My rear brakeline rusted thru on my '93 Caravan. I replaced it and bled it and just gave it a test drive. The wheel intermittantly locks up now. Mostly locks up. It rolls a bit then locks and drags. ...Great.

Here's the only wrinkle I can think of: I've had the car up on rear ramps for 3 months waiting to finish this brakeline job.

So brakes get rusty when not used. Do they seize? Should I try to keep driving it around and see if it'll break free and start rolling again?

We have a dirt drive and right now it just snowed so I can't get much traction for the wheel -- it'll skid easily. But once it dries out I could try driving it around a bit and see if it gets rolling again.

Other ideas? (Thanks!)

 

Disk or drum?

 

One possibility is that the rubber hose is collapsed internally so that it acts as a check valve.

 

Very true. I had a Sebring convertible that burned brake shoes weekly on the drivers side rear. To the point of melting the rubber seals on the cylinder and puking fluid everywhere. It kicked my butt for about a month until I replaced the flex line to the rear wheel. It was collapsed inside. No outward indication. It acted as a check valve. Fluid in, but would not let fluid out.

 

It has drum brakes. Everything worked fine before the line blew and it sat for months...

 

ps: also, the wheel rolls fine in reverse

 

You need to pull the drum off and inspect everything.

Fixed

 

pull the DRUM off, right? well, rats, everything is so rusted up down there. i was hoping not to have to touch anything more! I have a propane torch only. No impact wrench. I'm scared of heavy rust... well... maybe i can remove the wheel and start peeking around. my bro thought that maybe a pad has slipped -- i don't really know how drums work. maybe they don't have a pad? something else to look up...