Car acting like emergency brakes are on. (Rear end locked up).

[darrenryall]

Hey guys..

Long time no type.

Going to post a thread soon about my adventures, but I'm finally getting a new Festiva. Bought one a while back, and it took me almost two years to get the car out of the farmers field. Bought three cars, one was running, one was running until it got totalled in an accident, and one was running but was partially disassembled for parts. Apparently. So, bought the cars with the intention of making the three into one good one. Farmer put the cars onto the 25 foot trailer with a Bobcat because the field was too mushy to get down there. Got to the other end, and both cars act like the rear ends are locked solid. Dragged the cars off the trailer and down the ramps using a truck, neither rolled and held themselves on the ramp. Don't think its crushed brake lines, might be the emergency brake cable? Just wondering if anyone has any ideas.

[WmWatt]

You say the rear wheel won't turn? Bearings rusted? Brakes seized? All I can suggest is removing the axle nut and pulling the brake drum off to take a look, a simple job and nothing like what you'll be doing to get one car from three. Inside you'll find brake shoes and springs. On the outside at the back at the end of the parking brake cable you'll find a lever which rotates on a pin. They are notorious for rusting so the brake is permanently on. Sounds like a fun project and learning experience.

CAUTION: In case you didn't know it the passenger side rear axle nut is reverse thread. Turn to the right to loosen. The driver's side rear axle nut is regular thread. Turn to the left to loosen.

[1990new]

Here is a link to a post that has pictures the problem WmWatt described:

https://fordfestiva.com/forums/forum/maintenance/repair-help-forum/58018-fixing-a-seized-parking-brake-pivot/page2

[scitzz]

I think the place to start is the obvious. These cars seize up the shoes to the drum from sitting a few days, let alone a few years. Someties, you can jack it up and bang on the wheel/drum with a hammer and get it to move. Just went through this with a doaen cars that had been sitting for years, only had to remove one drum which had, of course, sunk into mud.