Locked Up - Need Help with Diagnosis - Diesel Forum

Tulebox · 10-26-2009, 05:10 PM

Was coming to a stop this morning and all of a sudden I hear/feel a loud clank and my truck stops immediately (felt & sounded like is was coming from behind me, but was hard to tell)(I stopped about 3 feet short of where I would have without the clank, so I was nearly at a stop). I try to accelerate and nothing, engine revs, but can't go anywhere, though truck felt like it was trying to (like emergency brake was on or something). I put it in park and then back in drive...same thing. Finally I decide to give it some more gas and finally I hear/feel another loud clank and I'm moving again (I had to punch it pretty good). Truck drove fine the rest of the 15 miles into work. I decided to take it to a tranny shop (Circle D)...drove fine on the way over there. They drove it, said it seemed fine. They dropped the pan & cut the filter...and checked transfer case, said all seemed fine.

They're thinking it might be brakes or differentials?

I had my brakes checked & serviced about a month ago. Only comments I can think to make on my brakes is that when I come to a stop it sounds like I can hear air releasing (pretty suttle) and that my Parking Brake doesn't hold like it used to (I park on an incline, so I use my parking brake daily).

I'm pretty mechanically challenged, so you'll have dumb your questions & answers down for me to understand them.

Window&Door · 10-26-2009, 05:27 PM

Last year I had a rear wheel cylinder stick on me, but it let go easily. Did you feel the truck 'try' to lurch forward going from park to drive?

**action4478** · 10-26-2009, 05:37 PM

Sounds like a problem in the rear Diff . Spyder gear pin dropping out ?????

Tulebox · 10-26-2009, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Window&Door

Last year I had a rear wheel cylinder stick on me, but it let go easily. Did you feel the truck 'try' to lurch forward going from park to drive?

Yes, it was like a brake was on or I was stuck on something...truck trying to go forward, but something was holding it back.

What is my next step?

Window&Door · 10-26-2009, 10:36 PM

...Sounds exactly like my stuck wheel cylinder did. I would start there. Now I don't know what "service" was done on your brakes, there's the "replace the shoes(rear) and the pads(front) and call it done service", and there is the "replace the shoes, turn the drums, replace wheel cylinders and bleed out dark, worn fluid till you get nice and clean brake fluid coming out service" ...adding accordingly to the reservoir of course- for the rear.

At your trucks age and mileage, if you still have original wheel cylinders they are trash or will be trash sometime soon. If the brakes are not bled every so often, moisture gets in the system(don't ask me how

) and starts to corrode things. Fronts are easy to do calipers and pads, the rear shoes and cylinders... not so much fun, but not impossible. If you do it, do one side at a time. You'll be running around the truck to take a peek at the complete side on reassembly. Don't forget to lube the contact patches for shoe movement.

And if your problem comes back... then at least you have good brakes

speeddemon31176 · 10-26-2009, 11:44 PM

Well as a list to check you could do these.
1. Wheel cylinder
2. Loose brake shoe
3. Cross pin loose inside rear differential
4. Side gear(spider) on axle broke
5. Pinion nut loose allowing pinion to drop back inside carrier a bit.

these are just a few things to look at. Good luck in your search.

Tulebox · 10-27-2009, 09:46 PM

Many, many thanks for the advice so far.

Had a new symptom today that I wanted to share...maybe it'll help with your diagnosis...my mechanic can't get it in until Thur so the more I can know going in the better.

I'm now getting a loud squeek when breaking and I'm getting a very subtle pulse sensation from the brake pedal...

Once again, thank you so much for your time and thoughts.

Oh, and I'll make a point to ask my mechanic about what he did with my brakes.

Thanks.

Window&Door · 10-28-2009, 12:42 AM

Post back end result when you get her figured

speeddemon31176 · 10-28-2009, 01:42 AM

Sounds like a brake shoe came loose inside the drum and is "floating" so to speak. It will be easy to identify which side it is by smelling for burning brakes and lightly touching the wheels in the back and see which one is hot. It sounds like the brake shoe retaining clip that holds the spring which holds the shoe in place broke allowing your shoe to move around. That could very easily lock up the rear end preventing the truck from moving. With any luck that is all it is. fairly cheap fix when considering the other possibilities which are much more expensive to repair.

Tulebox · 10-28-2009, 01:14 PM

Well, I found the problem...my mechanic was going to fit me in tomorrow so I was keeping my fingers crossed until then, but now it is in the shop...

Backing into parking spot this morning when boom, right rear tire goes down and smoke is everywhere. I got the tire off and discover it isn't the tire...this is what I found:

Hole in rim

And check out the drum...I was blessed to have this happen where it did (parking lot vs. highway).

speeddemon31176 · 10-28-2009, 01:59 PM

Wow there is nothing left to that drum. It is paper thin. Way past the acceptable tolerance. With any luck it is only the drum that needs to be replaced.

Tulebox · 10-28-2009, 04:09 PM

Mechanic will let me know once he gets up in there, but we'll be replacing both rear drums for sure (did the front ones not too long ago) and what ever else he finds.