, no real movement.
Tried hammering wheel drum whith rubber mallet, then hammered with block of wood, no real movement.
Then got another car to tow this car & give a few tugs, to see if that freed the wheel.
I marked the wheels with white Tippex, to see which rotate.
No success, the wheel didn't budge, the other 3 wheels did rotate.
Looks like I'll have to bash the drum off the seized back wheel & investigate.
It must be serious if this second wheel won't move even after towing by another car !!
Any further advice or suggestions on:
1) removing the brake drum from a seized brake ??
2) dealing with a seized brake mechanism ??
.
Edited by peter973 on 17/02/2009 at 20:55
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should be a rubber bung on back plate that you can remove, then with scwre driver c lick the adjuster to release the shoes give the drum a good hammering all round . if you put in reverse and try to drive is a good idea also
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should be a rubber bung on back plate that you can remove then with scwre driver c lick the adjuster to release the shoes give the drum a good hammering all round . if you put in reverse and try to drive is a good idea also
I had a look at that.
Not sure how you're meant to do it, as there is a small slot on back of brake drum
-to push hook through to pull back spring toggle lever (which locks the star wheel) &
-also push screwdriver through to rotate star wheel to contract shoes.
You have to push 2 things through a small slot, at back of wheel in tight space, with shock absorber & spring in the way, with little or no light, maybe also trying to hold a torch !!!
I wonder if something else in the mechanism is seized.
I did try pulling back spring toggle lever (whick locks the star wheel), banging drum with hammer, thinking that might help release brake if the locking mechanism was disabled, with no success.
What actually locks & holds holds the brake shoes in place, the star wheel or some other adjuster ??
Edited by peter973 on 18/02/2009 at 14:12
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With suitable care and precautions it ought to be possible to get the drum hot with a blowlamp, particularly where the shoes are.
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I freed the seized rear brake by hitting with a big hammer around the drum & into the the drum, but not too hard.
I had tried with a big rubber mallet with block of wood in between & even towed car backwards/forwards with few tugs on tow rope, both of which didn't work.
Apparently it's the SHOCK that's needed to break the rust between the drum & brake shoe.
I went to garage around the corner, he said to hammer on front of drum, into the wheel.
I wacked it around the drum, then into the drum a few times & it was magically freed.
I didn't think it would work because the drum did turn a fraction before when I tried tightening/untightening a nut on one of the wheel studs. As the drum moved slightly I thought there must be some other internal problem with release mechanism.
I had also towed the car backwards & forwards with a few tugs.That seized wheel didn't budge & just dragged on the floor.
Edited by peter973 on 20/02/2009 at 20:48
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If moving the car a block of wood for the wheel to 'climb over' can also help release a seized brake.
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