HELP me STOP! NO Rear Brakes !!!

[rodeodad]

In doing some routine service on my daughters 2000 Rodeo, she mentioned that she had trouble getting her car to stop. So we checked front brakes, they looked fine. We then checked rear brakes, they looked fine. But when we ran the vehicle on jackstands and hit the brakes, the rear drums kept on spinning. She had no resistance on her rear brakes. I could spin the drums and it took the e-brake to get them to stop. We tried adjusting them and then bleeding them. That is when we ran across a big problem. There was no fluid going to the rear brakes, which means she had been stopping with her front brakes, therefore giving her the feeling that the car was not stopping. Is there something in the brake valve control box ( where the brakes lines originate on passenger side of engine bay) that could go out or something else that could cause you not to have brake fluid at the rear brakes? Never heard of this, so we need help fast and thanks for any help!!!

[tomlcollins]

I'm not sure if there are any check valves or anything of that sort in the junction box. It could possibly be a clogged line as well, although it would have to be severely clogged or more than likely pinched shut somehow to have no rear brakes at all. My advice would be to start disconnecting lines from the master cylinder on back, and find the problem that way. I'm also not for sure if the master cylinder is set up to service the front and rear brakes separately, although I believe most are set up this way to guard against total failure. If so, that might be your problem. Easy way to find out is to unhook a line and press the pedal.

[rodeodad]

I learned today that the reason my brakes did not work with the back wheels up on jackstands, was because the front wheels were not turning. I also found out that i had air in my rear lines and the way to bleed rodeo brakes is to run down the road at 40 mph and lock down the brakes a few times. Sounded crazy to me but a mechanic told me that they did that at mazda on mazdas too. But it worked and now i have rear brakes. They call them self-bleeding brakes. I thought it was a joke, but it worked.

[tomlcollins]

So....the rear brakes weren't working b/c the front wheels weren't turning?!? That doesn't sound right to me, as the brakes on every car I've ever had on a lift act exactly the same as they would on pavement. If the "self bleeding" worked then it worked, but I've personally never heard of that either! Glad they're working now.
Not trying to challenge your statements by any means, but can anyone else explain these "self bleeding" brakes to me. I really don't understand how this would work without constantly spraying out fluid.

[Cat Fuzz]

Self bleeding brakes sounds a bit hokey to me . You probably had some crud in your lines or sticky calipers in the back and stomping on the brakes simply dislodged it.