I have a 1989 Dodge Dakota and lately there has been smoke coming from what seems to be the brake pads at the rear driver side wheel. I recently had it looked at and a mechanic regreased the brakes and claimed that nothing else was the matter. the very next day the problem has returned. one of the resivoirs of brake fluid has run dry, and i have seen from others online that it can cause the brakes to lock up either closed or open.
Not sure what to do next... Any thoughts??

 

First of all don't drive it until you find out what it is. If it is the brakes it can be several things. One a bad wheel cylinder. Or any of the internal brake parts broke and is jamming things up. Brakes don't use grease. If you have a leaky system you can loose all your brakes. Take off the rear drums and see if anything looks out of place. If you need we have online service manuals that will help you with repairing anything you need. Check the FAQ in this section for it.

 

Sounds like a return spring has failed. You will most likely have a hard time getting that drum off if the shoes are pressed against the drum. Look for a spring off or broken...

 

If one of the reservoirs is running dry, the smoke may be coming from the brake fluid dripping on the hot brake drum. Sounds like you may have a small pin hole in the wheel cylinder or perhaps in the line itself, the truck is 20 years old after all. Another symptom of smoking brakes would be if they are on all the time although I would think you would have felt the drag on the one side. Of course it could just be brake dust albeit an awful lot of brake dust.

While it is true that brakes do not use grease, it is standard practice to put a little grease on the backing plate lugs so the shoes slide in and out with as little bind as possible. Not allot mind you, just enough for a thin coat. You definitely DO NOT want any grease getting on the shoes or the drum...

If you cannot find any brake fluid coming from the rear lines or wheel cylinders then I would check the master cylinder for internal leaks.

First and Foremost as Crazy4x4 said DO NOT Drive it until you've found the problem! And repaired it of course