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Topic: Need help, ASAP! with unlocking wheels! - car sat for too long now wheels no turn  (Read 3178 times)

Offline IntrstlarOvrdrve

  • Joined: Oct 2003
  • Posts: 249
ok, this car has to be moved by this sunday b/c I dotn have any other time to do it. I went over today to move it, even put new tires on it so itd get traction, but the car just slid when I pushed it or pulled it. I must have done this for a a solid half hour till my dads truck started to overheat, so what should I do now?? I have no idea how to make this car move.

Offline Zen

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  • LaFayette, GA
  • Joined: Dec 2001
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I've had my share of experiences with non-rolling VWs . . . sometimes they can be a major pain!  :(

First of all are all 4 wheels locked?  Just the back?  Just the front?  Or is just one wheel not turning?

Start with the obvious.  If it's just the back, make sure it's out of gear and the e-brake is released.  I know this sounds stupid, but I got a pretty nice bug real cheap once because the guy was towing out of his front yard back to his barn and couldn't get the back wheels to roll.  He drug it with his tractor, pulled one of the bumper brackets off, bent the bumper and tore up a fender.  When I was getting ready to winch it onto a trailer, I dropped the e-brake handle and it started rolling back down the hill it was parked on!

If it's all four wheels, pump the brake pedal.  If it's rock hard, or not coming back up, you may have pressure on the hydraulic system.  Open the bleeder screws and see if it releases pressure.  When a flexible hose starts to go bad it can act like a check valve and let fluid in, but not let it back out . . . but it usually does this one wheel at a time . . . opening a bleeder screw should free it up so it will roll if that's the problem.

Those are the easy ones to fix.  About all that's left is the shoes have rusted to the drums.  Jack it up and pull one wheel at a time . . . get the biggest hammer you can find and give the face of the drum a good whack and see if the shoes will turn loose.  If you can find a 5 or 6 foot section of heavy gauge angle iron, drill it so you can bolt it on with two adjacent lug bolts.  Bolt it on and have someone bounce on it while you strike the face of the brake drum.  It might help to heat the drum with a torch if nothing else works.

Offline IntrstlarOvrdrve

  • Joined: Oct 2003
  • Posts: 249
thanks for the reply!

yes, all 4 wheels are locked solid, and I know its not the brakes b/c the reason the car was parked is that the master cylinder failed....and the emergency brake was off, the car was in neutral as well.

Offline IntrstlarOvrdrve

  • Joined: Oct 2003
  • Posts: 249
I kinda figured I need it moved by tomorrow b/c I cant leave a convertible with no top sitting in the middle of a yard all week while I'm out of town ???

Offline Zen

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When Beetle brakes are properly adjusted, the shoes will be practically touching the drums.  The contact surface of the drum loves to rust.  During the braking operation, any rust that has formed is knocked off . . . but that doesn't happen if the car is sitting.  Iron gains weight and mass when it rust . . . it's kind'a like putting on a pair of pants that fits just right and gaining 25 pounds while you have them on.

Offline Anthony

  • In front of the computer
  • Joined: Dec 2001
  • Posts: 1136
Might help to back off the adjusting wheels before you try the above idea, to give the brake pads somewhere to go (hope those aren't frozen, as well).  Be sure to not skimp on support for the car while you're jumping on the breaker bar!  Also, mind the fenders!  BTW, it's supposed to rain Monday.  Good luck!

Offline IntrstlarOvrdrve

  • Joined: Oct 2003
  • Posts: 249
Alright, thanks guys! I got the car moved and into a garage just about an hour ago. I banged on the drums with a hammer, and then I filled the drums with grease since I'm replacing all the drums anyhow.

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