Rear Passenger Brake MAJOR heat up - any collateral damage??

[Mr Blotto]

So I am out for cruise yesterday in the lovely 100 degree weather we had, and when at a stop light I smelled something burning (smelled like clutch or brakes) and I saw smoke. My first thought is "oh-sh*t, my bus is on fire", so a grabbed the fire extinguisher behind my seat and ran to the rear - come to realize the the passenger rear wheel was hot-hot-hot!!! It was smoking. I then noticed that with the ebrake off, I could not push or pull the bus - so I something make the shoes on that side stay applied. After letting it cool down for a half hour, I started to limp it home by driving for a bit, then stopping to let it cool again. Brakes still felt like they were dragging, but half way back home, they went back to normal. So much so that when I got home, that same wheel was as cool as the rest.

I am going to inspect everything today, but with all that heat back there when it siezed, is there anything else I should be looking at that might have gotten damaged? High temo today is 102, so I better get cracking soon!!!

Thanks

[dtrumbo]

I had the same thing happen to me on my '78. The drum and backing plate got so hot it melted the little rubber plugs that cover the brake adjuster holes! The problem turned out to be a sticky parking brake cable which is why the problem was intermittent. Sometimes it would stick, sometimes it wouldn't. I replaced the cables (although a cleaning and lubing might have done the trick as well), put it all back together and with new non-molten rubber plugs it's been fine ever since. These things are tough!

[Mr Blotto]

Thanks Dick - I threw my back out this morning reacing for the jack stands - will have to inspect when my back simmers down.

[bajaman72]

A rubber hose on suspect wheel may cause this also. Although I have not heard of it fixing itself.

[hambone]

You MAY have warped the drum, but they are durable beasts.
Yeah take it all apart and replace whatever you need to. Brakes are hot by nature though (not smoking, obviously!).

[Mr Blotto]

I have driven it since, and there is no pulsation whatsoever - so keeping my fingers crossed that the drum is OK. When I say that the wheel what hot I mean I could not hold my hand on the hub cap, where I could with no problem on the other three wheels.

Back is still screwed up today so no jackin her up yet...

[vdubyah73]

hit your brakes hard at about 30, with a loose grip on steering wheel. if bus wants to change to the left lane, without yanking the wheel out of your hand, you may have glazed your shoes and drum, or boiled your wheel cylinder. maybe even cracked a drum. shoes and glazed drum can be saved with cross hatch sanding. w/c are cheap enough.

[grandfatherjim]

Suspect rubber hose. Easy inexpensive replacement and good preventive maintenance anyway.
They do often seem to act as one way valves when they deteriorate.
Jim