I've spent a couple of hours looking at brake threads on this forum, and haven't seen a problem quite like mine. So as long as we're on the subject of brakes ...

81 F100, completely stock/original.

We were taking Festus for an outing yesterday, as he hasn't been driven much due to the rain/snow/flooding. We have a hard-packed gravel "driveroad" (too big to be a driveway). As he was reaching the road I tapped on the brake pedal and the truck shuddered and slid to a quick halt. We were barely moving at the time, single digit MPH. "Well that's new," I observed, along with some possible profanity.

I backed him up and he was moving fine until I hit the brake again. My wife was watching this time and said the left rear tire completely seized up when I hit the brake pedal; rather than slowing to a stop, the brake just grabbed the tire and it instantly stopped turning. We did this a couple more times; there was no grabbing or locking up until I used the brake pedal - the tire was turning normally until braked. So it's not locking up or seizing in the sense that the brake is locking up or being stuck. No problems noted on the other three.

I backed Festus under the carport and examined the marks on the 'driveroad'; definitely just the left rear tire locking up.

No brake problems whatsoever before this, and all recent driving has been perfect and trouble-free. I had the master cylinder and booster replaced three years ago, and he bled the lines at the same time, said the brakes looked great and had been redone before I bought the truck.

Due to some physical difficulties I won't be able to tackle this for a while, so any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

You will have to jack it up and take the wheel and then the brake drum off. Look for any signs of brake fluid that has been leaking on the shoes. The whole area under the drum should be brown and dusty. If it's black and gummy looking, and the shoes are black and look greasy, then you have a leak and it's ruined the shoes, making them sticky. If you do have a leak, you simply go to the store, buy a new brake cylinder and install it along with new shoes, the other ones are ruined.

If everything looks brown and dusty under there, and nothing looks out of place, then most likely your e-brake cable is stuck. You may run into this right away if the drum won't come off. If you can't get the drum off, go up to the driver's side outside frame rail where the parking brake cables go, get some vise grips and clamp them tightly to the offending cable about a 1/2 inch or so before it goes into the sheath. The take a hammer and strike the side of the vise grips to try and drive the cable back up into the sheath. If you can then get the drum off, and everything looks ok under the drum, then you need some new e-brake cables. This is a very common problem with these trucks.

If you need to drive it and you have a automatic, just make sure you do not use the e-brake until you get it fixed.

 

Sounds like a sticking/leaking wheel cylinder

 

Mucho appreciado, amigos. This is great information and why the Bullnose forum is unmatched. After searching here for this problem, then perusing all the manuals, I still couldn't find a case exactly like this.

As soon as I'm fit to get under there I will check all this out. Fingers crossed that it's the e-brake. It's a manual and I always carry chocks.

 

If someone could please rep Franklin2 and InfantryCPT on my behalf for their help here, I'd appreciate it. You can just use the title of this thread as the comment.

I've repped both of these guys recently. So I can't rep them again, having fallen victim to the FTE "spread the love" program, wherein you can't say thank you to the same person twice.

The program sounds like this:

Well, Tommy, Ralph did something really nice, and you said thank you, and Ralph gets a cookie.

But now you have to thank Jimmy. If you don't say thank you to Jimmy, Jimmy will be very sad. Yes, we understand that Jimmy never does ***** around here. Nevertheless, it's very important that he gets thanked and feels included. Then he, too, will have his cookie even though he did nothing to deserve it. If you don't thank Jimmy, we will never ever let you thank Ralph again, and even though Ralph is very nice and helpful, he might become sad and depressed and think no one likes him anymore.

But we really don't care, because Jimmy got his cookie.

That's about as much sense as I can make of this. It's also why we sent our son to a private school.

 

None, needed sir, I appreciate the gesture however I really just hope you get Festus fixed up and on the road again.

 

I can't rep either of them. Jim says I'm not promiscuous enough.

On the brakes, before you tear into the brakes I'd get it out on pavement and see if it still locks up after some use. I've seen cases where a piece of gravel has gotten into the brakes and causes that one to come on quickly. But, after some use and/or mashing the brakes hard it got broken up and the problem went away.

 

I agree with you Gary I have seen that multiple times, the caliche (Texas Gravel ) here in South Texas can get into anything, however, since he said it was left rear, that is a pretty tight area getting into the drums. Nonetheless should be a fairly straight forward fix.

 

In addition, make sure the axle vent is clear. And if a leaky wheel cylinder, do both sides.

 

Will do, thanks again guys --

 

Well, WilleyJoe, I was able to "rep" InfantryCPT for you, but was unable to share the love with Franklin2, due to having done so recently.

 

Thanks, David. I'll rep you for being so helpful ... uh, no, wait a minute ...

 

It is the thought that counts!