Freeing up a stuck wheel

82vdub · Post by **82vdub** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 11:49 am

Trying to get my winter 86 Jetta moving again this year. The right rear tire is stuck and won't rotate. I've had this happen before, and I would just typically rock the car back and forth and run the car around the yard to get it to free up, but this year, it's not breaking loose.

I was going to get the car in the garage this weekend and see if I can poke something in the little brake adjuster access hole on the backside of the axle backing plate. Does anyone know if I'll be able to actually get a screwdriver to touch the brake pads and maybe knock them loose? Anyone done this? I was going to try that and also take a hammer and pounds on the backing plate/drum, but just wanted to ask.

VWCaddy · Post by **VWCaddy** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 12:02 pm

I had to do basically that on my old '81 pickup once. Brake shoes had rusted to the drum and on the wet road, there was not enough friction to break it loose. Pulled wheel and released shoes and then pounded the drum off. Cleaned up the insides and put it back together and all was fine.

If it is below freezing, might help with some heat to melt any ice in there.

82vdub · Post by **82vdub** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 12:06 pm

Were you able to get something to touch the shoes from that rear access hole to get them to release? I've tried to move the car around the yard in both freezing and above freezing weather. I don't believe there's water or ice in it. It just sat for 2-3 months without being moved, so the pad just stuck to the drum. It happens every year, just this year I can't get it to release yet.

VWCaddy · Post by **VWCaddy** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 12:21 pm

As I recall (was over 10 years ago) I was able to access the adjuster wheel as well as release the parking brake. Still had to drive the drum off as the shoes were rusted to it and there was a slight ridge on the drum.

82vdub · Post by **82vdub** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 12:33 pm

Yea, I shouldn't have an issue with the parking brake. Learned decades ago to never use them, on old rusted (or just old) cars that have lived in flatlander land their whole life. You're asking for it if you set the brake if it's not been used in 10+ years.

I can back off the adjustor, but that really doesn't free up the shoes, just allows them to move more.

coke · Post by **coke** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 12:37 pm

Take a big hammer and remove the wheel from the car. Then proceed to hit the drum with the hammer in many different spots. Be gentle at first but go around the whole drum and see if you can free it up.

Thats what we always used to do, and most of the times it worked.

82vdub · Post by **82vdub** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 12:54 pm

I will also be doing this as well. I was just hoping I could lay under the car for two minutes and stick a screwdriver in the rear opening and end up moving the shoes enough to free them. I've just got a lot of my plate this year and was hoping to skip the time required to remove the wheel etc - not that it takes that much time, but ya'll know what I mean.

coke · Post by **coke** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 5:58 pm

Edited because I'm a fool and can't read.

Quantum-man · Post by **Quantum-man** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 8:00 pm

coke wrote:On my Jetta, you take a lug bolt out, and rotate the wheel till you can see the adjusting wedge through the opening, then pry up on it with a screwdriver. You'll only be able to see the bottom of it, but it should be silver with a spring attached to it.

Just pry up with the screwdriver through the bolt hole and it should release the tension, unless they are stuck, but even then, tapping on the rear of the drum with a hammer while prying up on the adjusting wedge may free them up.

Alas he can't rotate to stick screw driver in unless it is stuck in the rigt place

DanHoug · Post by **DanHoug** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:43 am

is the tire sliding even on a tar road? i've had them lock where i've had to drive over gravel/snow covered roads until i hit the tar, then there's enough friction to turn the wheel free.

brutal but effective.

-dan

82vdub · Post by **82vdub** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 11:31 am

DanHoug wrote:is the tire sliding even on a tar road?

Yes. I've run it out onto the sealed blacktop driveway, then to the rougher part of the blacktop driveway, then onto the concrete portion. Still slides.

TonyB · Post by **TonyB** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:01 pm

I had the same problem on my 81 Dasher - it had been sitting for almost a year. The wedge adjuster was rusted so it wouldn't move. Hammering the drum off the axle was the only way to remove it. It took quite a bit of pounding but it did come off.

Tony
81 Dasher n.a.

MPalm · Post by **MPalm** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 3:18 pm

If you have steel rims (that youÂ´re not very afraid of) you could use another car and a tow rope to enhance the effect of the "hammer trick".
Set the cars as you would if you were to tow it, set tension on the rope until the rope is stretched, just a hair from your car starting to slide.
Keep the rope stretched while you give the rim/drum a good whack or two.
The rope will pull your car so the wheel turns (hopefully) when you whack it.

To get even more pulling power you can have a friend stand on the tight rope.

Ira B · Post by **Ira B** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:53 pm

On old Bugs and Buses I would do the rocking back and forth thing while smacking between the lug nuts with a ball peen hammer.
It always worked for me.

Post by **Fatmobile** » Fri Dec 03, 2010 1:47 am

I got a free car once.
Wasn't a Rabbit.
Pulled it out of the garage with a wheel dragging.

We took off the rear wheel, put the lug nuts/bolts back on and put a crowbar between them, then with the crowbar resting against the ground we lowered the jack while smacking the drum it.

It worked.
but it might mess up your lug bolts.