Rear wheels locked up

[JTremendous]

So I have a problem, while driving today out of nowhere both my rear wheels locked up. I could move forward 2 feet and drive in reverse 2 feet before they locked up but they were locked, all gears worked fine including reverse.

I was finally able to drive in reverse without the rear wheels locking up so i parked the car, when I tried to go forward they locked up then reverse worked fine, then I went forward and now I can drive the car with no locking of the rear wheels but i am afraid to drive the car. I also want to note that when they locked up i could put the trans in neutral and the rear wheels would still lock up - this leads me to believe that the trans is fine

Do you guys have any ideas as to what this could be?

thanks

car is 1983 Porsche 944 na

[pinball_0]

i would be suspective of the CV joints, or possibly a brake caliper.

I'd jack up the back end, remove my wheel and check my calipers.

[HondaDustR]

Or the ring and pinion. Does it lock up like a brake is engaged or something drags it to a stop however quickly and easily, or does it lock up like it bounces off of something mechanically obstructing rotation somewhere.

If it's the later, it could be bad, but maybe it is just a CV joint. When my ring and pinion just up and blew out of nowhere (driving at like 25 mph like a gandma), it would randomly jam up, and about every 2 feet or so sounds about right, and I would have to kind of roll the car around to get the gears to mesh and not jam up so the tow truck could pick it up. The failure in motion was quite a bit more dramatic, though...more like a few horrible metallic crunching sounds followed by skidding to a stop with the rears locked up.

[OnTheRun2]

+1 on the ring and pinion.

[Cocacolakidd]

Check emergency brake shoes first - sounds like some of the internals on the emergency brake system let go, or maybe just hung up?. If it was the R&P it would not move in reverse like that, then free up and drive -

Yep - pull the rear calipers and rotors (the rear emergency brake drum is in the deep part of Rotor - pull all and inspect then rebuild...

[ernie9944]

Originally Posted by Cocacolakidd

Check emergency brake shoes first - sounds like some of the internals on the emergency brake system let go, or maybe just hung up?. If it was the R&P it would not move in reverse like that, then free up and drive -

Yep - pull the rear calipers and rotors (the rear emergency brake drum is in the deep part of Rotor - pull all and inspect then rebuild...

Thinking the same thing ,happen to me once I tougth the darn tranny was falling apart very annoying hope it is the EBD.

[drift a 944]

R&P through my experience. Had the same symptoms of random locking up and freeing up.

[cvriv.charles]

Damd HD,... what a nightmarish pic you have there,....

[flash968]

i snapped a parking brake retaining pin and locked me right in place - made the most horrendous noise until i came to a stop - $2 part made me call a tow truck

problem - i used the parking brake (it's NOT an emergency brake) i exacerbated that by later trying to move the car while the brake was still engaged (tell me you haven't all done that at least once)

solution - i don't engage the parking brake when hot - i don't use the parking brake unless i am on a hill - i just leave it in first, which is stronger anyway (no, it does not hurt the gears - you put a lot more load on it when driving)

[JTremendous]

well I have new info on this, my transmission is now stuck in reverse, i cant even get the gear shifter out of reverse and both rear tires are locked up with no movement at all, guess this means new tranny... but what could have went wrong lol

[cauzomb]

Drain the transaxle oil and look for metal chunks in the oil, use a magnet if it's too dark.. strink the magnet around in the oil for a few seconds like you were mixing witches brew, then take the magnet out and look for metal chunks...

It's locked, there's probly chunks of metal between the teeth of the gears.. like, putting your foot infront of someones door when they are trying to close it... it just don't close, as long as your foot is there on the floor, everything around that part of the door where your foot is holding, will bend and or break, from trying to push the door harder. Same thing as "trowing a monky wrench in the works" or a stick in your spokes..

The teath are going to shear off, or the case is going to crack, and let the gears deflect far enough to pass the metal chunk between them. Don't try to move the car, or force the thing to roll under power, with the the clutch etc.... Take it apart and find out what is wrong before increasing the damage....

Test the oil for chunks of metal.. look for broken CV joint cages. The more you try to force the thing to move free, "if there's metal chunks in the trans" the more damage will happen..

[rb101]

Originally Posted by flash968

i snapped a parking brake retaining pin and locked me right in place - made the most horrendous noise until i came to a stop - $2 part made me call a tow truck

Same thing happen to me about 1 year ago. Going down the road 50 mph, heard a pop and then sounds of clunking. Pulled into a store lot and put the parking break on and it went all the way up. Walked around to the passenger side and saw the parking cable hanging. The eyelet had popped open, releasing the adjuster and parking shoes to fly around inside the rotor hat.

[JTremendous]

Does anyone know of a quick link to the steps to replace the trans and the tools needed, Thanks you guys are great

[HondaDustR]

Transaxle Removal and Installation

Check the parking brake first. It's alot cheaper to fix, but then again, it wouldn't affect not being able to get out of reverse. It won't even come out with the clutch depressed? That's weird...

[Cocacolakidd]

See Clark's Garage at: Clark's Garage Home Page

In Clark's Garage Work shop manual section see Transaxle-03 for list of tools and proceedures...

[JTremendous]

I have a slight problem, i bought another transmission but i have to remove the old one first - no problem except for since the trans is locked up and wont move either way i cant rotate it to get the coupling bolts in the correct position at the bellhousing, any suggestions?

[drift a 944]

bump the starter until you get them to line up, or just put a socket on the crankbolt and turn the motor over by hand. I'm sure the car is already on jackstands with the wheels off at this point.

Have you drained the gear oil yet? You really should, not only to check for metal debris but it will also help lighten the load of removing the heavy transaxle.

[Rasta Monsta]

Lighten the load with 2 quarts of gear oil? Really?

[cauzomb]

If you are not apposed to damaging the transaxle that is in there further, since you have a replacement, and the other one is locked completely and you cannot force it to move without risking your clutch,c/v's or starter/gears, you can guestimate where the coupler bolt is pointing and choose a spot in the transaxle big end aluminum casting, then drill a new hole to slip in your socket;extension.. if it's pointing up and you cant get at it with a socket/extension, you can dismount the entire torque tube and assembly at the front of the car and tip it down slightly to gain acces, at the risk of damaging your pilot bearing/flywheel/clutch. If that isn't an option, cut a big access point into the transaxle bell housing, like a BIG 5" wide hole, to fit your hand/arm or small leprecaughn in there to reach in and around to get at the bolt to unbolt the coupler.. Here is an image, compare where the coupler square edge is pointing etc.. the side that has the bolt on it and to the extra transaxle, the space you have around the underside of the car for fitting tools, grinders etc.. to help decide where to make the new hole, if that is what you do...

source vwhammer from motorgeek.com

motorgeek.com :: View topic - Porsche 944 Transaxle?

It's an option, but it would be better to get it to rotate so that the bolt is pointing at the access hole. PS, have you already checked the parking brake?

Releasing the clutch and rocking the car back and forth with the help of a couple friends might help move it. You can guess where the coupler bolt might be pointing, then mark a dot of tape, on the rim of your lower crank pully, so the tape is on the side of the pully where you think that the coupler bolt might be pointing at, then getting the whole thing to turn, hopefully without the clutch slipping as the coupler is 1:1 direct drive from the crankshaft via the clutch disc... Once you get it moving, watch that dot of tape, get it pointing in the direction that the access hole is at on the bell housing, then check to see if you can get the bolt on there.. Thats probly only possible if the trans/cv/tires are still bolted on with the car on flat ground... set the brake before you climb under there to look

I don't think it's a good idea to crank the engine over with the starter or the front crank pully bolt to try and break loose the transmission.. The cv axles are easier to replace, and designed to flex a little and give a little, rocking the car via the tires is going to effect the transaxle FIRST, then the engine, and the engine is only compressing air while it turns, not metal to metal like the starter ring gear..

[HondaDustR]

Originally Posted by Rasta Monsta

Lighten the load with 2 quarts of gear oil? Really?

Haha! That was priceless!

120 pounds minus...like, 2?