Hot Rods NEED HELP--CRAZY BRAKE/REAREND Situation

I have an 8inch rearend in my 1932 ford with drum brakes and discs in the front.

With the car up in the air, the car running and in gear...... when I press the brake, the p***enger side stops, but the drivers side will not stop no matter how hard I press the pedal......... (However, and pay attention).....when I release the brake, the drivers side stops (what the heck)......I cannot figure out what is going on.

One line leaves the master cylinder and heads to the rearend where it splits off as they usually do. Please help, is it something with the rearend?

 

I'm not positive, but I think (hope) you're just seeing the normal manners of an open differential.
(when one brake isn't working)

Open rear end, is it?

Of course, the brakes should stop both sides, and I think that's a separate issue.

 

Like Rickey, I think you just have a brake problem.

 

But why would the drivers side tire stop when I release the brake when its in drive

 

^^^^ Open rear like other said ,
(Or could be worn clutches if a Posie) but not likely ,, The side thats not stopping is either out of adjustment or blockage in the line to wheel cylinder

 

Get a new wheel cylinder on the side that doesn't stop and you will be good.

 

When the rear tires of a car that has an open differential are off the ground and spinning, the gearing makes them tend to go in opposite directions. I think it also has something to do with one side being dominant... usually the right side, I think.

IF it's an open rear end...

You had the brakes on. Right side working, left side, not. Left side spinning, right side, not. You let off the brake and the right side started spinning forward which made the left side want to spin backward... and it stopped.

 

Brake problems are so common that we need a sub-forum just for brakes.

 

make sure the brakes are adjusted equally and correctly on both sides

 

Try to bleed the driver side wheel cylinder to see if your getting pressure to that wheel cylinder, if you have pressure at the bleeder you may need a new wheel cylinder as stated by BJR.

 

Open differentials will spin the tire with the least amount of resistance. One brake working is not related to the differential. Work on the brake not working, wheel cylinder, bleed, adjust, new line, what ever it takes from the " T " fitting at the axle out to the wheel. The one tire spinning, one stopped is normal, yours just has one brake working one not, and they just happen to be opposite of each other. Try it with park brake only, if the same thing happens, it's likely just an adjustment or ***embly issue, mechanical park brake and hydraulic brake are two seperate yet connected systems.

 

Tell us about the brakes. How old are the wheel cylinders? If they're more than a few years old, and you did not rebuild them, then this behavior would be expected if the driver side cylinder is seized. The brake is partially applied all the time, it won't apply all the way, but also won't release all the way. Hence it won't stop completely, but will stop the wheel from turning, if the other side is free to turn.

 

Have you bled the system?

 

Check that your rubber lines aren't collapsed or old.

 

Single rear hose, the p*** side brake works fine, so it's not likely to be a problem with the hose.

 

This one is where I would start.

If the driver side does not stop with the brakes (no matter hoe hard you push), but drags with the brake released, its a pretty sure bet that wheel cylinder is probably has the pistons or rubber cups stuck just short of fully releasing.

Replace or rebuild the driver side rear wheel cylinder.

Could also be deep gouges in the backing plate wear points where the shoes are making contact with the backing plate. Those contact points (usually 3 places for each shoe) have to be perfectly flat. If they have a dip or gouge, the shoe gets hung up on the backing plate and can't move either direction.

I'm seeing more of this as this stuff gets older.

 

So could the side that is actually stopping be adjusted too tight?

 

Not likely, because it turns free when the brakes are not applied. The adjustment on drum brakes only affects things when the brakes are not applied. When they are applied, they get the amount of force that the wheel cylinder pushes with, which depends on the hydraulic pressure, times the surface area of the piston. But a seized cylinder throws the numbers out the window, it just stays in one place.

 

I'd be trying something else first. With the car on the hoist get someone to apply the brakes while you try to spin the wheel by hand. You'll soon see if the brakes are working at all.