imatchthehatch

Just before I came to a complete stop my 4runner locked up. I gave it gas and it tried to go, but wouldnt budge. So i shifted it into park and shut if off and tried it again, but no luck. I gave it more gas to see if I could move it off the road, but it cause me to spin and squeal the tires. I then shifted it into reverse and it worked fine? This is what through me off. I then moved off the road and threw it into drive and it worked fine again. I only had a short drive home and on the way home I tried to get it to happen again and I couldn't. Any ideas on what this might be?

Beartracker

I'm missing understanding you..... I think. How could it lock up but the tires still spin? What locked up? Mike

imatchthehatch

The front brakes seemed to have locked up I guess since the back tires spun. I apologize for the confusion I wrote that in a hurry.

razrwild

stuck caliper pistons?

drguitarum2005

tear apart your front brakes and see what they look like

imatchthehatch

Im going to do that when I get home, but that shouldnt be it since I just had those replaced.

Also if it were stuck caliper pistons, then why would it free up when I went in reverse?

blzorro

mabey ur front axle broke or locked up due to no fluid.

Beartracker

Wow, you sure know how to hurt a guy!,Lol. That is a thought though.

Maybe who ever did the brakes screwed something up. It is definitely a problem that I would not ignore just because it went away for now. Let us know what you find. Mike

imatchthehatch

I just went out and put it in 4wd and played around trying to listen or feel anything, but didnt notice anything. I did notice that my e-brake doesnt work as well as it did. This made me wonder if it could possibly be a leak in my rear axle that drained into the drums in the rear?

aurunner

i had this same exact thing happen to me. it was the shoes on the rear drum brakes sticking. tore the brakes apart and they were all messed up. replaced them and everything is fine now. first check your gas mileage and see if it has decreased, then you will know if it is your drum brakes.

razrwild

it was just a theory that sounded like it could be accurate. My thinking on why it could be that is when the brakes aren't applied the caliper is trying to retract but with the piston being frozen or stuck or even cocked to the side it can't. When you tried to pull forward it may have been cocked a way that it was trying to push the piston further off but in reverse it corrected it and let it retract. Then again I'm not an engineer nor do I know a lot about the inner workings of calipers, i'm just a half a**ed wrench monkey

imatchthehatch

Yeah I had my rear drums done a couple of months ago and during that time I discovered a small leak in my axle. I didnt have time to fix it and since then have been just to lazy so it might have gotten worse and caused my rear to lock up. Ill have to check it out.

YM13

ACtually my rear left tire locks up constantly under minor braking and it takes a good bit of gas to get it "unlocked"... I also had a Axle leak in that same drum brake so I think those are probably related...I havn't fixed the problem yet though....

etan

i'm not sure if this applies but did you have it in 4wd like you said. because maybe you might have to unlock it when you shift out of 4wd. in which you did when you reversed. is there noticeable grease or oil around your tire?

slus

I have heard of the rear drums locking up before, it was on older yotas, but I'm guessing the inner workings of the drums are similar. I forget the specifics, but essentially years of mud, water, salt and other junk pile up in the drums and corrode one little retaining thing for the self-adjustment mechanism, and the shoes tension after braking and stay put.

Why it would happen on both sides at the same time, I have no idea, but mabey just one wheel locked up and you were spinning the other?

imatchthehatch

That is very possible! It was late at night when I happened so I didnt pay close attention really I just wanted to get home.