2002 Dodge Caravan rear wheels locked

MARU12

MEMBER
2002 DODGE CARAVAN

Brakes problem
2002 Dodge Caravan 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 147k miles

the rear wheels are locked on driver side I removed tire, rotor pads, emergency brake cables. The rotor will not come off. In the adjustment port there is a spring where the adjuster should be. I have also clipped the pins holding the emergency shoes. The rotor will not come off. The wheel mounting will move about 1/4 inch but stops hard like a mechanical stop not shoe pressure. Im looking at breaking the spring and see if that releases the shoes so rotor will come off. Any suggestions are appreciated
thanx for your site
Maru12

5 Replies

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,916 POSTS

Hi maru12. Welcome to the forum. It sounds like you might have a parking brake cable that is stuck partially applied. Flex the cable's metal casing near the brake. If the rotor moves or wiggles, the shoes are moving in response to a tight cable. Sometimes flexing the casing will help a sluggish cable to release.

The adjuster is on the bottom but if I remember correctly, it's very small and hard to turn. Also, it does not self adjust up automatically. There is likely a rust ridge built up on the outer edge of the drum. Cutting a return spring won't help because they are holding the shoes retracted, not applied.

It may help to tug on the main cable near the seat area under the van, then use a vise grip pliers to hold it released. The service manual shows this procedure to overcome the pretension on the cable provided by the pedal mechanism.

Caradiodoc

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Sunday, February 21st, 2021 AT 1:11 PM

MARU12

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3 POSTS

The cable is disconnected and lever is retracted to disengaged position.I have clipped the pins holding the emergency drum pads. The wheel will rotate 1/4 but stop like a mechanical stop not brake drag. What is keeping wheel from rotating if brakes arent engaged? The adjuster is not visible at the adj. Port there is a spring in that location.

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Sunday, February 21st, 2021 AT 1:11 PM

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
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You should be able to see the adjuster if you push that spring up a little. The star wheel is shown toward the rear of the slot. There's no adjuster lever to push out of the way.

The locking you described is different than the dragging brake I had imagined. Is it possible a wheel stud has become loose and backed out a little and is catching? The only other thing I can think of would be a lining broken loose and catching on the rotor but that would likely only affect it in one direction.

Caradiodoc

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Sunday, February 21st, 2021 AT 1:11 PM

MARU12

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3 POSTS

The original problem of wheels locked was a second feature on problem. Since I only jacked up one side I only found a whel I couldnt move. When I released the cable problem on driver side still existed but unknow to me the other side was freed up. So just driver side was still locked. The problem was resolved after I wd40'd the adjuster and when that failed to loosen it I hauled out the handy dandy bernz-o-matic brazer/solder/cutter kit. I heated up adjter till it was free. After a little persuasion the rotor came off and I relaced the assembly. After dropin van back down the wheels on both side now moved freely. I think the top of shoes had somehow shifted and were tieing up the back of the hub where the studs extended.
Thanx for assist.
Maru12

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Sunday, February 21st, 2021 AT 1:11 PM

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,916 POSTS

Happy to hear it's handled. I should have asked if this is an all-wheel-drive van. That's all they show in the service manual in the Brakes section, but most models are just front-wheel-drive. If you do have an all-wheel-drive, you'll either need the other wheel off the ground or turning one wheel will turn the front-to-rear viscous coupling in the drive shaft. The wheel will turn but with a lot of resistance.

Caradiodoc