When slowing, 1 tire sticks while still moving then resists moving after a stop

[CZroe]

My brother started complaining about this problem with my mother's car when I still lived across the country and she's been using it with this problem for a long time, but it seems to be getting worse and it is ruining the transmission in her mid-'90s Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera S. One of the tires locks up when slowing down long before the other tires stop moving. Rather than seize, it would then cause a loud shudder and feedback while resisting moving until the car reaching about 15MPH, though that point has since risen to a level that makes it hard to enter an intersection. It's scary. Anyway, I don't think it's a simple brake problem because it doesn't do a thing at speed (no dragging or lowered fuel economy) and because it sometimes "releases" while stopped and the tire will spin in place a bit like a wound spring. I know she's had professional car people assess it and continued to drive it this way, but she says that no one knows what it is.

Anyway, the transmission now seems to resist fully engaging until about 30MPH, so it's either damaging the transmission or resisting a lot harder than it used to. Either way, it's not safe to drive at all when you could pull out into a clear street and still not get into your lane of travel before someone comes bearing down on you.

Any idea what can store rotational energy from a single tire and release it later causing single tire skids on deceleration, loud reverberations and resistance when accelerating from a stop, and a tire rotating on its own after stopping? That's certainly not a brake issue as I understand them. My guess would be some kind of bearing but I still don't see how it could seize and then release stored rotational energy (if it simply released then the tire wouldn't turn in place, right?).

 

[twinrider1]

Sounds like a hung caliper to me.

How is the tire spinning in place like a wound spring? You've had it off the ground and seen it happen?

 

[SpatiallyAware]

+1 on stuck caliper, they can act really bizarre on FWD vehicles. That wheel would be MUCH hotter than the others.

 

[LTC8K6]

The tire burns rubber right there by itself? It does it's own personal burnout?

 

[hdfxst]

this is a front tire doing this?get the wheel off the ground and pump up the brakes,loosen the bleeder if it frees up then it's the brake hose if not it's the caliper.but you should be smelling burned brakes.

 

[Pulsar]

You may have issues on both sides. If the brack is locked up on the opposite side, the diff should transfer power to the other wheel, and that may cause it to spin (or keep spinning).

Take it in and have the brakes serviced.

 

[CZroe]

OK, I got more information. The professional did find out what was wrong, though she can't really say because she can't remember what they said shen she knows nothing about it. The problem was that it was impossible to get the right parts because all the parts suppliers would assure that the part they provided was compatible even after being told about the issue with this particular year model. After attempting several times, they gave up and advised her to just get as many more useful miles out of it as possible.

Anyway, my research tells me that it is a wheel bearing. It is probably no longer sealed and there is dirt, rust, water, etc inside. It is the part where the weight of the car sits while still allowing the tire to turn, so it makes sense that it will free up at speed. I think the only way to fix this is to find the exact same model and year number to salvage a part from. The Oldsmobile Cutlass line of cars is wide and varied... this mid-'90s one looks so old and boxy/angular when my '87 Cutlass Supreme I had 13 years ago looked like a late '90s/early '00s car (smooth lines with digital and electronic everything). I've seen many Cutlass Cierras that have more taillights or a different-looking shifter but were clearly the same type, however, I don't want to make the same bad assumptions about this part that the parts dealers are making so I'll be looking for the EXACT one once I confirm the issue.

Thanks, guys.

Sounds like a hung caliper to me.

How is the tire spinning in place like a wound spring? You've had it off the ground and seen it happen?

It happens ON the ground when stopped at a stop sign, drive-thru window, etc, sometimes even after you've been sitting there almost a minute, well after reaching a complete stop. Much more often it locks up before the other wheels when stopping and then simply resists letting me go forward with very loud reverberations for the first 15-40 yards. If I go slow enough, I can get away without either happening but it requires going ridiculously slow.

+1 on stuck caliper, they can act really bizarre on FWD vehicles. That wheel would be MUCH hotter than the others.

Well, it's not a 4WD. *shrug*

The tire burns rubber right there by itself? It does it's own personal burnout?

Exactly. It's not a fast spin but it does spin on it's own well after stopping, releasing the rotational energy saved when it locked up before the other tires while braking.

this is a front tire doing this?get the wheel off the ground and pump up the brakes,loosen the bleeder if it frees up then it's the brake hose if not it's the caliper.but you should be smelling burned brakes.

It's a rear tire. I take it the procedure is more complex there?

 

[JCH13]

Well, it's not a 4WD. *shrug*

Exactly. It's not a fast spin but it does spin on it's own well after stopping, releasing the rotational energy saved when it locked up before the other tires while braking.

It's a rear tire. I take it the procedure is more complex there?

FWD = Front Wheel Drive

A rear wheel on a front-wheel-drive vehicle?

 

[LTC8K6]

As far as I know, a Ciera is front engine and front wheel drive only...

There's something wrong in this thread...

 

[LTC8K6]

A Pontiac 6000 is basically the same car, and it could be had with all wheel drive for 88 and 89 according to wiki.

It was available in the early 90's as well, apparently. But only on the Pontiac.

 

[LTC8K6]

Let's see...if you lock up a front corner, could the opposite rear corner lose enough weight to let the rear tire spin as the car comes to a halt? Maybe.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

As far as I know, a Ciera is front engine and front wheel drive only...

There's something wrong in this thread...

This. First off, I have absolutely no doubt that autozone or napa would have wheel bearings for a cutless sierra. There were tons of those things, parts should not be any sort of problem.

Second, from your multiple descriptions it sounds as if the tire is spinning out, on its own, while she's on the brakes. The ONLY way that could happen is if the throttle is stuck, and this would manifest in many other obvious ways.




HTF did she PAY a mechanic to diagnose the exact problem, then 'try parts?' from multiple places and just not remember??

 

[SpatiallyAware]

OP did you edit the initial post? I swear it initially said the tire was peeling out when slowing down, now it says it's dragging, but also peeling out when stopped like a wound up spring??


"because it sometimes "releases" while stopped and the tire will spin in place a bit like a wound spring." = tire peeling out on its own? You talk about this as if you think it's transmission yet later on it's a rear tire on a front wheel drive car?



Can you do us a favor and rewrite the problem or something? If it's just a dragging rear wheel on a FWD vehicle then it's either a seized caliper/drum or bad wheel bearing. Both are easy and relatively cheap to fix. It will cause a lot of extra strain on the motor/trans.

 

[JCH13]

Let's see...if you lock up a front corner, could the opposite rear corner lose enough weight to let the rear tire spin as the car comes to a halt? Maybe.

Holy lots of broken suspension batman! The brake caliper for that wheel would have to be non-functional for that to happen. But it is possible.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Yeah but it would be extremely extremely obvious...


I think the OP just didn't give us a good indication of the symptoms. Probably a seizing drum screeching as she slows down, but any mechanic should be able to troubleshoot this easily

 

[slashbinslashbash]

There is no way that it is "releasing stored rotational energy". There is no place for it to be stored. The axle/bearing/CV joints do not have near enough rotational inertia to break the tire free and send the whole wheel spinning. This symptom is due to the engine still turning, and some of that torque finding its way to that wheel suddenly.

The bearing thing seems like it could be the explanation. The bearing locks up so the wheel cannot turn when it gets below a certain speed. Then, at one point, the bearing unlocks and it starts the wheel turning again. This could happen with enough sudden force that it breaks the tire free from the ground, although it shouldn't be possible if the brakes are applied or the car is in neutral or park. There must be a problem with the brakes as well as the bearing, or perhaps it is just the brakes. A severe brake problem could cause these symptoms without anything being wrong with the bearings. The brakes lock up for that wheel, and then suddenly unlock and disengage when the vehicle is stationary. It is a little hard to believe that the torque from an idle engine would be enough to break the tire free, but if the tire is slick or underloaded then it's possible.

 

[alkalinetaupehat]

Since I own a 1993 Cutlass Ciera and put a lot of research into knowing and fixing her, let me assure you that the bearing is a $60-$90 part which is readily available. There are two kinds for this car, one which goes on the front wheels and another which goes on the rear wheels. The front wheel design uses a 3-bolt triangular flange and the rear is a 4-bolt rectangular flange.

When I was replacing the rear bearings, the greater surface area of the flange made it really hard to break off since rust had worked it's way in. It took a lot of heat and a hammer to work the bearing off, but reinstallation was simple. Since it's not directly driven by the engine, you probably wouldn't see a significant drop in fuel economy. I had one which caused my wheel to wobble by an inch and saw no difference in my mileage. Replace and continue to drive.

I can give you a step-by step how-to if you would like.

 

[HarryLui]

Take a car to a different shop to get a second professional opinion? Keep driving like is dangerous and irresponsible.

 

[hdfxst]

before you spend money on a bearing have the drum cut.those cars had 2 problems one was the brake drums getting flat spots and would lock the tire up coming to a stop,the other was the wheel cylinder would spin in the backing plate(but this would cause a leak).are you sure the parking brake cable isn't frozen?a bearing would be making all kinds of noise

 

[IcePickFreak]

Have the drugs worn off yet? I'm not sure what to make of this.

 

[twinrider1]

lol, combination of third hand information and an OP that sounds intelligent, but with very little mechanical experience makes for a confusing and entertaining thread.
If this is happening on a rear wheel it should be pretty easy to diagnose.
Here's a primer on drum brakes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnc3VnQ8kUY&feature=related

 

[Ichinisan]

OP and I know nothing about cars. I'm his twin brother.

Before he came back to GA, I had been refusing to drive the car for years, even though I sometimes needed to arrange for a ride if our mother was using my car for some reason.

Our mother is a fool who has spent thousands of dollars on a car we originally paid < $600 for. She has some psychological attachment to the people at Aamco and think's they are the nicest Christian people she has ever met.

...anyway, I don't recall the tire ever spinning on its own. It would simply drag if I apply the brake while moving at a slow speed. Maybe it also does strange things at take-off; I don't remember. When the tires were warmed-up and stuck to the road a bit better, there would be no problem (not sure about now because it has been getting worse). The brake thing would explain a lot because I think some kind of work (possibly brake work) was the last thing done before this issue started. If you're only applying enough brake to hold the car in place (automatic transmission), I think that tire might turn a bit while the others are still held (though I'm not sure if a differential would allow them to turn independently). When slowing down, it does seem like that brake gets locked on that tire while the others are free.

I believe it first started just after my mother had spent a significant amount of money to have the car serviced at Aamco (which I protested because the junker was never worth it). I told her about the and she ignored me for months. By the time she acknowledged the issue, she didn't recall having the car recently serviced (she has really lost her mind). She then spent more money to have the intermittent issue "fixed," but forgets months later and thinks it's a new problem. They've attempted multiple fixes and it still has the problem. Maybe part of the issue is that they couldn't reliably duplicate the problem? Slick roads and cold temperatures always made it more likely to happen, but it's probably bad enough now that it happens all the time.

The car is so worthless, I don't even think it's worth making a thread about it.