unfreezing locked up brakes for tow. Need help.

[thefastestz]

I have a 73 240z and the brakes are all locked up at 3 corners.

I just need to be able to get this car on a trailer since the next owner is just going to use it for parts.

Since the car doesn't free roll putting it on a trailer will be difficult it seems.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Is there a way i could free up the brakes by removeing pressure from the system or somthing?

[Daniel]

Odds are its not pressure holding them locked.More like rust.Spray the front disc with liquid wrench.With the wheel off the ground wiggle the tire.Spray into the rear drums also.Bang them with a hammer.Make sure the emer.cable isn't frozen in lock position.You can put a long pipe on a lug/socket and get good leverage to try to crack them loose.I've had plenty I had to just drag a while to break them loose.

[thefastestz]

rust could be the issue i'll give it a try,

but just a few months ago they were working properly.(i was driving it)

[owenk]

My Z had rust inside the caliper pistons which kept pressure on the inside pad of both front wheels. Your easy fix would be to remove the front calipers. On the rear try to remove the drums

Good luck

[carguyinok]

If all your looking @ is getting it up on the trailer drag it. Getting the brakes free may be a load more work then you want. Just get a come-a-long and start draging it. Not as if it will want to roll back or down off. Then when it comes time for unloading tie it off on a large tree or pole and drive away slow.

Keep in mind I only say this because

owner is just going to use it for parts.

[thefastestz]

Originally posted by carguyinok

If all your looking @ is getting it up on the trailer drag it. Getting the brakes free may be a load more work then you want. Just get a come-a-long and start draging it. Not as if it will want to roll back or down off. Then when it comes time for unloading tie it off on a large tree or pole and drive away slow.

Keep in mind I only say this because

That sounds good.

[mdbrandy]

As you drag it, be prepared for the brakes to break loose and the car to roll. My '78 parts car, after sitting for about a year, wouldn't roll (by pushing) due to the rear brakes being frozen. I started it, put it in gear and tried to move forward. With a fairly loud "snap", the brakes broke loose, and the car moved forward fine. Wouldn't recommend that for any car whose brakes you wanted to keep intact, but the same might happen as you drag yours.

FWIW.

[texasz]

I'm the new owner and haveconsidered this as an option but the real problem is unloading it as I do not have anything to attach it to nor the space to do this kind of opperation. It is going into a storage place so I really must be able to roll it. I wish that I could just do the drag-it-along option, it would be MUCH easier.

Originally posted by carguyinok

If all your looking @ is getting it up on the trailer drag it. Getting the brakes free may be a load more work then you want. Just get a come-a-long and start draging it. Not as if it will want to roll back or down off. Then when it comes time for unloading tie it off on a large tree or pole and drive away slow.

Keep in mind I only say this because

[thefastestz]

one thing i will try is to drag it along my long driveway to see if that frees them.

(my mission is to have the brakes unfrozen when before owner arrives)

That sounds like it might work.

Plan B:

I guess i'm probably gonna get out a nice

heafty hammer and knock the crap out of the drums trying to get them off.

Then i'll see if i can bang out the brake pads on the frozen caliper.

[mdbrandy]

On the caliper, the way I get the pads to retract is to use a BIG pair of channel-lock pliers. One jaw on the tab of one of the pads, and one jaw on the outside of the caliper. Usually a good squeeze (or ten) and you can get one or the other pad to push it's piston into the bore. You might also try a Clamp of some type (C clamp maybe?), doing the same thing if you can get one of the jaws on the pad tab and one on the outside of the caliper. If you don't care much about the caliper and/or pads, you could try a pry bar down there, trying to push on the upper part of the pad(s), again trying to push one or both of the pistons back into its bore.

Good luck.

[texasz]

Ernie, any luck with getting those breaks unstuck?

[thefastestz]

For the thead reference:

I got them off by hammering out the brake drums in the rear.

I broke some pieces off one so if you are trying to salvage them be careful.

I removed the caliper pins, cut a brake line and knocked the brake pads out (way easier than the drums once i cut the line).