Intermittently Sticky Brakes

[intense1]

Hi! I have an 86 4cyl 4x4 P/U. I have preveously owned an 94 2x4. And I have a 62.
My brakes started sticking every once in a while about 3 mos ago. On my 94, a new MC fixed that, so I thought MC! Well I purchased and installed a new one, adjusted the little nipple thingy between the booster and the MC, and off she went, problem solved.
I wish.
They are still sticking. I can feel them grabbing about half of the time that I drive the truck, and I'd like to fix it. I should say that its an Alaskan Island truck, and I'm not willing to put much more $$ into it.

 

[KLF]

Which are sticking? Front or rear brakes?

 

[Hilux]

Yep, need to know front or back.

I had a T100 one time that the rear would stick after I drove it. Turns out the rear was going out. I would get into it cold and have to break it loose. Most times it was easy, but sometimes it took a few fwd, and reverses.

I believe it started as a wheel cylinder leak that would soak the pads. With the drum rolling over it at high speed, it would heat it up but the lube let it continue to turn. Park it, and I think the fluid soaked into the pads + heat would swell the pads into contact with the drum....I think that's how that happened.

I drove it to work (90+ miles) one time, parked it, then had to move it. In that time, the heat had swelled it frozen and I was spinning one tire out to try and break it free.

If it's rear, I've also seen linkage break and catch between the drum and where it was supposed to be. Then as you try and drive it, it gets caught sometimes. But I've mainly seen that on OLD trucks that have been neglected.

Rear, it could also be adjuster out of adjustment, or stuck or adjusted too much. Wheel cylinders or weak return springs.


If it's front it's prolly a caliper with the cylinder not sliding back properly. It can catch one side and kink as the pressures let off. Then you've usually got it sticking. You can smell brakes burning until the surface wears down and inspection of the pads will show un-even wear.


If it's either both front or both back, that seems like a proportion valve problem.

 

[intense1]

IDK if its the F or the back, I'll have to wait till it does it again, and see what tire smells.

 

[GRM]

Pull the rear drum off, and the front calipers off and inspect them.

In the rear I have had the opposite problem: the drums rusted to the backing plate, and it was so full of mud it wouldn't move. Lots of WD40 (dont get it on the pads!) and a stiff bristle brush fixed it right up.

 

[vipergrhd]

oil

Gear oil contamination will also cause some locke-up when the shoesor pads are contaminated.