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  • Back end dropping on acceleration?

    Weird problem: recently, when I start my 91 Festiva and gently press the accelerator, the front wheels don't move but the back end -- the whole frame -- drops down a few inches. If a press a little harder on the accelerator it starts going forward, but the back stays dropped down. This process repeats whenever I stop, although it seems to disappear after I've been driving awhile. The rear tires & air pressure seem fine -- like I said, the whole frame drops above them.

    Maybe it isn't a serious problem, but the other morning the right side was parked on some snow/ice, and the front wheels wouldn't go forward AT ALL, no matter how much I pressed the accelerator. I had to push the car to get it moving! Also, the outside temperature doesn't seem to matter for this dropping problem. I replaced a ball joint a few months ago, other than that, I haven't had any issues with the car. Any ideas?

  • #2
    Jack up the rear of the car and see if the wheels spin free. I suspect that the rear wheels are dragging. What happens when you brake?

    matt

    BP Festiva http://www.cardomain.com/ride/723319 - SOLD
    BPT Festiva www.cardomain.com/ride/2260009 - SOLD
    BPT GTX www.cardomain.com/ride/2436495 - SOLD
    New GTX - http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3294846/ - SOLD

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    • #3
      yep rear brakes r dragging. There is an arm where the emergancy brake cable hooks in. have someone pull the e-brake while u watch it and see if it moves back and forth. These cars are proned to having the ebrake stick if it is hardly used. if it is stuck and u can't turn the wheel very eaisly or not at all take a hammer and work the arm back and forth. becarefull of the bleader on the wheel cyl. you don't want to break it off. If that isn't the prob and you still can't move the wheel very easily take the drum off and see what you can see.

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      • #4
        Thanks for the quick replies. I use my e-brake regularly, but I'll check it out tomorrow.

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        • #5
          Here's what I found: I jacked up the car and as predicted, the back tires wouldn't spin freely. Then I engaged the e-brake, but here's where my knowledge is limited. Part of the brake apparatus moved but apparently not all of it. In the picture below, you can see the cable comes into point A, and that part moves, but point B -- the part that goes into the wheel, with black rubber around it -- doesn't move. If this is the "arm" that's supposed to move, I don't know how to free it. Any tips? Thanks.

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          • #6
            I have had the exact same problem. Usually improved slightly when I put the e-brake down... 8)

            Your actuators are either rusted or frozen, causing the brakes to stick.

            The rear of the car would creak whenever I took off until I had enough and replaced the whole brake assembly. Oiling them is treating the symptons, not the cause.

            If your car is from up north where there's snow and ice, you are in for a nasty surprise when you try to remove the drum brake assembly.

            First of all, the threads on the rear passenger wheel are backwards. Instead of turning the bolt to the left to loosen it, turn it right. I discovered this after I stripped the threads off it...

            When you try to remove the brake assembly from the rotor, resist the temptation to try to loosen the 4 bolts staring at you. I spent 2 hours trying to get them off only to find that they are splined and won't turn. Instead, jack up the car, remove the strut, and work on the nuts from behind. These $%#&*& were frozen SOLID to the axle and I spent the rest of the morning trying to get them off. Eventually they came off, and everything else was pretty straightforward.


            Regards,

            Tim
            White '89L auto - Sold!
            Silver '06 Rav4, 95k!

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            • #7
              Originally posted by spycake
              Here's what I found: I jacked up the car and as predicted, the back tires wouldn't spin freely. Then I engaged the e-brake, but here's where my knowledge is limited. Part of the brake apparatus moved but apparently not all of it. In the picture below, you can see the cable comes into point A, and that part moves, but point B -- the part that goes into the wheel, with black rubber around it -- doesn't move. If this is the "arm" that's supposed to move, I don't know how to free it. Any tips? Thanks.

              There is a nut on the end of the e-brake cable where it attaches to the e-brake handle. You need to loosen that nut a bunch to create some slack in the cable. Then you can go to the arm at the rear brake and try to move it in the opposite direction of how the cable pulls.

              To get to the nut at the brake handle, move your seats forward and then remove the center console thing. There should be a clip on the nut that stops it from vibrating. You can remove that to turn the nut, just put it back on when you get everything back together.

              Hope that helps. I had to do this to remove my brake drums. Don't take off your brake drums if you don't have to because you will be dealing with wheel bearings if you do.

              Nat
              BP powered 91 Festiva L
              -FMS springs, GR2 struts, Toyo T1R 195/45/14 on Swift GT alloys
              -Trunk mounted gel battery
              -Suzuki Swift GT seats, Grant GT steering wheel, auto-locks
              -Blaupunkt Melbourne deck with Bluetooth, sealed single 12" sub

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              • #8
                Nonono, you have to take the drums off and disassemble the brakes. the lever is actually two parts that are supposed to move freely from each other soak them down put it in a vice and make them move again. wire brush it up and lightly grease it and reassemble. Don't worry about the bearings they are not pressed in or anything they just need to be kept clean and greased.

                Clinton

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                • #9
                  I like my way of fixing it one person under car one in car. Pull ebrake release it, then hammer the lever back to disenguaged position. Continue spraying with pb blaster, and pulling ebrake and hitting it till it releases on it's on. That is the lazy way. Takes more time but less effort!

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                  • #10
                    I suppose it would work probably take less time but may rust back up if you let the car sit for a month or so without use of the brake.

                    Clinton

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                    • #11
                      Spend a few bucks and just replace the brakes.

                      It's a pain to get them off (broke one of my drums doing it -luckily I had a spare), but once they're replaced with non-seized brakes, you'll be thanking yourself down the road (literally...)



                      Regards,

                      Tim
                      White '89L auto - Sold!
                      Silver '06 Rav4, 95k!

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                      • #12
                        Not the brakes its the E-brake actuator that is needing to be fixed.

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                        • #13
                          I know. The brakes on my car were fine, but I found it easier just to replace the whole thing.

                          That's just my experience - you're welcome to experiment. I would've too, had I not needed the car running the next day.

                          Regards,

                          Tim
                          White '89L auto - Sold!
                          Silver '06 Rav4, 95k!

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