99 Legacy Outback rear brakes barely working

Sep 10, 2007 6 Replies
A

Hi. The rear brakes on my 99 Legacy Outback are barely working. They are disc brakes and the first clue was the brake pedal is very soft and needs pushing a long way to get much braking. The second clue was I raised up the back of the car and even with someone pressing on the brake I can turn the wheel with my bare hands. I have bled the brakes at all four wheels and the master cylinder, as well as changing the rear pads (which were only half worn) but no difference. The rotors look ok, although not as shiny as the front ones. I'm wondering about whatever the valve or whatever it is that splits the braking force between front and rear. By the way, the car is manual transmission and the handbrake (E-brake) is fine.



Any thoughts? Andrew.



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C

I'd be suspicious of the master cylinder. Get it looked at by a pro - soon.

Carl

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A

Thanks Carl, but isn't the fact that the front brakes are fine but the back ones barely having any effect at all a sign that it's something after the master cylinder? I am wondering about how the braking force get distributed between front and back and whether whatever valve or electronics control this are not behaving. Andrew.

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C

Some cars have diagonally split hydraulic circuits - I dunno about soobs though. There probably is a proportioning valve for front and rear, that may be the problem. Hopefully someone else will chime in with experience here.

Carl

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S

All the soobs I've owned and driven have had the diagonal split for the breaks listed in the manual.

~Brian

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J

The system is the diagonal type so since the fronts seem to be working, this should eliminate the MC as the problem. My guess is there is still air in the lines coupled with sticking rear calipers.

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A

Thanks everybody - I'll bleed again at the weekend to make sure and have a check of the calipers! Andrew.

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