Date:         Mon, 5 Mar 2007 18:34:05 -0500
Reply-To:     mordo <helmut.blong@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         mordo <helmut.blong@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Seeking Input - Big Disc Brakes & stock rear brakes
In-Reply-To:  <45ECA513.9010300@earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Good tip.

This raises questions in mind mind like,  "why wouldn't VW put a slot int he
drum fro adjusting the star adjuster like many scores of other cars? Is it
because they are purportedly self adjusting? Does the self adjustment occur
when driving in reverse?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mark Drillock <drillock@earthlink.net>
Date: Mar 5, 2007 6:17 PM
Subject: Re: Seeking Input - Big Disc Brakes & stock rear brakes
To: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com

Agreed, but getting the rear self adjusting mechanism working would be
better yet. It is very common for them to be put together wrong. Most
people don't notice but the 2 main return springs are mirror images of
each other. If you swap their positions, one of them will jam the star
adjuster but in a fairly hidden spot where it may not be noticed. The
long shanks of the springs should be down, not up. Also someone may have
mixed up spring parts from the 2 vehicle sides. There should be a pair
of mirror images on each side of the vehicle.

The other factor is that the rear shoes tend to wear badly at one end
only so if you look in the middle and the other end it looks like you
have plenty of material when really they should be replaced. Instead one
should look at the top ends and worry about the thinnest spot. The more
wear on the drums the worse the shoes will wear at just one end. The
lower shoe pivot pins can be shimmed to help with this but this is best
left to someone with at least half a mechanics brain, not typical
owners. The best solution is new drums.

Mark

Bob Donalds wrote:
> Hi John
>
> I might suggest if the rear brakes got adjusted on a regular basis then
you
> would not go threw pads as often
> When I adjust the rears I pull just the drum adjust, and test fit the drum
> back in place. I find this improves braking
>
> Bob
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Rodgers" <inua@CHARTER.NET>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Monday, March 05, 2007 1:01 PM
> Subject: Re: Seeking Input - Big Disc Brakes & stock rear brakes
>
>
>
>>I suspect this is very true. In the 10 years I have owned my 88 GL I
>>have replaced the front pads many times. But until just this year I have
>>never had to replace the rear shoes. There was always plenty of material
>>on the shoes. But those front pads did wear out. So9 most of the braking
>>load does occur on the front brakes. To me this  is ONE of the obvious
>>reasons for going to front disk brakes by the engineers.
>>
>>Regards,
>>
>>John Rodgers
>


--
mordo
1990 Carat