Rear wheel locks up; brake issues
 

Hey all! Chrysler forum newbie here.

I have a 2000 T&C that has been having a re-occurring issue with the right rear brake assembly. Last summer, the brakes started dragging and eventually stopped the RR wheel from turning. I took it all apart, and couldn't find anything wrong. I loosened up the slack adjuster and put it all back together. Everything worked fine again until this week. Again, the right rear brakes seized up and has locked the RR wheel from turning.

I'm suspecting it's something in the emergency/parking brake system. Lately it has gotten to where it doesn't want to release properly. If I park on a hill and apply the parking brake, when I go to leave and release the brake, the left rear wheel releases but not the right. I have to give it some gas and then all of a sudden it lurches forward and pops loose with a bang.

What's weird is that the rear wheel seized up again without using the parking brake that day. It seized up just from applying the normal service brakes. The van is sitting at my in-law's house right now, and tomorrow I'm going to load it up on a trailer and haul it home where I can work on it at my own shop. I'm just a bit stumped since last time I didn't see anything wrong, but there obviously is a problem here.

Has anyone else experienced an issue like this?

Thanks,

Casey

I believe I have found the problem. I had a chance to remove the drum today, and it looks like the wheel cylinder has been leaking. The whole brake assembly was really gummy and nasty, and the brake shoes have been saturated. Everything is still functioning, but it's been getting stuck due to grime, and the cylinder may have a burr in the bore causing the shoes to get stuck in the out position. The grime may be causing the slack adjuster to work too much as well. In normal operation, there is a spring that pulls out on the slack adjuster to keep it from advancing, but I think it's been stuck so that it advances the star wheel everytime the parking brake is applied.

I'll change the cylinder and shoes and report back.

Casey

I put a new wheel cylinder and shoes on the right rear wheel, and everything seems to be great now. The drum was absolutely caked with grime...I had to use a scotch brite pad and brake cleaner to get it cleaned up. Everything seems to be working great now.

I went ahead and replaced the wheel cylinder on the left side while I was at it.

Casey