TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Jun 28, 2005 2:25 pm

Howdy,

Ok, here's the deal, the engine runs great, the transmission shifts fine, it was driven into the garage by my wife a few days ago with no complaints........You knew a problem was coming, right?

Anyhow, I got in it today, cranked it up, put gearshift into reverse andTRIED to back out. The bug tries to back out (clutch under load but not all the way out). Bug acts as though the wheels are blocked (they aren't). I put it in first, start to let out the clutch and same thing...wheels turn maybe 1/8 turn and then nothing. Frim the outside, it looks as though the problem is in the middle of the car (ie, all wheels turn the same before it stops).

This is a stock '65 type 1. Any ideas? My thought is that the actual diff part of the transaxle has frozen (??). It will shift ok, but no movement. The wheels move, so not a bearing....I mean the entire engine output won't break it free.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers, Anteken

Tue Jun 28, 2005 2:36 pm

Sounds like you were on the brakes really hard before putting it in the garage and set the E-brake. See if either side will spin freely when jacked up.

Tue Jun 28, 2005 9:19 pm

are 2 gears engaged at same time time? sounds maybe like hockey stick is bent. or drums have rust and wheels wont rotate-if rust is issue take baby sledge and hit lugnuts on head like you are driving a nail into 2X4.. should jar drum loose.

Wed Jun 29, 2005 12:26 pm

Anteken this sounds all too familiar. This is my guess. You have stripped one of your brake drums. Each drive shaft, at the end has a taper spline that matches the taper spline on the drum. The last person to do a back brake job on your bug did you in! If you do not get the full 250+ pounds of torque on that drum nut and lock pin it in your brake drum moves out from the drive shaft. The drive shaft taper spline starts to eat the brake drum spline out, when the drum spline is gone the transmission thinks one wheel is off the ground and locks up! Put the car in neutral no E-brake and see if you can push it, it will be hard to move because sometimes with the drum moving out the brake drags that drum.
Jack the bug up and try to turn each back wheel, you will know which one it is. You are going to need a new drum and a new brake job on both back wheels.