You can sometimes drive with a leaky wheel cylinder depending on how bad the wheel cylinder is leaking.
However if you do have a leaky wheel cylinder and need to drive the vehicle then you should only drive the vehicle a short distance or to a shop or home and drive slow as you possibly can.
With the leaky wheel cylinder the brakes won't work as good and it will be hard to stop the vehicle.
A few years ago I had to drive with a leaky wheel cylinder on my truck and it was leaking bad.
I had to fill the brake master cylinder up with brake fluid and then drive easy and had to go 30 miles.
I had to drive slower than normal and took the back roads and then only used the brakes when needed.
I made it home but would not continue to drive with the leaky wheel cylinder and I replaced it promptly as the brake wheel cylinder is what stops your vehicle.
If a wheel cylinder breaks it can cause loss of braking due to a loss of brake fluid pressure.
If the wheel cylinder breaks and leaks or sticks then it can also prevent the brakes from working and stopping your vehicle.
You can tell if your wheel cylinder is leaking by a spongy brake pedal or a brake pedal that goes to the floor which can indicate that the wheel cylinder is leaking or you have a leak in the brake system somewhere else.
Another way to tell if the wheel cylinder is leaking is to look around the rear wheels and if you see brake fluid coming out of the brake drums or brake drum then your wheel cylinder or wheel cylinders are leaking and need to be replaced.
You can also take the brake drums off and look at the wheel cylinders while someone pushes down on the brakes and watch for brake fluid to leak out.
If you see brake fluid coming out of the wheel cylinders or wheel cylinder then they are bad and need to be replaced or you will not have any brakes to stop your vehicle.
When replacing wheel cylinders you should always replace both wheel cylinders at the same time to prevent future problems and to ensure your brakes are gonna work properly.
If one wheel cylinder is bad then the other wheel cylinder is likely gonna go bad soon after you replace the first wheel cylinder.
You can just replace one wheel cylinder if the other wheel cylinder is still working properly and not leaking or stuck.
However it's best to replace the brakes wheel cylinders in pairs so that you don't have other problems later on.
You need to replace wheel cylinder if the wheel cylinder is bad or is stuck or leaking.
If you have a stuck wheel cylinder or the wheel cylinder is leaking and or not retracting and working properly then the wheel cylinder needs replaced.
The wheel cylinder is very important to stopping your vehicle as the wheel cylinder extends the pistons out to push the brake shoes out when you press the brake pedal.
If the wheel cylinders are leaking or not working then the brake shoes will not retract or will not extend out to make contact with the brake drums to stop the vehicle which can be dangerous.
It's best to replace the wheel cylinders at least every 2nd brake shoe change or every brake shoe change as they do eventually go bad.
However you can replace the wheel cylinders without removing or replacing the brake shoes as you can simply spread the brake shoes apart to access and remove the wheel cylinders.
Wheel cylinders are usually good for 5 to 10 years although some may last longer but they are not all that expensive and are pretty easy to replace.
You just have to also bleed the brake system after replacing the wheel cylinders to get the air out of the brake system.
You can bleed the brakes by having someone pump the brakes up and hold them while you loosen the bleeder screw on the brake calipers and the brake wheel cylinders.
A wheel cylinder is a component of a hydraulic drum brake.
The wheel cylinder must force apart the brake shoes and press them against the brake drum.
This generates friction and the wheel is decelerated.
If any of the wheel cylinders fail, it can affect the pressure of the system which, in turn, reduces the brake system's ability to slow the vehicle.
A vehicle with poor brake response will be significantly harder to stop, especially in heavy braking situations, making an accident more likely.
The wheel cylinder piston seal and dust boot are made of rubber.
These seals become brittle with time and can fail with exposure to extreme heat or due to natural wear and tear.
A stuck wheel cylinders can lead to the brake shoes making contact with the brake drum and causing the wheel to be tight which can lead to the brakes locking up and the brake drums heating up.
The average cost to replace your Wheel Cylinder is $108.00 - $136.00 for a shop to do the job.
Pricing may vary based on the type of car you have, as well as the type of (and quality) auto shop that you go to.