Only goes forward

[canyonero]

Sunday night I parked on a slight hill and took my SIII out of 4WD, thought the red lever was all the way forward when it started rolling backwards with a squeal. Parked it for a few days not on a hill, and today backing out in 2WD same squeal, sounds like a loose belt, but coming from the front right wheel area. I go forward no problem, but reverse is squealing, and most recently not even gravity will roll it back. Did I strip a gear or could it be parking brake related?
Thanks.

[cedryck]

Losing reverse gear sounds unlikely, but,
I might check the wheel that is squealing, take drum off see if there is a dragging shoe, might drain tranny see if there are any metal shards, sounds strange though,,

[SafeAirOne]

Check the status of the brake hardware, shoes and adjustment on the offending wheel.

[canyonero]

After closer inspection I don't think the brakes have anything to do with it, I think the squeal may be coming from the transfer case/tranny area. Everything in neutral and no brakes, it will not roll back, although it is starting to ease up a bit. IF it is the brakes, why would they only grab going backwards?
Thanks

[wgnwheel]

Transmission brake? I had some funny noises coming from the drum until I adjusted the E-brake after and messed around with the adjuster for the pads.

[slowmo]

How about jacking up the front end. Everything in neutral, parking brake off. Turn the offending wheel by hand and verify that it won't go backwards. Then do the same thing on the opposite front wheel.

If the opposite wheel will go backwards by hand I don't think it is anything with the tranny/transfer box/output shaft because it would affect both wheels if it were so.

Then it must either be something with the brake or the universal (perhaps swivel bearing). Remove the brake drum and inspect the shoes and springs. My guess is something is amiss there. Hopefully anyway. That is an easy fix.

Good luck!

[SafeAirOne]

IF it is the brakes, why would they only grab going backwards?

Well, two factors:

1) You said it was coming from the right front wheel, and there's not a whole lot in there that'll cause this--just brakes and wheel bearings.

2) Both the leading shoe and the trailing shoe are self-energizing on stock 88 fronts. What this means is that when the shoes are extended, such as when you press the brakes (or if some brake springs are broken), the leading shoes have a tendency to wedge themselves against the brake drum when the wheel is rolling in the forward direction, thereby assisting in braking and the trailing shoes have a tendency to wedge themselves into the drums when the wheel is spinning backwards.


However, since you say the noise is emanating from the transmission/transfer case area now, I'd have a look at the mainshaft nut. When the locking ring breaks and the mainshaft nut loosens up enough, it wedges against the rear mainshaft bearing/PTO cover and stops your rover dead in it's tracks when you attempt to reverse. Ask me how I know.