Hey guys! I visit this site daily and is very helpful but i have never had to post until now. I have i 1979 plymouth volare which i love to death. Well im driving home and all of a sudden my brakes kinda were acting kind of funny. Then my car started deaccelerating and i couldnt get the thing faster then 20 flooring it! knowing somthing was majorly wrong, I pulled over and smoke was pouring out of my front right wheel well. I took the wheel off and it looks as the front right disc brake is locked up. Cant even turn the wheel when its jacked up. I have no experence working on brakes and this may probably be a stupid question. Thanks for any help in advance.

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79 Plymouth volare.

Smoke, hmm possibly two things I can think of. brake fluid boiling off or the pad backing welding itself to the rotor because the linings wore off.

Do you still have a pedal, or does it just drop to the floor? If it drops to the floor (and master cylinder reservoir low/empty in front chamber?) then somehow you lost the fluids. Maybe a burst hose or caliper seal busted.

But that wouldn't lead to a frozen wheel though... so I'm leaning towards the pad/rotor welding theory. Did you hear any loud screeching noises? Check out the rotor to see if its grooved up and look at the condition of the pads.

No matter what the cause, most of the parts could now need replaced due to the extreme heat. A bad wheel bearing could be a partial cause, and since they should be repacked anyways, they should get a good examination. Wheel bearings usually fail over time, not suddenly, so this is at the bottom of the list for possible cause, but near the top for safety concern.

As Pierre said, I'll explain again as:
You may have, "lost a shoe". This results in metal to metal when brakes are applied. The extreme heat could cause your caliper to temporarily sieze and brake fluid to expand. The "lost shoe" is usually caused by worn brakes or defective parts. You would often have noticed a 'clunk' and the brake pedal dropping farther than normal a short time before the smoking.

Also, Calipers can simply stick, and this will smoke your pads and rotor. Remove the caliper, open the bleeder valve, and push the main piston all the way in with a big 'c' clamp. If the brake fluid is really dark/black, you will need to flush the system out with clean fluid. I would get a rebuilt caliper if it doesn't go really well with the current one.

Get new brake pads no matter what, The heat has surely killed the existing pads even if they still look thick enough. If the rotor isn't scored, it could be warped, which will cause vibration when braking or often squeeking and excessive heat at all times. It would need "turned" or often replaced.

If you've 'never' done brakes, I strongly suggest you get some help from someone who can take a look and direct you. If you can't get someone to look at it in person, take pictures and post them till you are sure of the cause and the necessary steps to avoid it again.

Good Luck.

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1980 Aspen 225 super six

sometimes brake hoses fail internally and create a "one way valve" situation that will not allow the caliper to release. If there was a lot of heat, the rubber hose should be changed or at least carefully inspected in any case.

I am redoing an 80 Volare myself, had a similar problem with a buddy's 78 wagon, it wound up being a stuck caliper. Replaced em both cuz of the age and cheap replacement cost. NOTE on replacement: Check your prices, as I got mine from Car Quest for like $17 each, Useless Zone wanted $33 and I have had problems with their hydraulic brake parts in the past as well. Brakes are the most important system on the car, so if there is ANY question, REPLACE! and in cases where there is an "economy" grade and a "better" grade, Go with the better stuff!

I am redoing an 80 Volare myself, had a similar problem with a buddy's 78 wagon, it wound up being a stuck caliper. Replaced em both cuz of the age and cheap replacement cost. NOTE on replacement: Check your prices, as I got mine from Car Quest for like $17 each, Useless Zone wanted $33 and I have had problems with their hydraulic brake parts in the past as well. Brakes are the most important system on the car, so if there is ANY question, REPLACE! and in cases where there is an "economy" grade and a "better" grade, Go with the better stuff!