Rear axle drum brake help

[jfrench]

I recently discovered my left (passenger) drum brake was sticking and stopping me when slowly rolling to a stop without pushing on the brake pedal. I examined and low and behold there's a leak back there. After pulling the wheel and drum it doesn't appear to be the wheel cylinder but rather oil from the axle. I certainly could be wrong though.

Can a bad seal resulting in axle oil leak somehow explain the above symptoms?

If it were the wheel cylinder leaking brake fluid wouldn't that result in the opposite (no pressure so poor braking symptoms)?

As preventative maintenance I'm going to put in new wheel cylinders, drums and shoes on both sides and since it seems to be an axle seal issue causing the leak I'll be rebuilding with new seals and bearings too.

And finally, when rehabbing the rear axle, should I engage the cable locker prior to pulling everything apart? I've read that one should for a front axle rebuild...another job that I've got to get done.

Thanks

 

[ozcrusier]

Hi mate plenty of people have replaced axle seals and found out after the new brake shoes get soaked in oil the diff breather is blocked. The sticking brakes sound like the front calipers have you jacked all four corners and spun all wheels after appalling the brakes. Strange for the back brakes to be sticking unless the self adjuster keeps winding up but normally the seals give up soaking everything in brake fluid causing no brakes.

 

[jfrench]

Didn't check the diff breather. Will do that today.

And yes, I jacked the whole thing up and checked each wheel. That's how I found it was just the rear passenger side.

Thanks for confirming that leaking cylinders should result in no brakes. It wasn't a giant mess behind the drum but there was thick wet grease there and on the backside. I'm still a little confused as to why the one side was sticking.

Thanks again

 

[jfrench]

Breather tube is clear. Proceeding with new seals, bearings and brake job

 

[jblueridge]

In my old MGB I had a leaking wheel cylinder. Brakes still functioned. Rear wheel locked up briefly because brake dust and fluid made a paste that increased brake friction dramatically. That's how I found the problem.