The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 1958 chevy - 3600 - brakes locking up??

Well I took my truck out on the interstate, an all was going well till I got 20 miles into my cruz, an I started to lose speed slowly.

I got off the freeway an put my brakes on an my brake pedal was very stiff, could not depress it at all. So I pulled it to the side an said I acouple choice words.

I pop open the hood and just saw a little smoke, but it was coming from the right front rim. So I pulled out my jack an raised up the front end an tried to spin the front tires.

No such luck, lock up tight. I left the truck an came back 3 hours later an all was ok.

Drove it another 4 miles an parked it at a friends house.Any ideas what the problem could be?

Much thanks Joe with the 58chev 3600 police truck

annalei0

Adjust the Brake Pedal "freeplay". If you don't have enough, as the brakes heat up they will lock up tight. Happened like that on my '51.

Thruwurkin

Thanks much will give it a try on sat, Have a grrrrrrrrrrrrrrate weekend

Could be a bad brake hose, not letting the fluid flow back when you get off the brake...It's happened to me on two different vechicles.

This is an interesting topic. I have the very same problem with my 1950 Chevy 1/2 ton.

The brakes build pressure on the back wheels and they eventually drag the motor down and then I notice I do not roll while in neutral on an incline.

I have heard these various causes from numerous people:

1) Bad flex hose.
2) Master cylinder adjustment rod not set right.
3) Weak return spring on brake pedal.
4) Weak or worn springs on brakes/shoes.
5) Bad wheel cylinder(s).
6) Bad brake line or obstruction in line.
7) Brake shoes/pads installed wrong place.
8) No relief pressure on master cylinder.
9) Brake line 'T' fitting is small opening on one side and larger on the other.

I too have been baffled by this problem. I have not heard of anyone on these forums fixing this problem, only heard of them checking into it.

If anyone knows how to fix this than make a new post and call it brake problems fixed.

(What do I do when this happens - just bleed off the line that is sticking, about every 15 miles!)

This just happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I was anticipating it though. The brakes were adjusted up too tight and expanded too much which applied the brakes. Fortunately it was a Big Bolt and I could just slide under it and back them off a few clicks. It's never done it again,
Scott

One other thing that could cause lockup is the drums being turned out too far.

proportional valve gone bad ???

From only one wheel sounds like a lining come loose. when worn down to rivets etc sometimes one lining will come off and wedge between the other lining, hence lock up, or binding, also wont let wheel cyln expand right, as if adjusted to tight and no pedal travel? pull the wheel and inspect.

If it was a mechanical failure, it wouldn't have fixed itself after it cooled back off,
Scott

There is no porportional valve on my brakes.

Everthing is new on my brakes. It has to be something in the adjustment of one of the umpteenbillion parts this thing has.

48bigtrucks is right. Builder may be right?

I have been led in the direction that the shoes are not round to the drum. So it rubs on one area and heats things up and expands the fluid and so on.

The build up of pressure is only on the back. I may still be looking that the flex hose is bad. But it only occurs on the drvers side rear. It started on the passenger side rear, but now the prob is on drivers side. So confusing?

One more idea..This was my problem 2 years ago..

My fronts would lock up and go into a skid. Eventually found out on the 55 there are two adjustments..the usual star wheel adjustment..but also an eccentric where the shoes rest at the top of the backplate. It adjusts the angle that the shoes approach the drum. Somehow I lost my adjustment and the drum would catch the very edge of the shoe and pull the shoe into a "stop" position.

Just a thought..

Keith

Also, if the pads have been contaminated by oil, grease, brake fluid, etc. They can be cleaned but may have a tendancy to be grabby.

On the Erwhipee truck, when I put new drums on it, The adjustment had to be turned almost all the way in. A big difference in how well the brakes work with smaller diameter drums.

If the drums are turned out to far, the possibility of the wheel cylinder piston extending past the bore could hang up the piston.

When I can buy new drums for less than $25 and turning an old one out further costs $10-15..I'll ditch the old drum.

Thank you for all the posts.

Is it possible that the shoe may be too wide? Would the drum fit on it? I am using a 1969 rearend on my 1950 truck.

Just a thought.

Update:

I have taken the brake line that runs just along the frame (crossmember?)just under the transmission and pulled it away about an inch or more. This has made it drive much further down the road. Now I do not not have to release the pressure from the system in order to keep driving.

Maybe over heating the line from the trans was making problems for it?

I have experienced the brake pressure buildup problem a number of times on various vehicles. Shortening the adjustable rod to master cylinder solved the problem in all cases. On a 1977 Ford F150, I installed a rebuilt master cylinder. The brakes built up pressure in less than ten miles of driving. I released a little fluid from the line out of MC and made it home. Shortening the rod adjustment screw about one turn solved the problem.
meansam