Stuck rear wheel

Got an '04 5 lugger with automatic transmission. 87k on odometer.

Rear driver's side wheel seems seized under certain conditions.

Story:
Normally when I let off the brake when given the green light, the truck will idle forward and I ease onto the gas to get up to speed as we all do.

About a week ago, I would let off the brake (on any flat surface) and the truck would not idle forward. I'd give it up to 5% throttle and then it would start rolling then drive as it always had. Upon rolling to a stop with light brake usage, the truck would kind of lurch to a stop once speed dipped to less than 2 mph.

A few days go, by then I notice the truck won't idle forward even on a slight decline. It would roll forward in neutral through, and could idle up the slope in reverse. It seems to defy physics somehow. I give it a bit of gas (in forward gear) like I've done in the past. At about 5-10% throttle, something popped and gave way and then truck starting driving as normal until it lurches to stop less than two miles per hour at a stop light. That popping action when taking off was a first.

Then it snowed and the roads were covered.

Upon, getting the green light the first morning with snow, The truck does not idle forward as it should. I give it a bit of throttle to break whatever loose so it will drive. On snow, It only causes the passenger side wheel to spin with the driver's side wheel stuck like an anchor. Perhaps the passenger wheel side of things are slicker than the driver's side. I put it in reverse to back up. Truck backs up under idle power without wheelspin or wheel drag. I put it in drive again. Driver's side wheel won't turn the the passenger wheel spins on the snow. Upon being pushed by some kind pedestrians, I was able to get rolling the rest of the way to work.

For the trip home for work, same thing happened, except, I had to wait for my brother's rig to pull me home with a tow strap. He recalls seeing the driver's side rear wheel locked up when pulling about 15 mph on the snowy road. The drive was only about 3/4 of a mile at most.

I lifted the rear axle with a jack to lift both rear wheels. After some testing, I've concluded:

Turn (by hand) the driver's side wheel forward: Passenger wheel turns backward. Good

Turn (by hand) the driver's side wheel backward: Passenger wheel turns forward. Good

With truck in neutral:
both rear wheels will turn freely forward in unison with a second set of helping hands. Good

Same results when turning backward in neutral. Good

With the truck running, holding brake, shifting to drive and letting off brake: driver's side does not spin , but passenger side freely spins. What?

With truck in drive, apply brake, shift to reverse, let off brake: Both rear wheels spin in reverse. Good

With the truck in reverse, apply brake, shift to neutral, let off brake: Wheels coast to a stop, then ever so slowly spin forward. About 1 full rotation every 20 seconds. Wheels can be stopped by hand and spun freely forward or back opposedly single handedly or in unison with a second set of helping hands. They go back to a super slow forward rotation after handling them. Completely expected except for the slow forward rotation.

With truck in neutral/park/reverse (doesn't matter) and applying minimal brake (just enough to let the shifter unlock) and shifting to drive, both rear wheels sometimes spin forward. The passenger wheel will always spin, the driver's side: not always.

So it appears that by trying to drive forward from a stop (with brake use), that causes the rear wheel to lock up until enough torque is provided to break it loose (then it drives normally until stopped again)

It also appears if the brake not being applied seems to sometimes prevent the wheel from locking up.

It's been super cold here in missouri lately. I haven't been offroading as it's just a 5 lugger and it has never done this until this week. It has snowed previously this winter and in seasons past as well.

I've concluded that it's either something with the differential, bearings, or brake.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

Pull the brake drum. Sounds like the pad is gone and the shoe is digging into the drum maybe.

 

Also check the ebrake parts, if they are on that wheel

 

You have a leaking axle seal, and the 90 weight gear oil is on the drum/shoes, and it acting like Elmer's glue. New oil seal needed, either clean the living crap out of shoes, or just put in new ones, they are cheap.

 

Yep, mine did hte exact same thing. Busted rear axle seal/bearing

Luckily i was heading to the dealership to buy a oil filter, when suddenly my back end started shaking like all kinds of hell.

1/4 mile away from the dealership.

I had to get it up to 2500rpm, just to go forward...

 

Thanks guys. I noticed that if I'm only holding the brake just enough to stop and just enough to keep it rolling, usually the brake won't seize up. At least I'm rolling now until it warms up enough to open it up and fix it.

 

For the amount of time it takes to jack up one wheel and remove the drum (15 mins), I wouldn't wait. If you're having brake issues in slick weather, it could ruin your whole day let alone cause more expensive damage. Could be the best 15 mins in the freezing cold you ever spent.

 

Yep, I'm in the same boat. Had a passenger-side seal blow out about 4 years ago. Seals and bearings were replaced but shoes weren't replaced, just cleaned up a little. Was told I was good to go. Well, this winter when the good cold hit, I've now got the glue thing going on.

It's super awesome. So fun. FML.

Picked up new shoes and I'm heading out to the garage to replace them as soon as I click submit. Too bad I didn't put the truck in the garage and light the woodstove hours ago, but at least I don't think the freezing rain has started yet.

Going to degrease the f*ck out of the sticky drum and backer plate then put it all back together. Good times...

 

Mine's fixed now, btw. Degreased the inside of the drum and put new brake shoes in.

 

Possibly you have a brake lining separated from the shoe and it's getting hung up causing your problem. I've seen this happen before.

 

If you're replying to me Pakrat, no, the cause is exactly as I described.

 

What parts are needed for this? Any special tools required? Time requirement? My PS rear is doing this. Started about two weeks ago.