Rear wheels locked up, to the dealership she goes

So over the past couple weeks it's gotten pretty cold out here where I'm at, and a couple times now the rear wheels have seized up when trying to engage 4x4, particularly passenger, and stay seized up after it's been disengaged. After the truck gets warmed up, the problem would go away and it would behave normally. Annoying, especially with how long it takes the truck to warm up.

Yesterday I had the same problem: in a snowy parking spot, need 4x4 to get out, rear wheels being dragged by the front wheels. So I made a service appointment with the dealership, then at the end of the work day the problem apparently got much worse and was happening when I hadn't touched the 4x4. Warmed the truck up, rear wheels still wouldn't budge except in reverse.

Luckily I have roadside assistance through my insurance, so it's being towed to the dealership... We'll see what they have to say.

 

Have you been using your parking brake before it gets stuck?

 

x2.

Sounds like classic symptom of parking brake freezing up.

 

Yeah, been engaging the parking break as a habit. I know it can get kinda stuck, even though the HUD says it's off but I've never had it lock up the wheels where it's dragging them like that.

 

It seems to happen more when the truck is wet. Try not to use it in those situations and see if it stops happening.

 

How the heck would the front wheels drag locked up rear wheels with the Taco's drivetrain setup? Front and rear are locked together at the Tcase when in 4WD.. drag one rear wheel maybe?

 

Wouldn't this mean that only one of the rear wheels was locked up? Otherwise the front wheels wouldn't turn either (transfer case doesn't have a differential).

 

haha. great minds?

 

This happens to me all the time in the winter after I’ve washed the truck. Rear drums freeze. Just put it in 4x4 and get her rolling, ice breaks off.

 

oops lol.

 

But Seatbelt Mike says drum brakes are the best for off-roading & keeping out debris LOL.

 

I'll be sure to keep that in mind, it just seems weird that it would only happen when 4x4 got involved. Well, up until this last bit.

Yeah you're right, just the rear passenger wheel.

 

I find that going for a spin on the highway after a wash mitigates the freezin up.

I always use the park brake, only had a problem one time in winter (and was able to break it free fairly easily).

 

Those rubber wheel chocks smell horrible... don't leave new ones in your garage, lol. And thank you for not letting your truck roll into any of ours

 

I agree that it is most likely a brake frozen. I drive a ladder truck and we came across a woman with the same issue. Parked the ladder truck so the exhaust was about a foot from the wheel. A few minutes later the wheel was thawed and rolled freely.

 

But would that allow the truck to roll backwards/go in reverse while not being able to go forward? Even after being warmed up which fixed the problem just earlier in the day. I'm sure there's something with how the parking brake works that I don't understand yet.

 

That’s curious for sure. I would guess it’s moisture frozen somewhere back there.
Keep us posted on what they find.

 

Is it really 4x4 related? Did you drive in 2wd and it rolled free? Or just put it in 4x4 because of snow or you though 2wd wasn't getting you going?

My guess is the drum was frozen as others said, and the 4x4 involvement was incidental.

The dealer will not be able to replicate unless they leave it parked where it will freeze.

That's my guess and I'm sticking to it.

Looking forward to dealer response.

 

This has happened with 2nd gens as well, check the threads on the 2nd gen forums. Its not the brakes themselves freezing most likely the parking brake cable. Free it in 4 lo by driving backwards for a few feet, not forwards.

 

Yeah, and?