I need some help with my 88 22r. About once every 200 or so miles the front driver brake will lock up for a few minutes. After it finally releases i then loose brakes, the peddle goes straight to the floor. After a few minutes ill get brakes back and everything is normal. Anyone experience this? I was thinking maybe faulty master or brake booster but i would think it would happen to more than just one brake.

 

You have an interesting problem being that intermittent.

Usually when a front brake locks up, you either have a bad (sticking) caliper and/or a brake hose that is collapsing internally acting sort of like a check valve for the brake fluid.

Take the wheel off on the driver's side and see if the inside and outside brake pads are worn about the same amount.

Do you have any leaks in the brake system? Typically when the brake pedal goes to the floor, the master cylinder is going bad because the seals inside have failed.

A brake booster would not cause this type of problem.

 

I don't see any logical explanation for ALL of your symptoms, but keep this in mind. Your brake booster CAN'T cause one brake to lock, it helps you push the pedal, that's all it does.
Your master cylinder CAN'T effect a single brake, there are two cylinders inside, one for the front brakes and one for the rear. (some master cylinders have more than two brake lines attached, but most are one line for the front and one for the rear, still only two chambers though).
Bottom line, if you have a brake lock up without reefing on the brake pedal there is a problem with THAT brake. If none of your other brakes are working properly you may have ONE lock up, but you should notice a "lack of stopping power".
The whole "Finally releases then I lose brakes" thing has me stumped, but you need to inspect EVERY part of your braking system and replace anything obvious before you move on, like if it's due for front pads start there and inspect the calipers, rotors and hoses while you are there.

 

My left front was locking up on my 92 back early in the Spring. Caliper was bad.

 

That was my thinking on the caliper but then for it to lose all brakes after if frees up had me stumped. I did have to refil the brake fluid 1 time since i got it in march. It sat for about 2 weeks and was just below the low line. Although i never saw any fluid under the truck. I thought about it more and this happened about a week after i replaced the rear axle seal. Not sure if that has anything to do with it. I guess i am going to start with replacing the caliper then see what happens.

Exactly how i am thinking. A master cant just effect 1 brake so that leads me to believe its a caliper. It locks up so bad it yanks the wheel and barely wants to move. I would expect the loosing all brakes would be the master cylinder but weird that it only has happened when that brake locks up.

Could it possibly be a bad caliper that locks up then releases loosing fluid some how from pressure and then no brakes until the system builds some pressure back up?

Hopefully ill get some time to take the wheel off this week and get a better look at everything.

 

Nothing explains all of your symptoms, like I said previously you need to inspect ALL of your brakes.
Are you sure it is a FRONT brake locking up?
Rear brakes (drums) are far more likely to "lock up" and can still cause a pull to one side when it happens.
When you replaced the rear axle seal did you replace the rear shoes? Drums? Did you at least clean them? (you can never get ALL of the oil out of a soaked brake shoe) Are they properly adjusted?
When you pull on the parking brake at low speed will it stop the truck? In a straight line? Without locking up?

 

Yea i am hopefully going to inspect everything saturday. Im about 90% sure its the front driver side, last time it happened i was able to pull over right away and i could feel the heat from it and hear the a popping/ticking noise coming from that wheel(not really loud but when squatting next to it could hear it) and when i say pull its not slight at all. Its as if im making a turn and i have to counter steer almost 90 degrees from center.
I replaced the shoes (both sides) when i did the axle i did not replace the drum but i cleaned it really good with brake cleaner. Everything was adjusted properly and when i pull e brake at a coast speed it stops the truck and straight line without locking up.

 

Sounds to me like a sticky caliber or a collapsed hose which is not visible by looking at it. The hose will collapse easier after it gets hotter.

 

I thought about a hose collapsing also only thing is 2 of the 3 times it happened i had been driving less than 3 minutes. Just outside of my neighborhood. The 3rd time i was 35 min into a trip at highway speeds. Still not ruling it out though, hopefully ill know more Saturday.

 

1. Check your caliper of the side that's sticking. Sounds like a bad caliper.
2. While you're at it, check the vacuum hose connected to the brake booster.