Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2005 19:33:56 -0800
Reply-To: mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: mushy brakes due to shop's error
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
Recently I put 15" wheels and big tires on my passenger 87 Syncro. After
doing so I noticed that the brakes were not quite up to snuff. They
stopped fine unless I was going down a steep hill or had a heavy load.
Then they were a little soft and needed a quick pump to fully function.
First I replaced the front rotors and pads. Better but not as good as
they should be. Then I took the drums off so I could replace the rear
shoes and turn the drums. The shoes were fine and the drums had only a
slight lip from wear. Finally, I spotted the real problem. On the
driver's side the brake return springs were reversed. This causes one of
the springs to rub hard against the adjuster and keeps the self
adjusting brakes from adjusting at all on that side. The shoes on that
side were too far out of adjustment to do much work unless the brake
pedal was pumped first. Once I fixed this and tightened up the rear
brakes, all was well. Now the brakes are firm on the first pump and the
stopping power is much better.
When I purchased this 87 a couple years ago the seller showed me a
receipt from a very recent complete brake job $$$. The brakes worked
great at that time and for a long time after. The gradual deterioration
was hardly perceptible until the big tires. The 2 brake shoe springs are
not obviously different and once in place they are hidden behind the
adjuster. When they are reversed part of one of them sits too high and
rides in one of the notches of the star adjuster. I have seen this error
before and even made it myself. It is easy to detect when working on the
brakes since the misplaced spring keeps the adjuster from turning as
freely as it should.
If you have brakes that have gotten mushy over time you might want to
check for this error.
Mark
|
Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page
Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of
Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection
will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!
Return to the archives
@ gerry.vanagon.com
The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c)
1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the
express written permission of the list administrators.
Posting messages to this mailing list grants
a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce
the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic.
All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess
proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.
Any profits from list compilations go exclusively
towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing
list and vanagon mailing list web site.