Rear brakes

I have a '90 Legacy SW, all-wheel drive. I recently changed both rear struts. The car has 190,000. Today, after driving about 20 miles, when I stopped at a light, I smelled hot brake pads. When I got home, the odor was coming from the rear. I touched the wheels on both rear sides, and they were HOT. The fronts were cool. Would you suspect that maybe the flex lines were moved too much during the strut change that they may be causing partial binding? Thanks for any advice, before I have to start component by component. I saw several related posts. Last spring I had the tranny/transfercase rebuilt, due to the classic right wheel binding problem noticeable on turns. I've only put a couple of thousand on the car since, so I don't think it would be this. I just noticed the brake odor.

Reply to
alegacy
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You don't say how recent the strut change was. I suppose you checked to see if the parking brake was engaged or it's cable entangled/misrouted?

Did you install stock struts? Properly bleed the brake lines if disconnected? Install new lines? (though rare - hydraulic lines can have 'flappers' inside which act as check valves, seems impossible you would've gotten TWO that failed that way - just a wag.)

Carl

Reply to
Carl 1 Lucky Texan

i agree, check the parking break cable...... lift the rear up without the parking brake on(make sure the front wheels are secured) and see if you can turn one of the rear wheels...

Paul J

Reply to
Paul Johnson

Thanks for the reply!

The struts were about a month ago, about 1000 miles. I jacked up the rear, with the emerg off, and was able to spin both wheels. There was a slight scraping noise. The car appears to roll rather readily. I didn't change the e-brake pads when I replaced the rotors, about

15,000 miles ago. I'm wondering too if the brake fluid that I used to bleed the lines after they were disconnected to change the struts could have been bad. Maybe moisture is causing gas pockets which keep the brakes engaged?

Regards

Carl 1 Lucky Texan wrote:

Reply to
alegacy

Have you verified that the calipers are sliding freely on their mounts. If not, this can cause the pads to stay partially engaged against the rotors.

Ed P

Reply to
Ed P

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