HELP! E-Brake Stuck - Focaljet

**eriqjo** · 07-01-2008, 07:52 AM

My e-brake won't release. The handle will physicaly go down, but the rear brakes are still set. I've tried rocking forward and back without any success. I've also tried setting the brake as hard as I can and then releasing it again. Any ideas where to start looking for the hang-up? These are stock drum brakes. Thanks.

-Eric

**sleeperlove** · 07-01-2008, 09:50 AM

I have had that happen before and it just took some force from the engine to get it broken loose. It probably got wet and when you set the e brake and left it the shoes rusted to the drums. It might take a fairly large amount of force to break them loose.

I would try putting the car in reverse and trying to back up a bit. If it starts skidding and doesn't break loose there might be a bigger problem. Or they are just really rusted.

**OmniFocus** · 07-01-2008, 11:17 AM

I had a drum stick really bad once on another car.... I had washed it and then parked it in the garage for a week.. whoops.

My fix was to remove the wheel from the drum that was stuck, smack the drum with a mallet a few times and that seemed to do the trick.

**eriqjo** · 07-01-2008, 10:19 PM

Yup, washed it and let it sit for about a week and a half. After some serious rocking, I finally managed to break them free. Thanks for the help.

-Eric

**Cameroon** · 07-01-2008, 10:50 PM

Yet another reason why drum brakes have no place on a car made after 1970.

**MichaelXi** · 07-02-2008, 02:26 AM

IMO, it's Yet another Reason that the 'Jet ROCKS!!

Our Shared Experience Matters.
The "Freeze" may have occurred to me, but if it happened to my car, I would have done plenty of stressing along the way, (Likely?, Maybe?) and when people can share those weird experiences and the "Fixes", it makes the entire "Internet/Car Experience" more Valuable to me.

07-01-2008, 07:52 AM	#1
eriqjo TEAM Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Michigan Posts: 200	HELP! E-Brake Stuck My e-brake won't release. The handle will physicaly go down, but the rear brakes are still set. I've tried rocking forward and back without any success. I've also tried setting the brake as hard as I can and then releasing it again. Any ideas where to start looking for the hang-up? These are stock drum brakes. Thanks. -Eric __________________ 2005 Pitch Black 5-Speed ZX3 SES The RS/SVT Wannabe

07-01-2008, 09:50 AM	#2
sleeperlove You wouldn't like me when I'm angry. Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: in the dirt Posts: 8,505	Re: HELP! E-Brake Stuck I have had that happen before and it just took some force from the engine to get it broken loose. It probably got wet and when you set the e brake and left it the shoes rusted to the drums. It might take a fairly large amount of force to break them loose. I would try putting the car in reverse and trying to back up a bit. If it starts skidding and doesn't break loose there might be a bigger problem. Or they are just really rusted. __________________ I'm in ur posts changin ur werdz.

07-01-2008, 11:17 AM	#3
OmniFocus Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Mowin' down the cones. (CA) Posts: 26,235	Re: HELP! E-Brake Stuck I had a drum stick really bad once on another car.... I had washed it and then parked it in the garage for a week.. whoops. My fix was to remove the wheel from the drum that was stuck, smack the drum with a mallet a few times and that seemed to do the trick. __________________ Check out the shiny new PirateNinjasWithLasers.com for the latest updates in 24 Hours of LeMons goodness. Vacuum Vulture Racing: We put the "rad" in scrub radius, and the "ack" in ackerman.

07-01-2008, 10:19 PM	#4
eriqjo TEAM Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Michigan Posts: 200	Re: HELP! E-Brake Stuck Yup, washed it and let it sit for about a week and a half. After some serious rocking, I finally managed to break them free. Thanks for the help. -Eric __________________ 2005 Pitch Black 5-Speed ZX3 SES The RS/SVT Wannabe

07-01-2008, 10:50 PM	#5
Cameroon [FJ] Specialist Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Wherever peculiar people congregate Posts: 5,413	Re: HELP! E-Brake Stuck Yet another reason why drum brakes have no place on a car made after 1970. __________________ Any day above ground is a good one. '04 ZX5 D23E 5spd, FocusSport/SCT/ITG/VF Eng./H&R/KW/Moog/MBRP/SVT 149whp/150wtq '02 ZTS Zetec 5spd, FocusSport/ITG/SVT 115whp/120wtq "Money trumps peace" - Pres. George W. Bush Feb 14,2007 Gas was $1.47, oil $35 a barrel and the Euro was $0.85 when Bush took office.

07-02-2008, 02:26 AM	#6
MichaelXi [FJ] Addict Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Venus Via Knoxville, TN Posts: 24,263	Re: HELP! E-Brake Stuck IMO, it's Yet another Reason that the 'Jet ROCKS!! Our Shared Experience Matters. The "Freeze" may have occurred to me, but if it happened to my car, I would have done plenty of stressing along the way, (Likely?, Maybe?) and when people can share those weird experiences and the "Fixes", it makes the entire "Internet/Car Experience" more Valuable to me.

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