Brakes rusted to drums

It's summertime. Rust isn't strong enough to lock up a truck.

Your brakes aren't releasing for some reason. Probably cammed over.

Back off your brake adjustment and the truck will probably move again.

If your lucky enough to make vehicle move with cammed over brakes. You'll start an axle fire.

Backing off your brakes would be the first thing to look at.

 

If it cammed over, you're back on the base of the cam, the lowest possible point. It definitely wouldn't be locked up in that situation.

If the top shoe is free, the bottom shoe should be as well. The cam is symmetrical top and bottom.

 

They hit the highest point on the cam. And lock up. And your stuck. Till they're backed off.

That's been my experience.

You can't get em past that high point.

 

Disconnect slack adjuster from brake can. See if you can rotate s-cam, with leverage.

If you remove wheels. Hit the side of drum.
Let us know what works.
Good luck

 

Back off the adjuster is the easiest and first thing. Unless the adjuster is froze. No need for disconnect. And you'll see the shaft rotate backwards.

 

I put a bottle jack under the slack adjuster years back and got brake cam unstuck. Had a hard panic stop and 1 stood the cam on end. Dont want to argue with you but rust will most certainly stick the bottom shoe to the drum. Like on a dropped trailer that was soaking wet when dropped, then sits awhile. 2 weeks or a month. Depends. Same on tractor. Have witnessed it. When pounding on bottom shoe as it gets close to coming loose the rust dust flies out.

 

Rust can stick a shoe to a drum. Sure.

But I don't see how it can keep a truck locked up. Not rust alone.

 

Boss drives a 6x2 Cascadia. One brake on the dead axle was rusted to the drum. He was empty, took off and saw smoke. Nice flat spots. Happened last week.

 

Seen a seized clevis pin lock a drive wheel up. First Alison I'd ever been in so no idea how it normally felt. Drove it across the paved yard and into the shop with a locked wheel. Didn't really feel like anything was dragging either.

 

Had it happen about a month ago on the spare truck. Drums close to the end of their useful life, and the s cam just a red hair from camming over. Forward, backward, no go. Beating on drums, shoes, trying to back off slacks, nothing. Just no leverage on the system with the cam in that position.

Brake job fixed that problem.