I have a 89 Dodge W100. The right rear brake is locking up on me and when I let off the brakes it stays locked till I get down the road like 10 feet.I checked the axle seals, no leaks there. While I was checking that I was curious to see what the brakes would do if I pumped them a few times. The cable was tight when I walked back to the rear of the truck. The only way I could get it to release was to hit the wheel cylinder with a mini sledge (it didn't take much that was all I had on hand). So is it I have a bad wheel cylinder or could it be something else?

 

The springs that pull the shoes back are pretty darn stiff, if you have to hit the wheel cylinder in order to get it to retract, there is definitely something wrong there.....

Are all the springs there, and in the right place? The 'cable being tight' concerns me as well, are you referring to the e-brake cable? Is the cable seized up? (not an unusual occurrence...)

 

The springs are there. They looked a little worn out though. I forgot to mention that when I started to have problems I applied the brakes and when I released the brake pedal I heard an almost grinding sound. Almost like when a rock gets stuck between your brake pads and rotors. So I applied the brakes a few times to see if that would get the rock out(I was driving down a dirt road). When the grinding stopped I heard a metal ping sound and when I applied the brake for a stop sign, the brake locked up. Idk if this info helps at all but...

 

if the wheel cylinder is sticking best to just replace it. did you make sure the brakes are adjusted properly?