Hi all

I've noticed a problem with the brakes on my 1200 ute. If the car has been sitting for a few hours since last driven the brake pedal feels normal but once you have been driving around for 20mins plus the brake pedal gets stiffer and stiffer. It gets to the stage where it feels like you can't even press the brake pedal and then the back left brake (drum brake) locks up.

I googled a few things and answers to the problem that came up were bad master cylinder, blockage or kink in brake line, bad wheel slave cylinders.

Because it only seems the back left is locking up (and my master cylinder is brand new) would replacing that wheel slave cylinder be a good place to start?

Anyone experienced a problem like this and find a solution??

Thanks

yehh mine does that every now and then it only does it when you first start it the, pedal is really easy to push down then the left back lock up after it happens a few times its good but i dont know why it does it..

The first time it happened was a 40 minute drive and it got so bad that the car was struggling in any gear other than 1st (it also felt like it got worse if i stopped for a minute then tried to accelerate again) So i left the car for 3 hours then the pedal was back to normal

I then adjusted the brake shoes off as far as i could and released all pressure on the handbrake and took it for another drive and about 20 mins in it started to get stiff but i didnt let it get as bad as the first time

mine doesn't seem like its going to fix itself so nay info would be appreciated!??

Try and bleed your brakes. That might help??

Yeah maybe but i've only just got a new master cylinder so i bench bled that and bled the lines 3 times, this was all done within the last month...

So thats why i was leaning towards wheel cylinder being bad??

Yea my past 3 Datsun utes have needed the wheel cylinders replaced. But I never had a stiff pedal I would always had to pump the pedal to stop. But check it anyway

if it happens after driving around maybe its a problem of the fluid boiling up is your brakes to tight so when you drive it creates heat? or maybe exhaust is to close to the brake line making the fluid boil and expand?

I thought it could be that also so i adjusted the shoes right off and also the handbrake. Didnt think of exhaust how close is too close? Can you wrap the lines in anything?

Thanks

The exhaust would have to be right on it to produce enough heat to boil the fluid. Wouldn't it??

how old is the fluid? if it has water in it it can reduce the boiling point as fluid does absorb moisture from the air over time.