Brake pedal extremely stiff

I am having the same problem, one time the brakes work good and then the next time I have to stand on the brake pedal to get them to engage then they lock up and side. Trying to figure out what is wrong.

 

I am having the same issue, one time the brakes work good and the next time I have to stand on the pedal to get them to engage then it wants to lock up the brakes! Trying to figure out what is wrong.

 

The pulling to the right bothers me, either your front end is out of alingment, threw something loose or bent something out of whack. Somtimes freightliners have bad front ends. My specific FLD 120 had some work done several times on her front end in her history kept by the company shop in a 3 ring binder, all work done to a truck in it's life time of service within the company I was at is placed into this binder by unit number and then kept in a shop library for review at any time. That was the first book I picked on my newly assigned tractor and I sat and read the thing to learn everything about it before I took her out.

OR... like the others have said, your brakes may not be adjusted properly and might be applying too much, way too much on the right hand side creating a drag that pull to the right. In rain or ice that's going to put you into a jackknife.

I would not be driving that thing until you get a shop to look at the problem. If you had to resort to jake and trolley braking to get it stopped, then it;s clear to me you have a DOT braking problem severe enough for OOS or potentially kill someone if you have to stop right now and run out of room.

My ideas are my own. My experiences regarding records are my own. And I drove the same type of truck but a not much older model year.

Have you been draining your tanks regularly? There should be brass hand valves under each of your air storage tanks by the frame for that purpose. Bet you have some sludge in there.

I start at the brake pedal itself and work back checking everything connected to it.

You should have a air application gauge on the dash not far below your jake brake and cruise control switches. Or just to the left of them. If memory serves, the symbology will be a triangle, three arrows surrounding a circle representing a rolling wheel.

 

Sounds more like a valve... but other things to look for on the truck diving on one side. Seal leaking oil on the drum, slack adjuster not doing its job, glazed drum/pad.

Even clogged or pinched air lines.

 

There's a aluminum plunger that presses on the valve that gets corroded to the point it's nothing at first and then way too much air applied.
Cabovers were really good for this because every time you jacked the cab up all the dirt and salt dust went down around the pedals. Then if the rubber boot is messed up it worked it's way inside.
I've torn every one of my old Pete brake valves apart and sanded the plunger. It makes a world of difference. Nice an smoooooth.

 

I am a driver but grew up around the family truck shop and owned my own equipment so I'm no stranger to turning wrenches. I do a little mechanical work for the company I drive for this past week I replaced a rear drive axle gear box and the day before I finished working on the rear the driver informed me that his brake pedal "was acting funny like it was sticking". I've never driven his truck but when I finished the rear I went to take it for a test drive and to my surprise no brakes! Pedal is stuck in the up position like standing on a brick it would not budge even with 2 feet and all my body weight. Never came across this problem before glad I have 30 years driving experience so I got it back to the yard and parked it I had to take a run. It is a 2006 Freightliner Classic with a DD15 power what could be happening with the brake pedal I drive the exact thing does anyone know what is causing the stuck brake pedal?

 

It's a bad Foot Brake Valve.

 

Thanks I wasn't sure if it was foot valve or the next one down the line

 

Is it one of those cheap Chinese rebuilds? The differential pressures on those are often wrong, and there’s your end result.

“Next valve” down the line will be the quick release or relay valve to the steer axle brakes coming off the secondary circuit, the quick release valve(s) or relay valve to the drive axle brakes off the primary circuit, and the tractor protection valve off the primary circuit.

It’s possible the crack pressure on the QR-1 or relay valve to the steer axle is out of whack, but I’d be putting gauges to the foot valve.

 

I replaced brake valve exactly as the old one came off now air tanks will not air up and compressor is working could I have gotten the brake valve upside down or something all the inlets are marked I replaced the air lines exactly as they were this truck is really agitating me

 

If the tanks aren’t airing up, that has nothing to do with your foot valve, which doesn’t come until after the tanks. Is air from the discharge line going into the air dryer? If so, is it coming out of the air dryer and into the tanks?