Intermittent wobbly brake pedal..?

[Phizinza]

When I brake sometimes the pedal wobbles badly. But sometimes it is completely smooth. When it wobbles if I pull the hand brake on and let off the pedal it doesn't vibrate the hand brake so I am assuming it is something to do with the rear brakes. I replaced the rear shoes, nothing looked wrong in there. But it still intermittently wobbles/vibrates :-\

 

It's an EA81 4WD, BTW.

[T'subaru]

usually points to bearings....wonder if drums are out of round? does it matter if you are hard or light on the brakes?

[ruparts]

When I brake sometimes the pedal wobbles badly. But sometimes it is completely smooth. When it wobbles if I pull the hand brake on and let off the pedal it doesn't vibrate the hand brake so I am assuming it is something to do with the rear brakes. I replaced the rear shoes, nothing looked wrong in there. But it still intermittently wobbles/vibrates :-\

 

It's an EA81 4WD, BTW.

 

Hi,

I think you should check the big axle nut(s) on the axles, they sometimes work slightly loose and do that. its common for the cone washer to wear a slight ridge on it and not seat the flange properly or just cause a slight wobble if torqued as in braking and even around curves sometimes cause a noticable noise, that was what mine was doing. the front is more likely.

tighten the nut very tight but check if your cone is in good shape first.

[Yo'J]

I had an inner tierod that was loose on the steering rack do that intermittently, really only at freeway speeds and when braking. Of course it was under the rack boot and the last thing I checked after bearings and brakes, scratching my head going WTF? I found PO homespun plyer marks all over the crimp washer and not tightened all the way or fully bent down.

[GeneralDisorder]

So when you say it wobbles.... do you mean the car vibrates? Like a warped rotor vibration?

 

Sounds like warped rotors to me.

 

I wouldn't mess with the rear drums much - them being pretty worthless when rear discs are a simple swap out. You could loosen the rear shoes and brake using only the front's to see if the vibration is still there.

 

I have never seen an EA series rear drum be out of round. Mostly they just don't work since no one ever adjusts them.

 

GD

[asis]

Sounds like a warped rotor to me as well. Do you get more pedal after one pump?

Warped rotor will push the pads out further and sometimes require an extra pump of the brake pedal.

I think I have one doing the same thing on my BRAT.

 

Side note on the rears, I only have one side even connected on my 86' GL and it is not noticeable at all.

[Phizinza]

I think you should check the big axle nut(s) on the axles, they sometimes work slightly loose and do that.

I pulled those off when changing the shoes, they looked fine and I tightened them up good with the breaker bar. Also re checked after a drive. The thing is it does it before and after changing the rear shoes.

 

So when you say it wobbles.... do you mean the car vibrates? Like a warped rotor vibration?

Mostly just wobbles the pedal, can't feel it much in the seat. When it is wobbling and I swap over to using the hand brake it isn't there so I don't see it being a rotor.

Also about the rear discs. Over here in Australia they are rare, and over $600 a set. Not worth it in my mind when the drums do the job (just...)

 

Sounds like a warped rotor to me as well. Do you get more pedal after one pump?

After changing the rear shoes and adjusting them the pedal has pressure within 10mm movement, and only needs about a quarter travel on the pedal to stop the car very quick.

 

 

Thanks for the advice so far.

[Yo'J]

Oh, Pedal.....I mis read.

[rxleone]

Also about the rear discs. Over here in Australia they are rare, and over $600 a set. Not worth it in my mind when the drums do the job (just...)

 

Really? Any RX should have rear discs. There's not many over here, but enough to get by. I'm sure with all the RXs over there you should be right?

 

EDIT: Sorry, should have read its an EA81 - I don't have much experience with them.

[Phizinza]

You are right, the RX brakes do fit the EA81 cars.. But they aren't plentiful over here. They are pretty rare.

 

If I get some money soon I'll change the rotors.. As I'm thinking it is most likely those now. But still not convinced.