Just tried to drive the van off from outside my house and it was as if the handbrake was still on (it was off!). I assume therefore that one or both of the rear drums are binding. When I was fitting my Porsche seats earlier today I sat in the drivers seat and tried the pedals with the engine off. Could it be that this has pumped the system to fix the rear brakes on? Planning to take it out in an hour :-( I would have tried to rev it and get it to un stick itself but I'm parallel parked next to my neighbours cars! Any ideas?
Jack the rear wheels to see which one is jammed, then pop the offending wheel off and give the drum a good belting with a big hammer with a bit of wood between the hammer and the drum!!
this has happened to me a few times but been all right lately how can you prevent this apart from leaving handbrake off and leave in gear
The only cure is to strip the rear brakes and clean 30 years of muck out (and possibly treat yourself to some new shoes, or at least file the surfaces of the old ones). Doesn't happen on my van and that's left for long periods with the handbrake on. When you take the drums off, you'll find the rear cylinders are likely leaking, so good opportunity to change those too ...
Does indeed sound like it's brake service time!! Don't forget to install a new brake shoe fitting kit!!
the shoes are quite shiney but the cylinders are new perhaps i will renew the shoes next time it happens cheers snotty
Things to check: Condition of backing plates - Scabby ones can cause drag on the shoes Handbrake cable return spring - rusty springs = jams Springs and shoe retainers - if they are rusty, then they can cause returning issues Slave cylinders - look for signs of leakage, pull the dust boots back too, as these can hold weeps. Also check ease of movement by pushing the piston in (the opposite one will move out a little too) Tight spots on the drum - this could indicate slight warpage.
