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Rear right wheel lock up

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Old 02-03-2018, 05:47 PM
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Default Rear right wheel lock up

So have a 93 Blazer. I was driving at slower speed and all of the sudden the right rear wheel locked up. So I put in neutral then back to drive then started to drive again. Drove for a couple of miles then it did it again. The service engine light came on i keep driving till I got to my mom's it kept doing it on and off the rest of the way. So it was about an hour after it was parked I had to move it back a little the light was off. Got any suggestions on what it could be I'm thinking something wrong with the rear differential.
 
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Old 02-03-2018, 06:29 PM
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First thing I would do is pull off the wheel and the brake drum to see if you have loose parts in there.
 
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Old 02-03-2018, 06:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Tom A
First thing I would do is pull off the wheel and the brake drum to see if you have loose parts in there.
Ok I get that but to me why would it unlock by putting it in neutral then back to drive. That's why I'm thinking differential
 
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Old 02-03-2018, 06:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Tpepper
Ok I get that but to me why would it unlock by putting it in neutral then back to drive. That's why I'm thinking differential
The fact that it only locks one wheel (and always the same one) is what leads me to believe it's probably at the wheel end. And you need to take off the brake drums to remove the differential, anyway. Might as well start with the easy stuff.
 
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Old 02-03-2018, 07:18 PM
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Originally Posted by Tom A
First thing I would do is pull off the wheel and the brake drum to see if you have loose parts in there.
Originally Posted by Tom A
The fact that it only locks one wheel (and always the same one) is what leads me to believe it's probably at the wheel end. And you need to take off the brake drums to remove the differential, anyway. Might as well start with the easy stuff.
Ok I'll check it out thanks. I'll let ya know what I find.
 
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Old 02-03-2018, 07:40 PM
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Cool. I'm interested to hear.
 
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Old 02-04-2018, 04:02 PM
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The innards on the drum brakes tend to rust and break.
My 94 is actually running with a bolt and self securing nut and a washer through one of the brake pad "hold-in-place" springs. Whole stuff rusted away - no wonder after 24 years.

Started to scrape against the drum with the edge of the brake pad shoe and made an ugly noise.

A friend had an old thunderbird locking one of the wheels that way. One brake shoe support was rusted away and the shoe could move and wedge itself in. Backing up freed it until the next brake application going forward.

As Tom A said, I'd start there as well.
 
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Old 02-15-2018, 04:14 AM
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Originally Posted by Tom A
Cool. I'm interested to hear.
So I took it apart and it was the break pad it had broken. So I guess the broken part was running around in the drum getting binding up and locking the wheel. Replaced the pads and got new drums and it's been fine. Thanks for the advice was a little nervous because I had just bought the Blazer.
 
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Old 02-15-2018, 10:36 AM
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Glad to hear it wasn't too serious (or too expensive).
 
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