I'm confused.

1991 Mercury Tracer.

4 wheel disc brakes.

I've never owned a car with four wheel disc before, so please be patient with me.

My driveway has a slant to it. Normally, in the morning, I turn the car on, allow it to warm up for a minute...then release the emergency brake and roll down into the street. Put it in first gear, and away I go.

This morning, the car wouldn't roll.

Hmmm.

So, I put it in reverse and backed down my driveway. When I took the car out of gear, it stopped.

Automatic brakes.

That ain't good.

So, I did NOT drive the car to work...I parked it and drove the Focus today.

When I got home, I lifted the front end of the Tracer in the air, and both front wheels spin freely.

Then I lifted the rear and found that the passenger side rear wheel was locked up. I could turn it, but it took GREAT effort.

Having NO knowledge of how the ebrake works on a car with four wheel disc, I took the wheel off and got to poking around.

I got my girlyfriends daughter to hop in the car and operate the ebrake handle while I watched at the hub.

There's a lever that is actuated by the pulling of the cable. It didn't seem to me that the lever was releasing when the brake handle was released. So, when the ebrake handle was released, there was slack at the end of the cable.

I reached in and touched the lever, and it snapped back into the relaxed position with minimal effort...I wasn't even really trying to move it yet, just checking it out.

When it released, the hub turned fine. She operated the ebrake a few more times, and it seems to be working properly now.

Now what?

Soak the lever with WD40 and pray?

 

WD 40 or PB blaster should do the trick.

 

WD40 stands for Water Displacing formula #40.
it is not a penetrating oil, even though people think it is.

use PB Blaster. it is about the best penetrating oil you can find.
soak the exposed part of the cable, and try to shoot some up into the cable end. then give the p-brake actuator lever pivot point a good soaking too.
work it in after spraying, and then do it again a few days later as preventive medicine.

BTW, don't just do the sticking side, do both sides.


and the parking brake on a 4 wheel disc setup is a small set of shoes that make contact on a small drum inside the rear disc brake rotor.

 

Dude you have a Parking brake hanging up... DUH.
My 01 would do this if I didn't use the parking brake for a while. Sounds like you're cable is doing what it should. Bu you're hanging up where the cable goes to the real brake caliper.
You remember me UNCLE BOB. Had only a kupel bears..........
Clean it and get a good lube like KY............ I meant PB Blaster........
Bob

 

Sorry guys,,,But NOOOOO! Do not spray ANYTHING on it! You do not want to get any type of oil on the pads that are inside the rotor! Free it up one more time,,,while it is free and you can spin the wheel,,remove the wheel,,the caliper,and the rotor,,,then you can access the linkage and clean and lube it properly,,,if you feel you want to use pb blaster or wd-40 at that point,,,,go ahead,,but make sure you dont get any on the shoe surface.

 

No terry we didn't want you to spray the pads.You'll contaminate them, you don't want that. you need to free the moving parts.
Bob
Yeah I mean soak em' soak them pads gooooood.

 

Dont spray the pads, just the linkadges.... and the cable if you can....

 

wd 40 wil lactually rust in time, use some white lithium grease instead or the brake lube stuff.....take care not to get it on the shoes or rotor!

 

Yes, I would skip both the WD40 and the PB and use white lithium grease in a spray can. And does it need to be said not to get any on the pads?

 

Nope. I knew that much.

White lithium grease in a spray can? That's news to me. Autozone?

 

For Terry? Yes, it does.

 

Bite me, windoe liquor...

 

Be very careful to not get any penetrating oil on the pads!

(Just trying to boost my post count...)

 

Thank you SO much for your help...

 

Me too!

But seriously,,,I dont use anything,,no grease,,,no lithium,,,I may spray just a little penetrant on the pivot point,,but thats it,,,all of those things,,,grease,,lithium,,anti seize,they all gather brake dust and road grime,,helping to create another binding situation,,,