Date:         Fri, 1 Jun 2007 07:58:24 -0400
Reply-To:     Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Subject:      Pulsating brake pedal

Yea, i hope the "Pulsating" word make sense...

Anyway, i had that probleme in and out on my van, but lately, it was worse.
My van had new brake/parts everywhere except for drums that look brand new,
so i kept those will restoring my van. Lately, i also had a steering
vibration at 75mph +, in and out also... 2 different problem that look to be
one, but no.

The steering vibration was caused by my new front wheel:
http://www.benplace.com/85rouge/body105.jpg

Those should self align, but they are not doing so, they are a direct fit.
by spinning the wheel i saw that they where wabling, i built some rings to
help center those on the disk, that problem was gone, but not the pulsating
pedal one???

I don't know why but it took me a wile to pinpoint that problem, i had a
feeling since the beginning that the left rear wheel was the cupid, but i
could not see what (i hate to do brakes), of course, wheel bearing are new
so i put that aside, but no matter what i did (adjustment), new drums, that
wheel always had a weak/grabbing/rubbing pad one time/spot over one
rotation, so something was not spinning round. I blame everything including
the wheel itself, bad drum.  So yesterday, i was planning to relax, but when
i came home early, the problem was worse than ever... Tabar... Ost...Cali..
(Swearing in French) :-) i went back to the shop and i said to myself, i'm
not going home before i find taht stupid problem.... well, i found it.

Only one possible thing, the axle shaft, bearing or the hub... So i started
the engine on the lift (wheel in the air), put it in third, and had someone
give gas.... i looked at that wheel wobling left to right, not that much but
enough to "scrap" a bearing in a short period. The bearing were still
perfect, the hub and axle/shaft look ok, but i decided to swap them anyway.
http://www.benplace.com/85rouge/rouge85.jpg
http://www.benplace.com/85rouge/rouge86.jpg
http://www.benplace.com/85rouge/rouge87.jpg
http://www.benplace.com/85rouge/rouge88.jpg

The problem is gone.

Don't always blame the brake. Spin those wheel in the air first

Ben
ps.: i'm out for one of the biggest VW campout in Quebec city (350+vans), i
will go show off a bit... he he he. Fist time sleeping in the red van :-)
600 miles test for the vans and the Subi engine