[Tommy]

Originally Posted by Snek

Tommy:
Is there an easy way to isolate the front from the rear brakes?
That way I can see if the front vs. the rear are actually engages?
Or is that not necessary?

It is possible to isolate the front from the rear, but it should not be necessary to diagnose your problem. . . Based on your earlier comments and the age of the car, here are the steps I suggest:

• Service your brakes as they are (i.e., inspect and replace rubber hoses and pads, replace fluid and bleed the brakes, inspect the master cylinder, ALL hoses, lines and calipers for leaks).
• Test to see if the front brakes lock before the rear. (I do this by finding a safe dry road where I can apply full brakes from about 35 MPH. It helps to have an observer at a safe place watch from the outside to see which wheels locked up first.) If the front wheels do not lock first, adjust the balance bar and repeat.
• If acceptable braking cannot be achieved using the balance bar, evaluate the brake pedal geometry and master cylinder sizes.