Back again... Here is a new one... I drive to the airport (60 miles), no smoke, no noise. When I get back from my trip, my truck will not move. E-brake is not locked up, verified the cable goes loose when not engaged. The truck will move about 1/2 and inch with the e-brake off. When it is on it will not budge. I lifted the rear end, passenger side turns, driver side will not. Any ideas? Yes, it was in neutral. Please help....
note, it is a '96 Dakota, 4 cylinder, 2WD

 

Disk or drum?

 

Drum, but it moves about 1/2 an inch (if that helps)

 

You need to pull the drum off and inspect it.

 

The cable can be locked up anywhere in the housins. Chances are the rear section of cable going to that brake is locked up. You could also have a locked up wheel cylinder.

Drum brakes on old vehicles are typical failure points; because the brakes wear slowly (and the truck will still stop with just front brakes), people tend to ignore them. You might (likely) have a 20 year old vehicle that has never had rear brakes done. As keaton said, take the wheel and drum off and see what you can see. I'd be ready to replace drums, all brake components, and wheel cylinders, and possibly some parking brake cables. All of that stuff is fairly cheap, might as well get it all done at once and be able to forget about the rear brakes for years.

 

if you tear it down and do brake job do one side at a time so you can refer to one side for reference when assembling. also the star adjusting wheel for the rear breaks are side specific so if you tore into both sides and mixed them up would be a issue.

maybe a piece of brake shoe broke off and is wedged between the drum and remaining brake shoe???