K1500Sport

Hey guys, I'm new here and got a somewhat major problem. I live in Upstate NY, about 40 minutes west of Albany, and we've had to plow A LOT. I have a 90 K1500 Sport with 126,008 miles on it and for the past ten years that we've had it it's been a great plow truck. Had the suspension modified with stronger shocks and all that so the front end wouldn't hang, has Edelbrock struts or whatever in the back, don't know if they're OEM because I'm not familiar with this truck at all!

Anyway, earlier today I noticed that it was getting stuck a lot easier, and noticed that the REAR DRIVER'S SIDE tire was not spinning at all, in 4H and 4L, after getting it back on level ground (which a Civic could have crossed), I got stuck again, but not because of snow but because of the wheel. Same thing, drive and reverse, the rear driver's side tire was not moving, in fact it seemed like it had resistance because if I did get moving it wouldn't turn at all. Seems like the brake locked up on that wheel or something's wrong with the diff.

Please help me because we're supposed to get more snow on Wednesday, and this is our only plow truck!

Thanks a lot,

Rich

OH btw, I noticed that steam or smoke was coming from the floor, on the passenger's side foot area right next to the driveshaft hump... this has been going on for the past few days now...

nauticstar87

Pop off teh tire and drum and check for physical damage, the parking brake may be hung, or the drum brake to. If all looks good, buy some new gear fluid, a gasket, and pop off the rear diff cover and take a look.

K1500Sport

Thanks nauticstar... Quite honestly, I have absolutely no mechanical knowledge when it comes to cars. If I can get my friend up here he can pull things apart but me? No way!

nauticstar87

I understand that. Good luck. i'm sure its something simple. The steam may be your heater core, its on the passenger side under the dash.

K1500Sport

Thanks a lot, my friend came up and got stuck, but after a lot of swearing and shoveling we got him out. He doesn't know what's going on, so yeah I'm in a hard spot ugh.

The steam (or smoke) was coming from the actual floor, coming up from the carpet.

And the floor in the vicinity of the steam felt warm/hot, not boiling hot, but not very "normal feeling" - hot enough to be uncomfortable if you left your hand there for a long time, but not hot enough to burn. Sorry for being so vague!

nauticstar87

That could be your heater core leaking., or if teh floorboard was wet from snow from getting in or out the truck on that side, the exhaust up under may have heated up the floorboard to the point of steam.
I really think a brake is getting hung in the drum, I don't know what else it could be..

K1500Sport

I know that I noticed yesterday that I managed to rip the muffler off from the tips and tailpipe back towards the center area of the truck (no clue where it connects to from there) and is now hanging sorta with the exhaust tips pointing upwards... Before yesterday I know that the exhaust WAS fine, but I still had the steam and hot floor as well then.

K1500Sport

Alright guys, good news, nothing major broke... figured out that the parking brake likes to lock up the rear wheel when going in reverse so I'll have to get that adjusted. Whew! Thanks for the help though!

nauticstar87

Awesome. I didn't think it was anything to big.

K1500Sport

Haha, because I am so mechanically-challenged, I was wondering, what DOES cause this problem? I mean, if I'm driving forward, there are no problems at all, when I drive10-15 feet in reverse, the rear driver's side wheel locks up.

The rear has drum brakes - does the parking brake use the same brake as the regular brake or are they separate? Once again, SORRY for all the stupid questions but thanks in advance!