brakes locking up

[john chalk]

Hi all - this question is actually about the brakes on my 57 Fleetwood, but it is drum brake related, so I hope for guidance.

The car has sat for about 8 weeks (as it has in the past), but I have had to move it every morning for the last 3 days for some backyard work, and the brakes are locked every morning. I rock back and forth with the gear selector, and I get a tad of movement. Eventually, they free up, and the car moves, and it seems fine. I park the car - the next day, the same thing happens. Is there a part that can be affected by sitting, even though I have not seen this problem with these brakes in this car before?  I get it with the 64, but it's only as it initially drives, and a quick flick to reverse, and it's all good. I know this is a trait of drum brakes that sit, but as I said, it has never happened before with the 57 and not so bad the car will not move.

thanks,

John Chalk

[Wayne Morris]

Is the vehicle sitting in freezing damp weather? May be the brakes are wet and freezing to the drums. Take the car out for a drive and get the brakes hot and see if that cures the problem.

[john chalk]

thanks, Wayne - no, it is covered over in a dry area and not exposed to water. It is the middle of summer here in Australia, so I am aware of moisture/humidity and rust being an issue for drum brakes, but I just can not see how that has had an effect. It seems from sitting for several weeks something has changed. When I get the brakes free and drive around for 5 minutes it is fine and first night I thought OK it is better but next two mornings - same problem and the car was back under dry cover.

[Kurt]

There could be multiple causes for dragging brakes. My car at one time had a wheel that would lock & then eventually release over time. My issue turned out to be the brake hoses. When the rubber ages, it swells. Under the crimp sleeve, when the rubber swells it pinches closed since it's confined under the crimp sleeve. Pressing the brake has enough pressue to force brake fluid passed the constriction but the return spring doesn't have enough force to push the fluid back. After replacing all my brake hoses, the brakes worked better than ever with smooth, even braking. If your hoses are old, consider replacing them regardless of whether this is causing locking problem. Once you have the hoses off, if you can't blow through it, it is blocked.

[john chalk]

Thanks Kurt - It's definitely a possibility - the hoses would be 10 years old, so I will look into that.

[David Thomas]

Hey John, just wanted to toss out another thought on your brakes. If you are using the emergency brake when you park the car it could be that they are not releasing until you rock it forward and back. Check out the cables front to rear and linkage under the drums for wear or binding.