Drum brakes grabbing

moldman05

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2006
Location
Rocky Mount NC
Replaced rear wheel cylinders on my 97 2500 Suburban before going to Harlan last week. Between Harlan and Evarts right rear started grabbing and overheating. Backed off adjuster and turned adjuster around backwards so it would not adjust. Okay till today it started again. Shoes , springs, and hold down look good. Everything free except hot. Try new shoes?
 
That was my first thought but I left alot of play when I reversed the adjuster. The other side received the same repair and has not been a problem . I'm considering a defective wheel cylinder seizing when hot
 
I have seen the rubber hose from the chassis to the axle deteriorate internally and hold pressure when hot and bleed off when it cools. If it was mine it would get two new wheel cylinders and a new rear hose.
 
residual brake valve in master cyl. crapped out & is holding to much residual pressure?
 
It’s only affecting one side. The drive side seems normal.

I would think if it were hose or residual valve or prop valve it would affect both. There is factory hardline to one rubber line down to axle, then a T to each wheel cylinder.

Worked fine before swapping wheel cylinders due to finding both were weeping.
 
I never use the e brake but I checked it to be sure. It still works. Drum has been loose when cooled down. It's looser now since I backed off adjuster and reversed it. I'm going to drive it today and check temperatures a
 
Update: Changed out the wheel cylinder because that was last thing I did before right rear brake started grabbing when hot. Improved for a day then back to grabbing. Sometimes so violently that it dragged the tire. Installed new brake shoes and problem is now gone. I guess the brake fluid had soaked the shoes and heat brought it back out in spite of my cleaning with brake cleaner. Thanks for the help.
 
I just did my shoes on semi float and had broken primary shoes oil soaked on driver side that was causing same issue! Glad ya got it fixed my 99 stops on a long dime now compared to factory calipers and probably factory shoes and cylinders!
 
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