Northerners! Cold breaks? Frozen axle?

This morning it was -2. The truck sat out over night as I do not have a garage. This morning as i pulled out, I shifted into first, then second, approached a stop sign, engaged the clutch, lifted off the petal and the truck came to a rapid stop (well before the sign).

I did some reading at work and there seems to be a trend with the e-brake freezing when its cold out. I read a couple of topics that ended with "well now we're taking it to the dealership..."

Does anyone have any after the dealership info? this issue makes the truck incredibly uncomfortable/scary to drive on ice roads and I'm curious to know what the issue is and how to deal with it.

Is it in fact the e-brake?
Is it the brake lines?
Is it something else like the axle?

Anything anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated!

 

If it came to an abrupt stop, your e brake may be frozen. If it just rolls slowly, your fluids/ grease are not warmed up yet - they will warm up with travel. The first few days I drove mine in sub negative 20F it didn't roll smoothly. I try to avoid the parking brake in cold temps.

 

Don't have too many sub zero nights especially this time of year, but I've yet to have an issue like that and I use mine every day for the last 4.5yrs. Did it improve when it warmed up? If so what ^^^he said.

 

Are you talking about the brake fluids? or the engine fluids? I let the car warm up for about 15 min prior to driving. It did improve with travel. How do you avoid the ebrake? Just using tire stops?

 

Yeah, its michigan. Saturday it was gorgeous, today its -2, friday it is supposed to rain lol. You know what they say, "if you dont like the weather in michigan, wait about 15 min, it'll change.

 

I'll keep my, I know what's coming a week in advance, Massachusetts Hope it gets resolved quickly!

 

I don't see how brakes unless waters now logged can freeze up after driving especially with nearly an air gap.

Thank god it doesnt get that cold here

Thinking here fluid likes water so being that cold it could freeze/slush

 

had this issue on my 08 about 4 years ago. had to have it towed to my shop 3 times. couldnt figure it out. i replaced my calipers/pads and shoes, master cylinders, brake booster. nothing helped. ended up being my ebrake cable rusted inside the drum. replaced the cable and all better. havent had an issue since.

 

It's probably your e-brake sticking. I've had it happen many times. Locate your e-brake cable, follow it to the rear axle drum backing plate. The cable is attached to an arm pinned on the backing plate. Tap the end the cable is attached to toward the drum. If it moves it was sticking. WD 40 the pin and keep it dry in cold weather. Hope this helps.

 

Leave it in gear, I. Never used the E brake in winter, when I had a stick shift...

 

leave it in gear and next to a curb if possible. if there is slush, never use the e-brake, guarantee lockup when it freezes during the night.

also if you have a manual, be very gentle on pushing in that clutch. had a friend in his old blazer push his thru the firewall by accident and another that broke the piston due to being so cold.

 

As others of said, forget the e-brake use in winter. Freeze up. My Ranger froze up so hard I'd put it in 4 low and drop the clutch to beat it into submission. Never used the parking brake again, well mainly because it was broken after that.

 

I had an '87 S10 and the e-brake would always freeze in the winter. Same with my brother's 2001. And I've heard of it happening on cars with manual trannys and a parking brake too. Don't use the e-brake in the winter.

Look at the bright side...we only have like...5 more months of winter right? ugh

 

It gets damn cooled up here I all ways use my parking brake that's most likely why it works so well. Two things the pivot point inside the drum is usually where they bind up there is a short cable inside between the levers it rusts up on the inside pivot. If it continues pull the drum and make sure you don't have a leaking axle seal.

 

Yeah, I did the same thing with my 1st Tacoma. Unfortunately there is an added downfall to that. Ever hear the phrase, "Use it or lose it"? Well it applies here. If you don't use your e-brake it will seize from corrosion so in the summer it won't work either. Problem is you need a working e-brake to pass an inspection here in NH, and I also just like my truck to work correctly. So I found that replacing the e-brake cable was a better course of action than simply not ever using it again.