Hey BB's, I've just noticed while driving I can hear the right rear brake release after a few minutes on the road, I wasn't certain that's what it was, but stopped for gas and the right wheel was way hotter than the left one. So did some quick checking anticipating its time to replace the calipers (and the rotors, and the pads, left and right), but then saw some info about it could just be an old brake line that's clogged? Is that worth just replacing the rear brake lines to see if it fixes the problem? Brake fluid gets replaced every two years (it's almost due again). F&R pads were replaced in 11/2021. This car doesn't get driven much, maybe 5-8k per year.
Thanks in advance for your input!

If you can feel/hear/sense a rear brake release then it's almost certainly rear e-brake shoes finally unsticking and relaxing into place, not a frozen or sticky caliper piston. Could be a badly worn drum and shoe getting wedged into place with built up grunge, but much more likely the entire cable and adjusting/release mechanism is near frozen with grunge and a bit of rust. For starters, remove the rear rotors and clean everything up. If you remove the shoes for cleaning or replacement then it can take a bit of prying to get everything back into place. Lots of WD-40 or whatever until the mechanisms and cable ends all move freely then clean it all up with spray brake cleaner. Pulling the rear rotors with a badly grunged mechanism and worn drum brake areas can take a bit of effort. Beating on the drums with a hammer and cleaning everything up from the back side as best you can may be where you need start in order to get the shoes pulled back enough to pull the rotor off. In a really bad case a puller maybe needed. Once everything is cleaned up and smoothly releasing then you can do a proper e-brake cable adjustment at the hand brake.
--
Dave -still with 940's, prev 740/240/140/120 You'd think I'd have learned by now

Hi,

It has been my experiences on my the six 240s I own three have always lost the right rear first enough to be replaced.
The reason for this in my mind and with some physics of nature applied it’s more than just a happenstance.

The right rear is the farthest away in distance of the whole system. Moisture in the brake fluid seeks cold or is driven away by heat. The front calipers do more work, thus more heat and the master cylinder is in the engine compartment.

The caliper is more likely the culprit. It has items that can corrode the brake lines and hoses are not. The metal lines are made of Cupro-nickle. Guess what it’s made of? (:-)
I believe it was a Volvo invention or they first used it? I can remember when the fifties and sixties American vehicles had line rust throughs.
I cannot say when rubber lines were first used but I’ll bet everything was ruined. The Drum brakes, slave cylinders were inexpensive and were affect by the steel lines in the first place.
Rust jams up in tiny places like nuts and bolts.

Go with a caliper replacement first and a good flushing of the system and catch it all to study.
The darker the fluid the worse the it is.

I exchange the fluid out of just the reservoir one every year or to keep it mostly clear.
The new fluid helps keeps the rest of the system with less moisture in it. New fluid is dryer and moisture goes to a dryer place as moisture has more energy in it and thus will migrate to be in balance.
Heat always goes to colder. Never the other way around. Physics

Ice cubes get smaller in the freezer. Fog can develop on the coldest side of a windshield.

Post back your findings as there are many others that may ask the same question while looking for answer.
Knowledge is power, if you know where the information switch is.

Phil

Jack up the RH wheel. Apply the brakes. Try to spin the wheel to verify the brake is stuck. Crack the bleeder valve open. If that allows the brake to release then the problem is likely in the hose. If opening the bleeder doesn’t allow the caliper to release then the problem must be a stuck caliper piston.

Hi Chris,

Good troubleshooting suggestions.
There's a third issue with rear brakes that the E-brake shoes can
separate from the shoe and cause issues.


I'm just in to get the MAPP gas to try to free a stuck 11MM cap screw
holding the front caliper bracket, it's a stubborn one.
I Wish I had a lift and a garage torch.

Bill

Thank you for the suggestions, but now I'm not so certain it's a caliper issue.
I jacked up the rear end, removed the wheels. The right wheel is dragging for sure. Released the bleeder screw but not much improvement, but I can also easily push the pads (and pistons) in a little with my finger tips, even with the bleeder screw closed. Brake fluid is clean and clear like I just bled them and didn't have any issues bleeding the brakes. Now I'm thinking maybe it's wheel bearing time? And the left rear wheel is definitely sounding strange when I spin it. They both don't spin real easy or smooth. Didn't see the E brake idea so didn't check that one yet, but I don't really use the E-brake (FL car) so maybe not that either? Arrgh the agony of the shade tree mechanic - not enough experience to really know what's going on if it's not smack me in the face painfully obvious....maybe it's some or all of the above....

Hi,

I give up on everything I told you after reading the other posts.
I see what state your are in and that is explaining a lot more to me.
The Bricksters on here have been all over these cars and a few inside some deep dark cavernous areas as well. I’m talking the electronics.

I was there once once to take a cruise ship from your state. I covered my car with a car cover while parked. Never realizing that I didn’t see any other cars with one during my visit.
The salt from the air ruined it.
For years I never could get it shaken or washed out.
That salt was so fine and powdery it has absorbed it down into every fiber of what seems like a paper like product. I eventually threw it away as it started to tear anyway.
I have another new one because they were on sale a couple times over time and didn’t see the harm in them. But now using it outdoors will be very limited as my cars sit inside a lot too and get dusty.
I hope dirt rinses out better than sea salt.

I have never had a reason to inspect my parking brake system but from what is being said I have to believe it.

As far a rear wheel bearings Kittygrey has written about greasing them up, of which, I have never done either.
Apparently they do not share the differential oil like I thought the older cars do or did in my day.

So, I did buy one complete set from SKF years ago.
I did this just in case something develops in that area.
They were not terribly expensive back then to stash away.

Thanks for starting the thread as both of these component areas are definitely over looked all the time.

Phil

Dave you nailed it! Removed caliper and rotor and the remains of the ebrake pads just fell out on the floor. The rest of that assembly looks in pretty good shape - it's all still there in place. Gave everything a good cleaning with some suds lab wheel cleaner and a stiff brush. Went for a short test drive and the R/R wheel was no hotter than the left. So gonna replace the ebrake bads for now (ASAP). The rear wheel bearings did sound a bit rough but the plan is to keep driving it locally for a few weeks (hopefully), with careful monitoring until I can take it off the road to replace the rear wheel bearing and some other stuff I've got planned. May also replace the calipers or at least replace the piston boots while I've got all that stuff off the car. Maybe this is a good excuse to get a shop press, I've got a 93 that probably needs the same TLC too.

Hi,

This is probably too late for you, but for others, anytime an e-brake is off it is the ideal time to inspect and repack your rear outer bearing. There are only 4 easily accessible bolts to remove. You should have an inner seal on hand because that's what keeps the rear end oil from washing the grease out of the bearing.

You don't need to remove the bearing from the axle to clean and repack. Just pull the axel out a few inches and put a bucket under it. Solvent and a chip brush and fresh grease. The seal goes into the axel housing. A half hour job.

If a bearing fails on the road and you keep driving it can destroy the axle housing. If you call for a tow and get it to a garage it will be very expensive.

Rear bearings with a failed inner seal running in rear-end oil can go for a long time if you don't mind the noise and a rough ride.

Peter

Closing the loop in this thread (LOL)....replaced the e-brake pads last weekend, fairly straight forward except for those silly springs. Used an awl to loop under the spring end and put the pointy end in the hole, but it was still awfully tedious. Backed off on the e-brake adjustment nuts (10 mm), they are easy to see but not easy to get a wrench on. Test drive a success. Wheel bearings and/or caliper replacement on the to-do list near future. Thanks everyone for their input!