whats sticking

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Mon Jul 19, 04 3:38 pm

Right-ho...

this is a confusing one.

Car is 1967 Rambler Ambassador, 290 V8, automatic. When you reverse (ocassionally) it will stick like a brake has bound on, rolling forward frees it off. Did it this morning and I didn't have much space to roll forward so I just gave it some more gas. Ended up doing a reverse gear burnout in the road outside my house at 7:30 am, way to make yourself popular!

This kinda shoots my thought that it was a rear brake not releasing off the handbrake (parking brake) properly.

It only seems to do it if the car is fairly recently started - I imagine that this is when the brakes are cold.

Car is power assisted drums all round.

Any thoughts before I start stripping stuff down in a fairly random fashion?

Guy · Post by **Guy** » Mon Jul 19, 04 4:57 pm

Strip the drums of the car and make sure all trailing edges of the shoes are trailing also make sure that there is not an excessive lip on the drums

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Mon Jul 19, 04 10:18 pm

silly question but presume it is really sticking, and isnt the trans not engaging reverse ? (i ie engine revs up loads and you dont move) as thats usually the first sign of low fluid. reverse is the first to complain.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Jul 20, 04 9:05 am

SteveB wrote:
!!!!!!!!!!!!! Shurely shome mishtake here?

I'm fairly sure it has a servo (either that or I'm stronger than I thought LOL), and I don't recall the fronts being discs. But then I've had the car a couple of weeks and only been under the front about twice... :red:

Also it does do it with the car/brakes hot too. So ignore what I said about it being when they were cold. Did it last night when I came home from work and it had a good cross town run.

And it does it regardless of whether the parking brake has been used, as last night I swung up my road, stopped outside the house and went to back onto the drive and she was not having it.

Just seems odd that it only does it in reverse.

Philth · Post by **Philth** » Tue Jul 20, 04 1:02 pm

I'd be inclined to renew brake linings anyway and give all the springs/mechanisms a good clean-up. I'd even go as far as a complete overhaul all round. And I have on my E body (new M/C, front flexi-pipes, overhauled calipers (half full of black gunge & sticking!), new wheel cylinders/linings at rear)! Made a huge difference. IMHO you shouldn't take half measures with vehicle brakes.
As for the servo - it may only plumbed up to the front drums (braking balance, etc).

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Tue Jul 20, 04 5:27 pm

It's a brake shoe related problem for sure, I've had this symptom many times when someting has come adrift or has failed inside the drum. Also, when you adjust rear brakes you should always slacken off the handbrake cable till it is loose, adjust the brakes and then adjust the handbrake cable. You may well know this already but I'm alway's surprised by how many people don't do it that way, and you can end up with weird brake problems such as this if you don't.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Jul 20, 04 7:19 pm

Come again Blue?

Do you mean take the handbrake off slack, or proper get under and unscrew the balance adjuster?

If the later, I certainly didn't know that and it could solve a couple of my woes.

Alex · Post by **Alex** » Tue Jul 20, 04 7:22 pm

The latter...

db · Post by db » Tue Aug 03, 04 10:51 am

Hmm sounds like the sort of bother i've been havin with my truk (D100) How do i tell if i've assembled it right- having not looked at the brakes in a while i can't remember how sure i was that the shoes were the right way round! I replaced the spring kits cos the brakes were binding and that worked. Now the parking brake only works forward- i can reverse with it full on!?! One of the rear slave cyls is leaking now too just to complicate matters....