Volkswagen Repair: brakes wont grab, fluid leaks, power brakes

Question
I've had this problem with 2 of my vws I had a 86 gti and currently have a 1991 jetta wolfsberg 1.8 automatic with power brakes and I noticed the brakes weren't grabbing as hard in the back and slowly got worse I thought the problem was the pads, but it wasn't I replaced them and now the front brakes aren't grabbing either, all pads, calipers, rotors ,and drums are fine, and there aren't any signs of fluid leaks all the lines and fittings are dry on the out side and there is plenty of fluid in the reservoir, there is no resistance on the brake pedal and the only thing that works is the e brake, do you know what the problem could be

Answer
Hi Jake;
The problem is the last time the brakes were bled there was no consideration for the rear axle valves at the rear axle beam itself.  We pressure bleed brakes all the time, and every once in a great while, we get a car that needs to have the beam height adjusted during the bleed to get the air out of the lines.  Start on the passenger side raise the car.  Bleed the wheel cylinder with the car in the air, and watch the fluid as it comes out.  If it only dribbles out, then lower the car a little, and try again.  Adjust the height as the wheel cylinder is bled.  Find the right height, and bleed the other side the same way.  Then do the fronts as always.  The drums in the rear are connected to those little valves on the axle beam, and sometimes they just act up.  Look for a "Bentley's" manual for your car.  Maybe look at the library, and read about the braking system on your car for some extra familiarity.  Good Luck, Jake.  Hope this helps.