[hahmeta]

after two weeks of sitting in o'hare long term parking, parking brake on left tire wont disengage. the right one is fine. i tried to move forward and backward a couple of times hoping it would release but with no luck. i dont want to push too hard to avoid any clutch damage. it's been relatively hot here but i dont know if this has anything to do with it.

is there a way to fix this or do i have to take it to a brake shop?
ford will tow it to the dealer free since car's still under warranty but all dealers are closed tomorrow, memorial day. if anyone knows any brake/service shop around o'hare that might be open tomorrow, please let me know.
any ideas are appreciated.

 

[MattZX3]

well.. my first poinion is to have it taken to a dealer, and if it is still under warranty, have the dealer fix it for free, even if it means going without a car for a day or so.

Do you use the e-brake all the time, or was this just because it was going to be parked for a while? I use the e-brake, even though i have an auto, every time i park the car, its just force of habbit from driving sticks, but its good for the brake and cables b/c i use them every day.....

on a side note, where in il do you live? cauz i live in addison, near elmhurst, villa park, itasca.. etc...

 

[babyface]

I know this sounds harsh, but try revving it and dropping the clutch, then pushing it back in almost instantly, so it doesnt stall. You might just be able to unstick it.

 

[hahmeta]

matthewstetz i don't use the e-brake all the time. and in hindsight i should have been. that might have prevented any rusting on the wires etc.
it looks like i'm going to have to wait until tuesday when the dealers are open.

i live in champaign but i commute to chicago quite often.

 

[hahmeta]

it may be worth a shot. this brings up another question. assuming e-brake did unstick, should i still take the car to a dealer for brake check-up?

 

[macdiesel]

This happened to me before in the winter. I rocked it out by going forward then reverse, like getting out of snow. If you have tools, could pull the wheel and disengage the parking brake.

Yeah, tow it to a dealer if you have a warranty. I wasn't so lucky and drove home with a dragging rear brake and had to fix it in the damn freezing ass cold. Good Luck dude.

 

[BornAgainFordOwner]

On my '04, the parking brake cables are coated with plastic, at least as much as is visible by the rear drums. If that's the case with yours, the shoes may just be stuck against the drums in which case trying to back up may break it free.

 

[guywiththeford]

this happened to a buudy of mines civic which was sitting for two years, all we did was jacked it up, took off the wheel, sprayed some wd40 inbetween the drum crack and then he took a bar, put it between the lugs and started to break it free, eventually it turned and we put the wheel back on, jsut got jammed with rust but little elbow grease can break it free.

 

[whynotthinkwhynot]

I have a better idea, and I'm surprised nobody has suggested it. Chock the front wheels to insure that the car won't move. Release the emergency brake. Loosen the locked wheel's lug nuts. Jack the car and remove the wheel. Beat the crap out of the drum with a hammer- avoiding the back plate, studs, and weights (drums are balanced). Hitting it on either side facing front or rear of the car should do the trick. You can also whack on the front of the drum some, but avoid those weights and studs. Check to see if it rotates. Once again be sure NOT to hit the drum back plate with the hammer.

I wouldn't suggest WD-40 for something you want to drive every day that you're not going to be replacing the drums on soon. It's great for some things, but in this situation it would cause the shoes to wear out much quicker (loosens the braking compound) as well as temporarily interfere's with braking (it will burn off eventually).

Like Micheal Jackson said, just beat it. Even if it doesn't free it up completely, it might loosen it enough to allow you to break it loose by driving it.

 

[hahmeta]

guys thanks for the ideas. in the end beating the hell out of the drums worked. i can't believe rust would luck the wheel so bad. anyways it was an interesting experience

 

[SkaAddict]

^
I've learned the hard way to not leave my parking brake on after washing the car or when its raining for a few days. Sometimes the shoe just sticks to the drum and there's nothing you can do but beat on the drum until it lets go. I'd suggest (in the future) that you don't engage the parking brake and leave the car in gear when its going to be sitting for a long period of time. I was in Texas last week for work, and when I got back my drums were sticking when I pulled my car out of a covered parking lot (one of those park & fly places, it was like a warehouse with no walls.) Just one more reason to replace the drums with discs []

 

[TNT13]

i just bought the svt brake kit to fix this problem, it just happened too often.

 

[DerrellFord000]

I have been able to rock the car back and forth. All but 1 wheel has finally disengaged. However the one wheel that wont unlock also I cant get the bolts off. Whoever touched my wife's car before we had it was a moron. I hope letting it sit for awhile then rocking it again will free up the last one.

Thanks for everyone's advice.

 

[Mile30]

B.f.h.!