Stuck parking brake - unstuck

[AlanM]

My wife's '06 V70 T5 was parked in the driveway with the parking brake on through a rainy 10 days, after which the brake was stuck fast. I tried several things to get the brake unstuck, but all failed. A friend theorized that the brake shoes had rusted to the inside of the drum and suggested the following to release the brake. I'm not proud of having done it, but it got the car moving again. I'm describing the process here in case some desperate VolvSpeeder needs one more thing to try before having the car hauled to a shop.

1) With the parking brake lever in the released position, place some mechanical stress on the brake shoe/drum interface. If you have an assistant, have that person start the car and put it in gear (but NOT try to overcome the brake). I was alone, and the car was parked on a slope, so I unlocked the ignition, shifted into neutral, released the brake pedal so the car weighted the parking brake, then shifted back to Park.

2) With a plastic dead-blow hammer, whack each of the rear wheels between each pair of lugs. I borrowed a hammer I'd guess was about 5 lb, with a handle 18" long or so. I used a star pattern, as one would when tightening the lugs. The plastic hammer did not mar the surface of the alloy wheels.

3) The impacts, plus the force placed on the brake shoe/drum may break loose the rust and allow the wheels to turn. If you're working with an assistant, the car may move suddenly. I had the car in Park, so I did both wheels, then started the car, placed it in reverse and without even applying gas moved it about 6 feet down the driveway. I then drove forward the same distance, back the same, and took the car out for a test drive.

4) Along the test-drive route, while moving at about 20 MPH, I pulled up gently on the parking brake lever to make the brake shoes rub any remaining rust off the inside of the drum. I also did a series of stops from normal road speeds, which cleaned surface rust off the road-brake discs.

I hope that helps someone.