Truck won’t move—forward or reverse.

2019 Tacoma TRD. 20k miles. Six speed manual trans. Bought it two weeks ago. This issue has never happened before. Parked it on flat ground yesterday. Set the emergency brake. Came out later and it wouldn’t move…forward or reverse. It was like the e-brake (or worse, the transmission) was locked, only the e-brake handle was moving as if it was setting and releasing. Parking brake light came on and off appropriately. I tried giving extra gas, to the point where I could slightly smell the clutch (didn’t smoke it). Finally, when trying again to get it to move, I heard a loud BANG in the rear end and it let go. Had been pulling a very light trailer that day, but, the trailer was not connected it was under no load when this happened. Haven’t had the problem since. VERY troubling. Any ideas?

 

What happens if you chock the front wheels and lift and support both rears, with the transmission in neutral and the brake released then try to turn one or both rear wheels?

3rd gen so I'm kinda leaning on the guess of 3rd member impromptu automatic disassembly.

 

It’s your e brake. The drums seize up and need 4low to break free. I’m assuming you were in 2wd and burning the clutch trying to get it to move. My e brake does the same

 

Possibly, only ever seen that happen in ice conditions though personally.

Are the 3rd gen rear drums really that different and bad?

Never had a single issue with my 1st or 2nd gen drums other than they don't self adjust as well as they should and I have to spoon them occasionally and as far as I know they're all effectively the same.

 

^^^^^ I didn’t think people used parking brakes in Florida?

oP. Did you get the drums wet before you parked it? Car wash, deep puddle, river crossing etc?

 

You do when they're 6MT.

Otherwise they tend to wonder when you leave them unattended.

 

It happens to me every time I wash the truck. if I move it just after washing and leave it for a few hours, the drums stick on. Rear drums sticking on is quite a well known / document problem on this forum.

 

Odd.

Well I'm 2nd gen so...

Just another reason to not buy a turd gen.

 

The shoes are not releasing due to corrosion. You have corrosion in your rear brake assemblies. Pull your drum and clean/lube the adjusters, retaining springs, brake shoe backing plate contact points, etc.

 

Looks like you might have bought truck used. Previous owner myth have really really soaked them or been somewhere wet or salty (beach, snow). Driving on beach, launching boats. As others said just remove drums and clean and lube what needs lubing. I wash mine out periodically as they do treat the roads where I live in the winter. After I wash I am either driving for a bit so they dry or I do not set my parking brake until they are dry

 

Drum brakes are "self energizing". The momentum of the truck helps apply them. Lack of use of the parking brake can lead to issues like that generally backing up and applying the brake will free them. The manual transmission is not a parking brake if you use the parking brake instead of the transmission it will reduce your problems. Shoot I apply the parking brake and leave the gear lever in neutral in my flat floor garage!

 

My 1st car, the e brake cable was broken. I went for 2 years like that. I would turn the front wheels into the curb and it wouldn’t go anywhere.

 

This. My truck does the same thing when I wash it. I have started either not using the brake after a wash, or driving around to dry the brakes out before parking.

 

There’s been a lot of people who’ve had their e-brake seize because of surface rust between the pads and the housing. It normally happens after rain or other wet conditions that can get water into the drum housing

 

LoL my first car was the same.

Park in gear and turn the wheels to the curb.

Was all fine until someone bumped my car backing out, knocking it out of gear and as there was no curb it went for it's own little trip.

Fortunately it just made it about two houses down and parked harmlessly with the left side in their grass.

Got the cable fixed after that.

 

Does no one put ceramic brake grease on the pads on the shoes specifically intended for this to prevent said issue?



Or is this getting missed at the factory?

 

Mine was a 1981 Plymouth Turismo, and it was a great 1st car. I also put it in gear too when I parked. Reverse was stupid on this car, you pushed down and went to 1st gear. If you didn’t push down all the way, you were in for a big surprise.

 

I’m gonna say nobody is putting brake grease on the brake pads

 

You don't put the grease on the pads, well in the front you put them on the back of the pads, but on the brake shoes, I assume you're calling the pads, they have little ears folded over on the metal backer that you are supposed to put grease on.

The grease allows the shoe to slide metal to metal without causing flash rusting and seizing the shoe to the drum.

 

2nd gens do it frequently also.