Strange brake problem today... (1 Viewer)

[EFI-4]

My front right brake decided to tighten up on me today. I could tell by the smell of burning shoes and the rock hard pedal.
The brakes were operating fine previously with no problems.
I checked the other 3 brakes and they seemed ok.
The brakes were adjusted last year, and I haven't touched or changed anything since.
I'm wondering what could cause one brake to tighten up like that all of a sudden.
I have since re-adjusted my brakes and all seems well. What happened here?

 

[orangefj45]

drums all the way around still?

 

[EFI-4]

Yep, drums all around with a dual reservoir master cylinder and a power booster.

After this happened, I checked the adjustment on all 4 drums, and found the front passenger side was tight.

 

[EFI-4]

Anyone?

 

[kurtnkegger]

Did you pull the drum off the passenger side and take a look? Was it off by a lot more than the other 3 drums? Perhaps your shoe shifted causing the stiff pedal, once adjusted, you re-centered it, and all is well...

 

[EFI-4]

Nope, I didn't pull the drum. All I know is that it was way tighter than the other three. I also know that there's a high spot on the drum.
I'm planning to change out the drums and shoes in the near future. We'll see if that helps. Thanks for your input.

 

[Bug Gut]

There are two reasons that the right one would tighten up. The wheelbearing adjustment nut might have spun when the wheel rotates. check to see if the indexing tab between the adjuster nut and the locknut is no longer there. This wouldnt happen on the Lt side, it would just loosen. The other might be a pinched brake line that would not allow any fluid to expand back to the master cyl. Try and bleed at the wheel cyl and see if there is and fluid flow.

 

[EFI-4]

Bug Gut,

Thanks for your input. I have a question, though. If the problem were the wheel bearing adjustment nut, why would the wheel free up after I re-adjusted the brakes? Wouldn't the wheel remained locked up until I took things apart and loosened it?

I re-bled all four corners. No problem with flow.

My latest theory is that the problem drum is out of round, and that somehow caused the shoe to get tighter over time. Not sure how that happens, but it's all I have to go with right now. When I readjusted that drum, it was obvious that there was a high spot somewhere on the drum.

Anyone else?

 

[amaurer]

Friction material broke free from the shoe and migrated?
Some contaminant on the pad heated up and (temporarily) bonded the shoe to the drum?
Angry leprechaun with a crowbar stuck inside wheel cylinder?