rear tire locking up

[nitrospeed]

Hey guys . I am new here hope to make this my new home. I bought a 88 wagoneer from my brother and i love it . Its been in the family since new and only has 120k on it. When i picked it up the brake light on the dash was on and the pedal would go to the floor with only a couple inches of brake at the bottom. So i bled them now the light is off but when i first drive it after it sits overnight. the right rear tire locks up and keeps doing it every time i tap the brakes. It gets better after things get warmed up but it feels like it still pulles that way under hevy braking. What do you guys think?? possibly wheel cyl???

 

[RichP]

You need a brake overhaul. For starters I'd get a new set of drums, shoes, cylinders, hardware and I'm betting a master cylinder. I'd also look at all the soft lines in the brake system, if they are original it's about time to replace them. It's a good weekend project especially if you plan on keeping it. If thats the case you might want to also replace the front pads and probably the front rotors. It would also be a good time to totally flush the brake system of all it's old fluid. It is something that should be done pretty quick, brakes are nothing to put on hold till you can afford it or have the extra money, brake problems need to be resolved quickly and not in a halfassed manner either. By replacing the major parts you will have a known good quality system that will last for years, by trying to fix it a piece at a time you will just get frustrated.
When doing drums for the first few times only do one side at a time so you have a reference one to look at when trying to reassemble and if one side is screwed up worse then the other do that one first. We just did a D44 on an 88 the other nite, did the drivers side first and kept the passenger side for reference, upon closer look the passenger side was missing parts...

 

[langer1]

When mine did that it was a bad bearing.

 

[nitrospeed]

hey thanks for the input. I do plan on keeping it so i better get a shoe box for all the those reciepts i'm gonna end up with. I am going to refienance the house so i think i will take out extra to fix her up. arb bumper, rusty's 4.5 lift, bushwacker flares. 33,s,roof rack customs tails and rear bumper combo kit. Since its been in the family since new it has sentallmental values. Not to mention they will all crap when its done.

 

[old_man]

Drum brake lockup is normally caused by oil/brake fluid on the brake shoes. It explains why your brake light came on. You have a leaky brake wheel cylinder and the fluid got on the shoes. Find the leak, fix it. If you get lucky, brake cleaner can clean up the shoes, otherwise replace the shoes. This happens many time with a shot axle seal, but since you got the brake indications, that says wheel cylinder.

Do NOT drive it that way. The lockup is so extreme that you can easily snap an axle, especially with a locker or limited slip.