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..Might be a stupid question, so tell me if it is.

But can the handbrake be swapped from the front wheels to the back wheels? - I'm referring to a 93 lib wag.

If its possible for the DIY job, how hard is it to do?

cheers

Why you ask i would want to do this, well i see my front brakes for slowing/stopping, and back brakes as steering. And seeing i already have foot brakes to the job on the front, i'd like to have the handbrake on the back wheels for steering all round...

it is on the backs isnt it huh

u see the backs for steering....how does that work im confused

liberty handbrakes are in fact on the rear..unless u have some wierd and wonderfull setup....lol..but i doubt it

haha don't question whether its on the front or not because i'm pretty sure it is on the front, two of my mates with late 80s L wagons have handbrakes on the front. So i jus thought it was normal for most subies to have handbrakes at the front... or is it jus because it's awd that the handbrake feels its on the front, but really it just locks up all wheels?

I mean the back is for steering as in (handbrake around a corner), gives the car another option for steering... For example - mountain bikes, the front brakes for stoppin/slowin and back brakes for steering.

is that understandable haha

Early Subarus L (leone)series MYs and Uglys(74-94), have the handbrake on the front wheels but the Liberty, Impreza and Forester ranges all have the handbrakes on the rear wheels.

hmm so that means i have a normal handbrake (most common handbrake on back wheels) but because it's an AWD does that mean the handbrake cannot be used to help slide the back end out?

EDIT - haha whats the Uglys?

is it centre LSD? of so how wuld that work with locking the back wheels up...wont it lock the fronts to seen as it wont let them slip enough for that kind of movement.

i see the usefullness of lockign the rear wheel while turnign on a mountain bike but not in a car...way to hard to keep control if u dont no wt ur doin and it wears flat spots on the tyres. whereas a mountain bike it just adds to the fun

That's what i don't know, I'm not sure how these diffs work on AWDs and handbrakes as you've found out by this thread haha. so with an AWD all wheels brake with handbrake? is that it

..and i find it hard to live without a handbrake on back wheels, i'm meaning purely just for offroad though, so no flat spotting or any of that and i'm pretty comfortable with the handbrake... i've grown up in a FWD toyota seca.

I think the car you are referring to is infact an L series - not a Liberty.
Both cars were manufactured in the late 80s (the late L series and the early Liberties) but were significantly different.

It's not easy to convert to a rear handbrake but it can be done. It's really not worth it.
I'm doing it but only out of neccessity because I've put Liberty front and rear hubs into my L series.

transfer a grand into my bank account and next time you look under your car it will be handbrake on the rear

AndrewT wrote:I think the car you are referring to is infact an L series - not a Liberty.
Both cars were manufactured in the late 80s (the late L series and the early Liberties) but were significantly different.

It's not easy to convert to a rear handbrake but it can be done. It's really not worth it.
I'm doing it but only out of neccessity because I've put Liberty front and rear hubs into my L series.

LOL this thread is confusing..
hes talking abotu a 93 Liberty i thught

AndrewT wrote:I think the car you are referring to is infact an L series - not a Liberty.
Both cars were manufactured in the late 80s (the late L series and the early Liberties) but were significantly different.

? The car I'm talking about is in my avatar

matatak don't be confused, because i am... i think haha, yea my avatar car!

So this is what happens when i apply the handbrake on this car on mud when turning ok (keep in mind its AWD). the car simply sledges straight even with front wheels fully locked.

now it has been said that the handbrakes on these cars are on the back, so what causes the car to sledge, with no rear end action?

Suby Wan Kenobi wrote:Early Subarus L (leone)series MYs and Uglys(74-94), have the handbrake on the front wheels but the Liberty, Impreza and Forester ranges all have the handbrakes on the rear wheels.

this sums it all up

Yeah well I dunno what part of the car you are looking at but if it's the car in your avatar and it's factory standard then it has a rear handbrake - no question.

It has rear disc brakes with calipers operated by the hydraulic system when you put your foot on the pedal. The discs have a drum inbuilt in the middle with a pair of brake shoes which are operated by tension on the handbrake cable when you pull the lever.

but why does the car sledge straight with absolute no sideway movement from the rear? (on mud)

haha and cheers for letting me know where the handbrake is. that is a new question ^

who knows.... maybe it only locked up one wheel.....just slide under your car and have a look dude. it's easy to see handbrake cables comming out of the backing plates at the rear.
And easy to see that there are none going to the front hubs.

or pickup a service manual for the car or something.

Bumpty wrote:but why does the car sledge straight with absolute no sideway movement from the rear? (on mud)

haha and cheers for letting me know where the handbrake is. that is a new question ^

probley because the centre diff cant provide that much slip so the front wheels lock up too

not a real good thing to do with an all wheel drive box if the centre diff is slipping it probley wont last very long

can get the rear end to step out if u try harder tho...

put your foot on the clutch to stop drive to the wheels and rip the handbrake cable harder!

but yes, certainly not good for the car overall =)

It is certainly possible to perform handbrake turns in your Lib just the way it is.
You just need to learn how to drive it.

^^

agreed!

get it out on a skidpan and cut loose. what you are getting is understeer btw.

google that word.