[redlinehigh]

i have got into my wifes up after a week away to find the rear drum brakes were seized on and i had left the hand brake off as it had stuck on a little bit!! too quite a while rocking the car back and forth before i had to drive off to brake free, quite hard on a shingle drive way!!Is this a common thing on the up ?? thanks fro your help in advance.

 

[callyy_f]

Yes. I've had them lock on after sitting for only a few days, this was facing uphill and with the brake OFF I still had to engage reverse and gas it. The back rode right up and then released with an almighty bang. This is a characteristic of drum brakes particularly in damp weather.

What I tend to do now is park in gear and let it rest a little on the drive train and then pull the handbrake up a little. That means it's not on as tight (I park on a hill) and the front wheels are being braked by the engine. I do the same on the flat but only barely pull the handbrake. The car sometimes rocks a little as it comes to rest with the handbrake not on tight but this saves me ever having locked brakes.

I gather it's a thing in the US to just park manuals in first gear and use that as the brake, saving the handbrake for hills. I'd do that too if it weren't for the legal basket case that would occur if your car was shunted into something and the handbrake was found to be off. Edited by: callyy_f

 

[Markybug]

I wouldnt say this is common to other cars , but definitely to the up! Mine sticks if left for 5 days or so. More cheap parts i would say! Whats slovakian for " if only everything in life was as reliable as a volkswagen" ?

 

[SiJ2000]

I had it on my eos... Took a lot of wellie to get the brakes unstuck... Those were discs too...

 

[JenUPfanatico]

Bit of a thread revival, Ive a my15 High UP and the rear brakes stick on if its driven in wet conditions the day before, so less then 24 hrs for the shoes to stick. Every morning in the winter, the shoes would bang off when reversing or moving forward (for anyone with the same issue, it sounds less damaging if you free off going forward rather than reversing first) yesterday afternoon the car was jet washed, this morning, the entire car was riding up and down to free them off - no different to leaving the handbrake fully on. I've had drum brakes on all my cars and the only time they've ever stuck was a -4 morning, when the car was washed the day before. So, question: the car is still under warranty, are these covered? I figured it was weak retracting springs originally, however after this morning 'issue' it sounds more sinister. Has there been any parts revision at all? Or anyone been to a dealer and had the issue sorted? I heard they could be cleaned, but then given the design that sounds short term, maybe my UP just cannot get wet?

 

[PeterWestSussex]

Or anyone been to a dealer and had the issue sorted? ...

Yes! I have. Issue discussed (see other threads where I, along with others, have posted elsewhere on this Forum ) but not sorted. I was told by Service person, pointing to a new Polo in the showroom "VW have stopped using drums at rear on Polos".
I found this was not quite true! The 2015 Polo brochure says base model Polos have drums at rear, discs on all other models.

 

[Rav3177]

Just get the rear brakes serviced, 9 times out of 10 this will cure issue.

 

[uphu]

maybe my UP just cannot get wet?

Yes, the only solution is to avoid wet weather. The Up was not designed for wet conditions.

 

[JenUPfanatico]

Thanks, I read here somewhere someone paid £120 to have the brakes stripped and cleaned, it didn't sound successful. Which makes sense - being a closed design it wouldn't take long for a build up of debris inside and generally drums are maintenance free; only getting stripped if the mechanisms seized, pads are worn out or the pistons are leaking. I might see how they go, this morning they did the standard banging off but without the rear end bobbing up and down to break them free.

 

[DubUp!]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. If you park on the flat, never put the handbrake on, just leave it in gear. I adopted this approach when mine starting locking in a morning when trying to set off. Mine has 24k on the clock now and touch wood since doing the above, the rear drums have not been a problem at all.

Jonesy

 

[JenUPfanatico]

Yep mine has covered 10k and I've had the issue all the time, when it rains or the car is washed at least. I did have a flat shingle drive which has been handy for just parking in gear. I've now to park it on a short off-road slop, which isn't conducive to the 'old leave it in gear' unless I rest the nose of the car on a wall!

It's due in for service soon, so I might see what they say. Realistically unless there's a change in the parts being used for the contact surfaces in the drum, it is what it is.

 

[DubUp!]

My favourite saying in life, 'it is was it is'....shame you can't park on the flat, as leaving the handbrake off seems to cure it.

Jonesy

 

[callyy_f]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. If you park on the flat, never put the handbrake on, just leave it in gear. I adopted this approach when mine starting locking in a morning when trying to set off. Mine has 24k on the clock now and touch wood since doing the above, the rear drums have not been a problem at all.

Jonesy

the funny thing with doing this is when you have guests in and out of the car they freak out because it rolls back and forth a few inches as they get in/get out, and I'm always asked

is the handbrake on!!! as if i'm about to murder them

 

[DubUp!]

Spot on with that comment, matey!˜ƒ

Jonesy

 

[ROSE UP]

i have got into my wifes up after a week away to find the rear drum brakes were seized on and i had left the hand brake off as it had stuck on a little bit!! too quite a while rocking the car back and forth before i had to drive off to brake free, quite hard on a shingle drive way!!Is this a common thing on the up ?? thanks fro your help in advance.

I arrived home having driven through floods. Car is parked outside overnight. Next day the brakes have seized up. I have tried rocking the car, (in gear and out of gear), shifting the drive from ‘D’ to ‘R’ to ‘N’, hitting the brake housings, forcing the car a few feet with the front wheels turning and the rear wheels frozen. Still stuck fast! I had noted a distinct click/thud recently when II drove the car for the first time each day. Do you know what else can I do? Thank you.

 

[freemansteve]

Can you check that when you release (or pull on) the handbrake that it is releasing tension (or increasing tension) at the levers that operate the the brake shoes? You should be able to feel movement inside the rubber tubing where it enters the brake assembly (may need 2 people!).

I did have a car (many years ago) where the Bowden cable had seized from rust, after leaving the car parked for 2 weeks, having been in salty slush in the winter. Back then, you needed grease loads of things! It's a long-shot, but there is a small chance that some 'locked-on brake problems' may be down the handbrake cable, or even the bell-cranks, rather than the shoes sticking to the drums.

 

[freemansteve]

It could also be the internal lever has got rusted up and stuck.

 

[Charliefarlie]

Blimey even cheap Aygos have discs on the rear these days.
Shame on VW using antiquated cheap parts on these cars which means we can’t/shouldn’t use the handbrake that is after all there for a good reason.
I’ve only just bought my car and thought the handbrake comes up a long way and il adjust that. Obviously the previous owner has set it so the shoes don’t contact the drums....

So that may be the answer. Plenty of play in the shoe / drums...... Safety can take a back seat eh 🤪🤪🤪

There is a company that is shortly going into production of a disc / caliper conversion for the GTI. Cost is expected to be in the region of 400 to 450 plus the VAT. Not cheap and then there is the fitting. I will fit my own though.

 

[freemansteve]

Clearly, on average, cars are being used on fewer journeys of late, and it has been pretty wet. And some folks may have snow and salt to deal with... My guess would be there will be a higher likelyhood of various stuff seizing up, on many cars, than we'd usually see, not just drum brakes on those still fitted with them....

A disk conversion is appealing, but out of my price bracket! Also, maybe because I use the car at least every other day, my drums seem fine - so far...

Tell your insurer though - they should give you a discount for 'adding safety'!

 

[911ts3]

Just shows the difference between cars. We're on our fifth Up, and have done 90,000 miles in them collectively, over 6 years, and have never had the rear drums stick.
Used in all weathers too. I'd quantify that by saying none have gone over 3 years old though.