There's two things to consider. The most likely cause is a stuck parking brake cable. To verify that, you'll have to get the drum off, then look first at the large anchor bolt at the top of the backing plate. Both shoe frames must be resting on that pin. If one is not, you'll see the parking brake lever, usually hooked behind the rear shoe, is pulled forward a little. Next, look at the parking brake strut bar between the middle of the two shoe frames. You should be able to push that bar about 1/8" with your thumb, against the pressure of the anti-rattle spring. If the parking brake cable is stuck in the partially-applied position, there will be pressure on that bar and you won't be able to move it.
The fix for a sticking cable is to replace it. No one at a repair shop will ever try to lubricate it and free it up because we've learned through experience that the vehicle, Fords in particular, will be back on a tow truck with that wheel locked up again, and the owner will be angry.
The second thing is much less common. You'll have to pull the shoes away from the backing plate, then look for grooves worn into the three "lands", or raised spots each shoe rides on. Those six spots are supposed to be lubricated with a high-temperature brake grease at every brake job. When do-it-yourselfers don't do that, grooves wear into the backing plate and those can prevent a shoe from applying, and once applied, they can cause one to hang up and not release. You'll prove that by the excessive wear on one of the two shoes compared to the other one on that wheel. The shoe frame might have turned blue too from being hot.
Jul 23, 2015 at 10:28 PM
