Truck's brakes are acting funky

[Doober]

Vehicle in question: '92 Sierra, stock brakes.

Right now I park out in the driveway, which is at an angle, nothing very steep though. Years ago I read about using the parking brake as to not wear out the parking pawl inside the transmission. Occasionally over the past few weeks (more often now though, seems like every couple days or daily) the brakes hang up in the rear after using the parking brake. 99% of the time when I hit the regular brake pedal they pop free (rather loudly) and everything seems to work normally, but on a couple occasions they simply wouldn't release with regular brake pressure. I would give it a little gas and it would finally pop free. This is getting rather annoying and is almost daily now. Has anyone else had this happen to them?

 

[Brown_Gbody]

Same thing on my 1995 Suburban. It had rear drums that would stick occasionally. I ended up cleaning everything and lubricating as much of the brake assembly as I could with Lithium Grease and it helped. I just had a lot of brake dust accumulation and it seemed to interfere with the parking brake action...

 

[Doober]

I'll have to give it a look... when my dad's out in a few weeks I'm planning on getting the (warped) rotors turned while we're doing the engine swap, so I'll probably give the drums a look too. I was actually wondering what condition the brakes were in as I was typing this... I haven't had the drums off in at least a year.

 

[hypeboy]

I have seen this issues on several message boards out there but i had the same thing on my "02 malibu whereas I've noticed over the last few months that when I come to a stop the breaks. I was surprised knowing that they are not that crisp like when i had it new and it is as if the truck has a minor lurch forward and then back. This only happens when the truck comes to a full stop reaching it's 40k miles on the odometer.

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[StreetBu]

Has the weather been humid lately? Around here if it's humid the brakes will actually rust to the drums over night and it takes some "shock" to brake them free. Cleaning and adjusting them usually helps but only for a while. Often times it's the actual compound they are made of that causes it. This is more noticeable when they were just changed though, not usually after they've been on for some time.

 

[Doober]

It's in Arizona, humidity is typically very low, except overnight if it starts getting close to the dew point (not very often). It hasn't happened in a long time though. I only park in a driveway occasionally now, more often it's out on the curb. I need to check the brakes anyway now, I've had the truck for 4 years or more now, and I'm well past the typical 30k mileage checkup.

 

[oldtinsmith]

My wifes 1998 Blazer (V-6, 5-speed manual trans, 4-wheel drive, with the 8.5 rear & disc brakes) has a similar problem but, only in the winter. For about the last 4 years the E-brakes seem to freeze up and she has to lightly jar the brakes with her clutch to break them loose.

Doug