Rear wheel locked up after rolling 10 feet and smoking front wheel!

After sitting for a couple days, E-brake NOT activated, my 06 RR wheel seized up after driving for 10 feet. Driving back and forth and pumping brakes did not free it up. Happened a second time after sitting for the day. Rolled free for 10 feet then froze up.

My other issue is some smoking and a "hot smell" behind my LF wheel. I had a weird vibration and had a screw in my tire so I stopped at a nearby NTB to have my tire patched. I asked them to just check out my U-joints and center support bearing but the idiot claimed to have balanced my tires (that I just had balanced at the dealer) and there was no reason to ask about the u-joints or CSB because I heard the tech ask the guy at the desk how to use the alignment machine. Anyway, when I got home and got out of the truck, I immediately noticed a burning smell. The next day I jacked up the front end and checked the wheel bearings and I didn't notice any play in them. I went for a drive around the block, came back and the wheel was actually smoking, well, not the wheel, but something on the inside of the wheel, I couldn't pinpoint a location. The roads were wet, so I suppose it could have also been steam coming from something that was overheating, but nonetheless, something ain't' right! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

Could be a sticking brake caliper based on your description. Any noticeable drag when driving? I would disassemble and inspect.

 

When I checked the wheel bearings for play I spun the wheel to make sure calipers were not sticking, wheel spun freely.

 

Anyone? What I find really strange is that I moved for 10 feet before it locked up. I have tried moving it a few more times. Once to try to slam the brakes while reversing to see if I could get it to break free, no luck. I planned on pulling the drum when it warmed up but since the driveway was covered in snow, I wanted to move it out of my way and the same thing happened, I could move it 10 feet and then it locked up again.

 

Sound like a stuck drum brake.

Are you leaking any fluid from the front brake? What did the odor smell like?

Have you checked the brake fluid reservoir?

 

If it was my drum though, wouldn't it stay stuck instead of roll free for 10 feet before getting stuck? Brake reservoir is full and no leaks. I don't really know how to describe the smell, it wasn't a burning rubber type of smell, wasn't a coolant smell or burning oil smell if that helps, lol. Appreciate your help Torspd!

 

Is the wheel still locked up?
Have you pulled the drum off?

 

Yes, it's too cold to work on it and my FJ40 is in the garage (and my hoard of crap is on the other side).

 

Have you had recent brake work done? Would you say brake pedal travel seems normal, pedal doesn’t go down too far or seem to have too little travel?

I agree the drums definitely need to be removed to check what’s going on in there.

That ntb place, I swear shops see a woman coming and figure she knows nothing about a car, we can say whatever we want and charge whatever we want. I once told a gal her battery was bad, she said she just had it replaced a month ago. Short version, someone bought the new battery, stuck it in their car, put their old battery in hers.

 

Broken rr e brake cable. Buy the Toyota one

 

Isn't the braking system split diagonally? I wonder if you have a master cylinder problem

 

Perhaps a flex hose that is intermittently collapsing.

 

Why I was asking if any recent brake work and pedal travel. I’ve seen master cylinder push rods get adjusted just barely too tight and cause locked brakes and pedal too high or stuck up.

Definitely a possibility.

Still, no telling until drums are pulled.

 

I did not have any recent brake work done. I asked them to inspect my rear brakes at NTB but they guy couldn't even use the alignment machine to check my alignment so I know he didn't pull the drums. Would my E-brake cable cause an issue when I haven't used it? I see a ton of posts from people who have had issues with freezing after applying their E-brake, but I did not have mine applied.

 

Temps will be in the teens here for the week. I will update when I can pull the drum off. I GREATLY appreciate the responses!

 

Nothing says "fun" like crawling under a broken down truck in the snow.
Everybody is right, you have to take off the rear drum(s). A broken spring or displaced brake part can cause the intermittent symptoms you describe. How long since the rear brakes have been done? If it's been a while, might be a good time.

 

Stupid question, but have you or anyone else topped off the brake fluid recently? If yes, what did you top it up with?

Seen more than one vehicle in my time come in with similar symptoms, after they put something other than brake fluid in the reservoir...

 

Rear brakes were done a couple years ago but I have other vehicles so probably less than 10k miles since I did them. I used either dot 3 or 4. I just recently did the front calipers and had a hard time bleeding the system. The nipples on the rear were both filled with crud and I had to remove them to clean them up. Using my mitivac, for some reason could not manage to get a great pedal so I know I had a small amount of air in the system. I planned on having someone help me bleed them using the pump/hold method but just never got to it. What is really baffling to me is the fact that it rolled for 10 feet before locking up and then repeated the same thing the second time I moved it.

 

I have had this happen after using the parking brake. On day, it actually happened 4 or 5 times on the trail, without having set the parking brake again. I haven't used the parking brake since, and it hasn't locked up on me. I need to get it to a mechanic, as my drums won't come off - even with a BFH.

I know this doesn't help you solve it, but you aren't the only one with this issue. For me, rocking back and forth in 4 low eventually freed it up. If I park on a hill, I put it in low range - I won't use my parking brake. For the truck's whole life, I've been using the parking brake regularly and it's been slowly starting to seize more and more often until getting to this point.

 

Thanks Pigpen, I actually read your post when I searched. Everyone that had this issue had their parking brake activated and didn't have the 10 feet of rolling free before seizing. I definitely have some other kind of issue happening than what most here have encountered. I love my 4Runner but I thought about selling it to take advantage of this crazy market. I just told someone that as soon as I sell it, something will happen to my truck. I am fortunate to have other means of transportation and also happy that this happened while the truck was in the driveway.