how much do rear brakes move on a grocery-getter?

chazix

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
The grocery-getter I have in mind is our third-generation, base-model, automatic-transmission Subaru Impreza. It really is used almost entirely for low-speed local runs. The primary driver, my wife, doesn't do highways, so the car almost never sees speeds much above 40 mph unless I'm driving us on a vacation trip.

Given that this is a front-heavy car, with (I'm assuming) a front/rear proportioning valve of some kind, is it possible that the rear calipers don't even move under light braking? I'm thinking that the proportioning valve might not reach the threshold of letting fluid flow to the rears.

As you might guess, my curiosity is prompted by having just needed a comprehensive rear brake overhaul due to the calipers having frozen up.

(Oh - as you might also guess, we pretty much never use the parking brake.)

Thanks,

chazix (a lapsed gearhead)
 
Depends on the weight balance of the vehicle but its somewhere around 70% front, 30% rear. Even if you did use the parking brake that doesn't mean the rear calipers won't freeze. The hydraulic piston can freeze independant of the mechanical parking brake bits, especially if you've got the "drum in disc" type of parking brake assembly.

One thing that really does kill brake parts is moisture in the fluid. Its rarely flushed, and it absorbs water over time. If your calipers are frozen, I'd ask the mechanic to flush the fluid. It has to be bled anyway, flushing it is just an extended bleed to get all of the old fluid swapped out.
 
Gadget is right on the money....brake fluid (like coolant) should be changed/bled every 2 to 3 years. Brake fluid is hygroscopic (it tends to absorb moisture), and can corrode the brake system from the inside.
 
The salt on the roads in MA doesn't help either. There's dust boots on the pistons but that isn't a 100% seal...
 
I was doing a Safety Inspection on a car that a customer wanted to buy and found that the rear brake line was rusted out. The person selling the car had bent the line over and crimped it off with a pair of vice grips. I pointed it out and the seller said he had done that over a year before, it was not an issue, but he would fix it if needed to pass an inspection. The guy came back the next day and all he had done was remove the vice grips, pulled the line out of the proportioning valve and put a pipe plug in place of the rear line.

I told him to go somewhere else for the inspection. But to be honest, when I drove it, I could not tell I only had front brakes.
 
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Must have been FWD or a pickup truck as they're so front heavy it makes it really hard to tell. You will if you have to drive it in icy conditions and have to stop going up a hill! Scary if someone is behind you, as just having front brakes going up a slippery hill will do very little to hold you from sliding down the hill. The only thing you could do if you have the room behind you is to get it spun around so your facing down the hill! If it's dry & steep you may have the same issue also. I had a 3/4T truck that would loose a rear axle seal rendering the rear brakes useless so found this out one winter! Brakes were just as good going forward as I never carried much ever.
 
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I lost the rear brakes on my S10 for an unknown amount of time. Not sure what happened exactly but the prop valve "tripped" and valved off the back. I only realized when a safety inspection showed I had no rear brakes. The fix ended up being I had to push the button to reset the valve. It made almost no difference in stopping power or pedal feel. Pickup truck though, unloaded those rear brakes do squat.
 
I've got a 2000 Civic that's been in the family since new. The rear shoes will go 100,000 miles, the fronts go 15-30k depending on who was driving it.
 
I'll pipe in having a 2006 Inprezza and a 2010 Forester (119K). In New York road salt, brake maintenance in a must, inspect and lube calipers once a year, regardless of mileage. the 2010 Forester, 5 sp is rear brake biased. Rears only last 30-40 K, fronts 80 K. All wheel drive is 50/50 on the 5sp, 60/40 on the Automatic.
 
are the rears considerably smaller than the front? The rear discs on my Towncar are a good inch smaller than the front, they are solid vs vented, and its a single piston caliper vs dual. Pads are thinner and smaller as well. I'm getting some squealing lately and I just had the front brakes apart 2 weeks ago to inspect. All thats fine, guess its time for a gander at the back brakes.
 
FWIW, I didn't feel any lack-of-stopping-power discomfort when our Impreza's rear brakes were severely dysfunctional. Scary noises, yes! (As perceived from the driver's seat, I thought the noises were coming from the fronts. There go my AK "Golden Ear" creds.)
 
I've got a 2000 Civic that's been in the family since new. The rear shoes will go 100,000 miles, the fronts go 15-30k depending on who was driving it.

My Honda get's 100K out of the rears and 75K out of the fronts. Of course I drive a MT and downshift a lot. Have replaced pads once since new 2005. BTW, normal braking is 65-75% fronts. Your rear calipers sticking could be due to a ton of things. Brake fluid, MA weather, car sitting with parking brake on for extended periods, mileage vs. last break job.
 
I've got a 2000 Civic that's been in the family since new. The rear shoes will go 100,000 miles, the fronts go 15-30k depending on who was driving it.
My '97 CR-V still has the original rear shoes in the drum brakes, 289,000 miles on 'em. The brakes do work properly. I bought new shoes several years ago, but the originals were still above the service limit in terms of thickness. If anything, I need to replace the drums since they are rusting...so I'll probably redo the rear brakes with all new everything when I get around to it.

I used to get 10-15k out of brake pads purchased locally. Factory pads used to last 30-40k, for not much extra cash.
 
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