Hesitant when pulling away, as though the brakes are stuck on.

[TonyN]

I've had this problem on an another truck recently, internet research hints that 3rd gen master cylinders can suffer from a valve problem that doesn't let the rear shoes release slightly after use and can jam the shoes on.

The truck I had in for work would always do it first thing in the morning, if you rolled it back a little the brakes would release and it would be happy for the rest of the day.

It should be coming back again soon for further investigation.

[steved]

I think it may be the manual linkage slightly out mine only does it when its a cold day first thing, the linkage contracts with the cold, if I go straight to low gear its fine.

[TonyN]

I think it may be the manual linkage slightly out mine only does it when its a cold day first thing, the linkage contracts with the cold, if I go straight to low gear its fine.

You know that pivot lever through the back plate can corrode in its mount, Older Pickups suffer from this alot, this jams the brakes on when ever you pull the handbrake on, but the footbrake doesn't affect it.

[Woodman]

Up Date

Sorry for the delay in posting...new job etc

As part of the Service Tony did a service, new tyres and tracking which transformed the vehicle. (thanks for an excellent service).

He noticed that when he first drove the surf down his gravel drive the rear O/S (driver) rear wheel was stuck on and dragged along the gravel.

Tony took it apart and cleaned it up. This cured the problem but only for a few days, but then the clunk was back.

We lived with the clunk because of work commitments. The MOT was looming so I decided to try and cure it by fitting a new rear wheel cylinder (or brake cylinder).

Price from Toyota was £47-00 but the part was in Devon. Neil at Mayday in Totton (nr Southampton) on 0845 631 5111 (or the Southampton depot on 0845 631 5110) said he could get one in 2 hours for £27-00 plus VAT. When collected he'd got a different make, Part No *AXWC4500, for £15.00 plus VAT = £17.63 and it fitted a treat (or should that be a teat).

However the handbrake wasn't working very well when I did a test drive......TBC More to follow.

[david306]

Hey sorry for pulling this post up and restarting it but it describes to a tee what my surf is doing recently.

When first started, it takes a little pressure on the accelerator to get her off the bite as i call it. Its happening more now its cold. Tonight it made the clunk just before moving off. Once going it does not do it again.

I have not yet checked the pads (doin that on monday) and would not be sure how to check the mesh pick up in the gearbox..

Can i also say, this is actually the first problem i have had since buying my surf nearly three years / 20k ago.

Any further input would be Christmasly accepted... ( is that a word ???)

[Woodman]

It was an incorrectly routed handbrake cable!

I did (try to) post a reply when the site was being upgraded and hadn't realised until this week that it didn't load.

I removed the off/side rear wheel and hub to check the handbrake. Whilst fitting a new wheel cylinder I’d sprayed GT85 (like WD40 but including oil) into the rubber boot housing the handbrake lever mechanism (on the rear of the hub) as Tony had suggested in one of his posts. The handbrake mechanism all seemed fine so I reassembled the hub and refitted the wheel before turning my attention to the near/side (near the kerb) wheel.

The wheel hub was too hot to touch. A clue! It was a little difficult pulling it apart with the 2 inserted bolts, but once separated I couldn’t find anything wrong....I sprayed GT85 into the Handbrake lever and checked that it operated OK then went to put the hub back on. It wouldn’t fit, no matter which way I tried to manoeuvre it.

I noticed that the nipple on the very end of the small 150mm length of handbrake cable (inside the drum) that acts on the lever inside the hub was not tightly located into the arm. On pulling the handbrake on it seemed to work the shoes OK but was different to the off/side wheel.

Eventually I found that this cable was not routed correctly. If you look below (get on the floor) the brake shoes hub there is a U-shaped channel that this short cable should locate and operate in, but mine wasn’t in this groove.

I had to slacken off the automatic handbrake adjuster by about 10mm to get the cable loose and the shoes to fit into the hub. This involves moving the arm off the serrated nut and turning it the opposite way to the ratchet. (Just tighten the handbrake cable to see it work). I also made sure the thread and end was greased to ensure that it screwed up ok (and I made sure that it didn’t contaminate the brake shoes).

Once reassembled the handbrake cable had to be pumped to get the ratchet to take up the slack and after 10 minutes pumping the lever had some bite and the handbrake worked fine.

The result was no clonks when pulling away which was great...until the Surf failed an MOT on a worn bush in the front shock absorber and too much play in the steering rack bushes which I replaced. I’ve since heard that with the engine running the play in the rack disappears.

[skinflint]

I had a the same prob on a ford seira

Last night I checked the auto box oil level when hot (5 mile trip) and with the engine running. It appeared to be a bit low so I topped it up with Dexron 3 -about 1.25 litre. Adding the oil seemed to make no difference to the level on the dipstick (again with the engine running).

Before Chrismas I replaced the auto box oil with 5.5 litres if I recall correctly and the level was fine so I'm not sure why it used some oil.

The wife had the same problem pulling away this morning and again when leaving work. The truck was stuck when moving off, like she'd left the handbrake on (she never uses it so its not sticking on). After a big clonk away she went.

Unfortunately said wife is taking the Surf to France in 7 days and I'm worried the gear box is giving up the ghost. I'm just off to check the oil level cold and will report back.

Hi
Just a thought but i had the same problem on a auto ford seirra and after taking the system apart it turned out to be the rear load/pressure regulating valve it was sticking and holding pressure in the rear lines so when you applied the hand brake the shoes moved out and would nor retract when hand brake was disingaged !! hence the brake drag at the rear for a few sec's

Dom