Guest Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 Fate has determined that Adja, my non-running, pre-restoration 1940 Chrysler coupe, <span style="font-style: italic">must</span> move outside for a few weeks. I already have a NOAH cover on order; hopefully they'll find a pattern that works and have it here next week.<P>The problem, as stated in the subject line, is that the brakes are 95% seized. By that I mean, with a tow truck pulling the car across the asphalt, the wheels turn. Two guys and a 14 hp tractor, the wheels don't turn. Well I don't happen to have a tow truck handy so I gotta come up with the next best thing, and it has to be by this weekend (that rules out rebuilding the brakes, much as I'd like to).<P>All I've come up with so far is to bang the drums off and remove the shoes, leaving the car with NO brakes. Then use the tractor as a brake by pulling the car rather than pushing it. Heaven only knows how I'll get the car back <span style="font-style: italic">in</span> but at least the immediate problem would be solved.<P>Any better ideas?<P>Cheers,<BR>Bry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Stoneberg Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 Bry, Its good to see you are still having fun.<BR>Are you pulling the darn thing up or down a hill ? If not why do you need brakes at all ?<P>I have moved my non runner with a chain and a pickup truck and that works well too. Helps the body if you put an old tire or 2 between them so if it hits....<P>Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
novaman Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 If on some form of pavement, how about two floor jacks? You can then roll it outside on the jacks. You just need to be careful and don't take it up any higher than needed. That is how we move the race cars (drag type) around in the shop since they can't turn around in a 40 acre field anyways.It is aslo the way I moved the car bought that had siezed brakes. Had tried pulling it with my pickup. Moved the car but not the wheels. Figured my dad wouldn't apperciate the skid marks all over the driveway from turning the car around.<BR>Just a thought.<p>[This message has been edited by novaman (edited 10-17-2000).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 One of the easiest ways to move a non-runner all about the shop or in and out, is to put the new individual "wheel dollies" under it and go. They are frequently listed in the rod mags and Hemmings or Old Car Magazine. If you use them often, then they are well worth the cost. If not, try renting them at a restoration shop, rental supply or such. You could get just two of them and place them under the rear wheels. Then lift the front with a floor jack and move the car a short distance at a slow and careful speed (No large bumps though).<P>Do not get into moving a seized wheel by dragging it though. It ain't good fer man ner beast!<P>Huey<P>Huey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 Bry - I was going to suggest what Coupe1942 gave you, but if you don't want to make the investment, why not have someone with one of those JerrDan rolloff towing rigs come over for the $25 to $35 bucks and move the car rolling it over a couple of pieces of cardboard (on and off) to eliminate the skid marks. Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 Hi Bill, it's an adventure as always. This year has been an exercise in "The cars don't care what your plans are, they have their own ideas for spending your money."<P>I wouldn't call it a hill exactly, but there's a definite grade, enough of one that I wouldn't want to give a 2-ton car with no brakes a good kick to see what happens.<P>Unfortunately, my property is a pavement-free zone. Hmm, maybe I can use this as an excuse to get the driveway paved... "come on honey, think how much easier it'll be to maneuver the car that doesn't run..." naaah I don't think she'll buy it.<P>I was thinking of big ol' dollies under each wheel, but the dollies would need pretty big tires to not get hung up on the gravel, and I've never seen any like that.<P>I'll probably go the no-brakes route, although someone wrote privately that I might be able to simply adjust the brakes off, rather than disassembling them. I'll look into that.<P>Cheers,<BR>Bry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 why not beg, borrow or steal a tow dolly then? It will go over the gravel and such. Are the brakes seized on all fours?<BR>Huey<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bry in Virginia:<BR><B>Hi Bill, it's an adventure as always. This year has been an exercise in "The cars don't care what your plans are, they have their own ideas for spending your money."<P>I wouldn't call it a hill exactly, but there's a definite grade, enough of one that I wouldn't want to give a 2-ton car with no brakes a good kick to see what happens.<P>Unfortunately, my property is a pavement-free zone. Hmm, maybe I can use this as an excuse to get the driveway paved... "come on honey, think how much easier it'll be to maneuver the car that doesn't run..." naaah I don't think she'll buy it.<P>I was thinking of big ol' dollies under each wheel, but the dollies would need pretty big tires to not get hung up on the gravel, and I've never seen any like that.<P>I'll probably go the no-brakes route, although someone wrote privately that I might be able to simply adjust the brakes off, rather than disassembling them. I'll look into that.<P>Cheers,<BR>Bry</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Stoneberg Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 Bry,<BR>What I had meant to say was to pull it ONCE the brakes weren't locking anymore. If you are pulling it uphill it should work. Downhill it is a different story. May be able to use your truck as a brake ??<BR>Just ideas.<BR>Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 You know sometimes the simplest solutions work. I had an old time mechanic tell me years ago that if you can pull a car with rusted up brakes BACKWARDS it will sometimes make them release, the more you drag it forwards the more they lock on. I don't know why this works, but I was helping a friend pull a 48 Plymouth parts car out of a closed down junkyard (zoning guys finally won their case) and it probably had not moved since the 1967 license plates were attached. The thing was buried to the axles in mud. It would not roll forward, we used a tow truck to drag it out, then hooked the truck to the rear and pulled the car backwards, and the brakes released enough so that it could be rolled forward onto the trailer. Maybe this would work, maybe not, but it's a cheap trick to try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ply33 Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 A lot (but not all) drum brakes were designed so that the forward rotation of the drum acted to tighten the shoes against the drum. "Self energizing" was the term.<P>On those cars, rolling the car forward with the shoes contacting the drum will not be as good as rolling it backwards when you want to free things up.<P>Disk brakes are not self energizing, which is one reason you pretty much need power assist when you have disks.<P>If the brakes on the 40 Chrysler are anything like those on the Plymouth, then it probably will not matter which way the car is rolled. On the other hand, it probably would not hurt to try it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 try taking a piece of 2"pipe feed your chain through it hook up tightly and you can pull or push depending on where you hooked it up to. good luck.<P>------------------<BR>c.sanders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 You neglected to say just how long of a pipe to use. I always used at least a 4' section when I pulled another car with a chain. Actually, I prefer a 1 1/2 inch pipe in doing it. The pipe kept the other car from ramming my tail as it jerked along in the rear. The pipe also eliminated some, but not all, of the jerking from the chain as you went and stopped at a red light and then took off with the other car in tow when it was green. You learned this stuff from doing in the early 50-60's.<P>I had a '36 Ford to be pulled one time. I was on the receiving end of the chain as my father-in-law was on the tuggin' end. About half way home the steering wheel actually came off in my hand and I sat there in amazement holding the loose steering wheel. The 20'long chain allowed me to drive right over some old ladies daisies as the car went in all directions like a Keystone Cops scene in an early silent movie. Needless to say, this was before I found out about using a "drag bar" on the chain in order to have some control of the towing. Now losing a key on the steering wheel and the nut that holds the steering wheel on would not have done much as to dragging with a chain, except for the fact that the chain was made 20' long on purpose so that I did not ram into the rear of my father-in-law's truck. If we had used the pipe and chain method at the time, we would have had less length of chain to worry about.<P>Man, it was funny when it happened. It is funny even now as I get older, but that old lady did not seem to think so at the time. I jumped up over a curb, hit her daisy patch by the sidewalk and went and scooted right back out into the road. All the time holding dearly to that darn steering wheel loose in my hand. That Ford had a mind of it's own on the end of that chain! Ha! I think my eyeballs grew to saucer size. My father-in-law did not even realize ther ewa s aproblem til he looked into his rear view mirror and saw that old ford fixin't to pass him. And that old Ford didn't even have an engine in it. Man, it was inded a classic moment for us, and I still laugh at it. Glad no one got hurt though.<BR>Huey <P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by darnoc31:<BR><B>try taking a piece of 2"pipe feed your chain through it hook up tightly and you can pull or push depending on where you hooked it up to. good luck.<P></B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><p>[This message has been edited by coupe1942 (edited 10-19-2000).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikefit Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 How about 4 sheets of plywood and some grease on it just slide on the plywood and move to next sheets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 This thread is nearly 20 years old... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ply33 Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 1 hour ago, Matt Harwood said: This thread is nearly 20 years old... I wondered: It showed up with a star on the left of the title indicating I had responded to the thread but I had no immediate recollection of it. Looks like I was active on the forum 19 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Mereness Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 (edited) I had same problem this week and also on a car that was not meant to be dragged via its design - we "unadjusted" brakes. That said, most towing companies (such as wrecker services) are use to dragging stuff. Edited February 1, 2020 by John_Mereness (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now