Rear Drums Sticking ..... Badly

[Hudson1]

I have a 2010 1.6CR Elegance with drums on the back (why not discs), everytime i wash the car if i don't use it within a few days when i do come to drive off the rear wheel sticks on so bad it has a line of rubber going all down the drive..... i have to slowly reverse and then try again to release it, does anybody else have this ?

[fabiamk2SE]

Do you swing on the handbrake?

If i put mine on a notch more than it (my drives pretty flat) needs itll stick a little if i dont drive it for a few days, but certainly not that bad.

[Sathit]

Absolutely hate the drums in the back of the fabia, always get some grinding noise from it, when braking the first couple of times at low speed, investigated, the actually drums and shoes look fine.

 

In relation to the question, is it both sides or just one, as the handbrake may need adjusting on one side if it's only on one.

[fabiamk2SE]

Absolutely hate the drums in the back of the fabia, always get some grinding noise from it, when braking the first couple of times at low speed, investigated, the actually drums and shoes look fine.

Sure thats the drums?

If its been parked up for a few days, it could be the rust on the front discs wearing off.

[xman]

Quick fix: Park it in gear and handbrake off, but remember to put your clutch in before starting!

 

Proper fix: Remove the drums and clean out the gunge ( mix of brake dust and water) that's blocking the leverage that normally releases the shoes. Plenty of brake cleaner required.

[Sathit]

Sure thats the drums?

If its been parked up for a few days, it could be the rust on the front discs wearing off.

Aye happens overnight the grinding and comes from the rear

[fabiamk2SE]

Quick fix: Park it in gear and handbrake off, but remember to put your clutch in before starting!

Proper fix: Remove the drums and clean out the gunge ( mix of brake dust and water) that's blocking the leverage that normally releases the shoes. Plenty of brake cleaner required.

Quick question. How hard is it to move a car thats in gear?

Its gotta turn the engine over hasnt it. But i dno how easy that is with a weight of a car behind it, if you get me.

I always park in gear and never start an engine without the clutch anyway. Just always done that i guess

[Toxicvrs]

Quick question. How hard is it to move a car thats in gear?

Its gotta turn the engine over hasnt it. But i dno how easy that is with a weight of a car behind it, if you get me.

I always park in gear and never start an engine without the clutch anyway. Just always done that i guess

Fairly difficult without a rolling motion as its let off the clutch

[fabiamk2SE]

Fairly difficult without a rolling motion as its let off the clutch

Tryin to keep it still not bump start it haha.

Reckon you could leave it on a steepish hill, in gear with no handbrake?

I must try it outta curiosity tbh. Obv when im in the car though haha

[Toxicvrs]

Tryin to keep it still not bump start it haha.

Reckon you could leave it on a steepish hill, in gear with no handbrake?

I must try it outta curiosity tbh. Obv when im in the car though haha

i would try it in Clio but not entirely sure on gearbox strength lol

[Hudson1]

My car is on a slope and it has happened on both rear wheels at different times, i don't tend to use the gearbox to keep it stable being on a slope i was worried it would be putting too much strain on the box ? I do think it '' rusts '' on during the period from washing to driving but i just find this very odd given its not left to rot for weeks or months.

[giandougl]

Whip one drum off have a look see condition of linings and inside of drums.

Maybe a build of rust, so a bit of emery paper to clean-up a bit, could do the trick ?

[SaffronSkoda]

Hi, rear drum brakes are self acting with one leading and one trailing shoe on each side. This means if you park on a slope one of the shoes each side is wedged on stopping the car running down the slope.  Normally when you release the handbrake a spring in the drum pulls this shoe off, but if the air is damp light corrosion can be enough to hold it in place.  My drive slopes up to the house, so if when I release the handbrake the car does not move, I put the car in first and gently move forward towards the house, normally you will hear a bang as the shoe springs away from the drum.  As you have found if I had tried to force the car backwards the shoe would have locked itself on even harder. Hope this helps.

[GeneralPurpose]

Hudson, I think discs are an option on your car when ordering from new. However, the drums are normally ok if looked after properly. These days the wheels on the rear don't have to come off so often as in the olden days...saving some money during servicing. But this exposes the rear shoe adjusters to a bit more dirt and brake dust than is good for them. Especially on higher mileage cars, or cars that don't do many miles where corrosion in the drums is the main issue. This sticks up the brake shoe adjusters. The other problem is that some owners improperly adjust their handbrake by taking up too much slack in the handbrake cable. If done incorrectly this will prevent the adjusters from working properly and they stick because they are being held by the handbrake cable. This stop free shoe movement and the rear drum brake shoes will stick on from time to time and it gets worse as time goes by as the adjusters completely seize. Handbrake cable adjustment is rarely needed and is there for taking up very minor slack in the cable only. If the handbrake needs much adjustment it's usually due to the worn shoes or the adjusters have stopped working due to crud. 

 

You can have a go at freeing off the adjusters with a screwdriver using the brake drum inspection hole. There are loads of online descriptions on how to do that. But make sure your handbrake cable is not adjusted incorrectly first. If that doesn't work then just pop the drum off and clean it out, clean the adjusters etc. Good luck.

 

ps. You can use the gears to hold the vehicle stationary on any slope or hill, but use the handbrake too as it's not legal to park on a public road with the handbrake off, even if the car is in gear. The gearbox is super strong and won't be harmed. After all, it takes the entire weight of the car plus passengers and any other load you carry.

[xman]

I forgot to add that if leaving the car in gear, with handbrake off, that before starting the car remember to apply the brakes ( foot or handbrake) and depress the clutch.

For the pedantic among us...Highway Code Rule 252:

Parking on hills. If you park on a hill you should

* park close to the kerb and apply the handbrake firmly

* select a forward gear and turn your steering wheel away from the kerb when facing uphill

* select reverse gear and turn your steering wheel towards the kerb when facing downhill

* use ‘park’ if your car has an automatic gearbox

Personally I feel they have the forward/reverse gear advice wrong way round. Any attempt at letting the engine move in a reverse direction is potentially dangerous, thinking mainly about belt and chain tensioners....

Edited 9 March, 2015 by xman

[Sathit]

Plenty of brake cleaner on purchase it seems

[punyXpress]

After washing the car, go round the block using handbrake as often as possible ( ignore the 'bongs' )

This will dry out the rear brakes

[Gino4]

I had exactly the same problem with my 2010 Fabia.  Parked on my downhill sloping driveway, washed the car, then attempted to drive it a few days later but the offside drum had seized completely.  Skoda Assistance appeared within minutes of my call and the guy freed the brake by tapping the drum with a hammer & steel rod.  A few months later, following an unplanned spell in hospital, the nearside seized so badly that Skoda Assistance took 3 hours to remove the wheel, remove the various pieces of broken up brake lining, clean out the drum and replace the shoes on both sides.  Needless to say, the Skoda Approved warranty did not cover the cost of the new parts.  I note that I now have a lot more movement on the handbrake lever so hopefully there is more clearance between the linings and drums.  The handbrake works well and I have not had a reoccurrence of the problem, but I do leave it in gear with the handbrake off if I do not intend to use the car for a few days. 

[2ndskoda]

Rear brake maintenance is important, and I would urge all not to fall into the trap of 'shortening the handbrake cable' to seemingly 'fix' a poor handbrake. There is a limit to this action, and the time does come when this practice catches you out.

 

This is one of the big sins that the DIY-ers commit. There is no shortcut to making the correct adjustment at the wheel drum end - THEN - you can look at the cable. Sorry to rant on yet again about this - but when I was an MOT tester - this was one of the silliest things and most frequent results of misinformed 'maintenance'.

Hudson 1 - please use the secondary safety of leaving it in gear, you will not harm the box. Your rear drums however will need a complete strip down and geometry rectification work.

[Hudson1]

Thanks for all the replies, it is due a service now so i will ensure the rear drums are properly looked at, it would of been nice if it had discs and pads Ilike our other Mk1 Fabia Elegance has )

[richardsfavorit]

Mine was terrible for this. I usually leave it in gear and handbrake off as well (parked on the flat) so that this didn't happen. After 88K when serviced they replaced the shoes on both sides!

Its much better now.

[seboni121]

All fabias with drums on the back suffer this fault ! Once you've pulled the handbrake in damp weather or after a wash it WILL stick , only thing you can do is leave it in gear and place chocks under your wheels , however on a incline road this may be a problem :(

Edited 12 March, 2015 by seboni121

[rum4mo]

Silly "scatter-cash" way round this, I have been told, is to buy a "pet drier" - ie a fan/heater combo, and dry off the hubs after washing. Seems like these bits of kit are half the price of a car/bike drier but are made in the same factory line in China!  Not sure that I am ready to buy one of them yet, though they do seem to make drying a wet car very easy - wife might wrap it round my neck though! (is that something else to just lie around? )

 

In my experience, even with "perfect" brake shoes and clean drums etc, once a patch of the drums ends up getting rusted due to car being left with handbrake on after a wash, it will rust up quicker next time, only solution being to remove drums, scrub the swept drum area back to shining silver looking using emery paper and refit. The affected areas will look black prior to you cleaning the surfaces up.

Edited 16 March, 2015 by rum4mo

[2ndskoda]

I am surprised that no one has mentioned the handbrake cable itself as a possible culprit.

Cables have improved since my time in the industry - to the extent that not everyone even considers the possibility of cable seizure. It would be the first place I would look at.

Second area to consider is the equalisation of the shoes within the drum. Drive the car in reverse, and apply the footbrake with qusto - this can often recentralise the shoes etc. If this does the trick, then you know its time to remove the drums and shoes. Make sure that the cable has allowed the mechanism to fully return to its at rest position. THEN you carry out the necessary work.

[giandougl]

All fabias with drums on the back suffer this fault ! Once you've pulled the handbrake in damp weather or after a wash it WILL stick , only thing you can do is leave it in gear and place chocks under your wheels , however on a incline road this may be a problem :(

So the secret is: always ensure you are carrying a couple builders bricks for incline parking?? LOL (only kidding)