My VW won`t budge!?

Question

I have a 1969 VW Beetle that has been a restoration project for about 5 years. Now that i need to move it out of the garage the brakes are locked up. I even pulled it with my truck and the car drags along. How can I unlock the brakes to be able to push it by hand? Oh and yes the e brake is released!

Answer 1

No matter what the first two ill informed responders seem to think, you do not have disc brakes on your car, unless you've converted them over. Therefore, you will not have pads or calipers to "whack". That being said, the second two responders have it right.

Your first course of action if the engine runs and the half-shafts are installed is to start it up and rock it back and forth in first and reverse gears. Your engine and transmission can provide a lot more torque than you and three of your biggest friends can. Of course you said the car is under restoration and you need to push it so lets assume it doesn't run.

Now you're down to jacking up the back end, removing the wheels and alternately beating on them with a small sledge hammer (as long as you strike them squarely on the flat wheel mounting surface you'll do no harm) and trying to break them free with a socket on the axle nut (36mm), a breaker bar and a long cheater pipe. Only turn clockwise or else you'll loosen the nut. Using some WD-40 overnight may be helpful as well. If you have access to a compressor and a pneumatic hammer, you can use it along with a flat headed hammer extension instead of the sledge hammer.

Still not free? Time for the big guns... Or a flame wrench anyway. Beg, borrow or steal an oxy acetylene torch set-up and use heat around the perimeter of the drums along with the previously mentioned beating and turning technique. This almost always makes it happen.

If all else fails, you're unfortunately in a position where you'll have to grind notches in perimeter of the drum and then break it into pieces with a hammer and chisel. It sucks but it's true, and sometimes the only way. Of course, everything I have stated is for the rear brakes. Most of the techniques will work on the front, but some won't. It's pretty obvious which is which.

At any rate, good luck with your current dilemma and your project in general. If I can be of further assistance feel free to e-mail me.


Disclosure statement. I do not "think" these techniques will work and I did not hear about them from someone else. I have been maintaining, repairing, building, modifying, restoring and racing ACVW's for well over 35 years. The above information is based on personal experience. Have a nice day.

Answer 2

After that amount of time, it's not the brakes being set, it's the brake shoes rusted to the drums. Tap the drums with a hammer to break the rust free, penetrating oil or WD40 might help.

Answer 3

Yank the wheels, Gently whack the brake pistons and pads with a rubber mallet. You will need to bleed the brakes and likely replace the pads if you have let it sit for that long.

You also can get dollies that fit under each wheel for about $35 that let you roll it around while you're working on it.

Answer 4

pull the tires and smack the drums with a hammer a few times,that shoould break the rust loose. obviously this won't fix them but they should break loose so you can move it. just did this a couple weeks ago with my uncles car which had been sitting for a couple years.

Answer 5

Take the tires off.
You will have calipers.
Take those off by two long bolts in the back.

This will release them in turn freeing the wheels.

Get new calipers. There gone.

Note......calipers are the things that squeeze the brake pads on the rotor.

You wil probably need a new one of those as well.

VW = Expensive

Get ready/

Answer 6

wow, vwhobo nailed it real good , the only thing i can add is to try to back off the adjusters for the shoes ( your backing plates should have slotted holes at the bottom for this) then have at it with the hammers . good luck.