It's time to sell SWMBO's old car. It's a 2007 Focus that hasn't been driven since June. In July or so, we tried to move it and the e-brake was stuck, both sides. Hosing it down with WD-40 through the adjuster cable hole, wailing with a BFH, and rocking the car back and forth between drive and reverse eventually freed one side but not the other. Curious if the hive-mind has any ideas short of cutting the drum off with an angle grinder - I can totally do that, but I'd rather not if I can avoid it.
Rock it until you vomit, or cut the drum in half.
Is it the cable or the brake hardware that frozen?
I would suspect the cable at the wheel is the culprit and would look at cutting the cable close to the backing plate to get it to release before cutting the brake drum.
I have a VW that did that. Finally got it loose by heating the drum, tapping it with a hammer around the sides of the drum, and then using a breaker bar between the studs (with the lug nuts on).
Don't know if you can get to the brake adjuster, but back it off if you can.
If you think the shoes are stuck to the drum , hammer the backing plate a few times or hit the drum with a bigger hammer !
On my Fiat 600 I first tried the hammer , heat , penetrating oil and it never would move , gave up and got out the sawsall !
Cotton
PowerDork
1/4/19 8:01 p.m.
You need to hammer until you arm turns to jelly, then use the other arm. I hate drum brakes.
Slammo
New Reader
1/5/19 8:56 p.m.
Can you turn the adjuster through the adjuster hole? If you can adjust it all the way down, that may help take pressure off the shoes.
