Date:         Thu, 14 Jun 2007 08:35:36 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Subject:      rear brakes ?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

Hi,  "84 van, no power brakes, manual tranny"
 I did the Archive search, found lots of info pertaining to the rear brakes.  Wanted to make certain and clarify a few aspects of this procedure before I get in there again and screw something up, like I have sometimes been known to do. 
 I had the wheels off yesterday and could not get either drum off, nor could I get any traction on the adjusting wheels (Star-Adjusters?) to back off the shoes.
  What I did  so far was to tap around the drums, which seemed to loosen up.  Prying with a screwdriver against the backing plate, you could see some slight movement around the lug bolts, but it felt like the shoes were holding the drum.  E-brake cable was released..The drivers side brake shoes are tighter than the passenger side, significantly.   I could just turn the drum by hand, after banging around on it some.Too tight, the way I've always adjusted drum brakes..
  So, from the archives, after perusing many posts, I found one saying you CAN 'fudge' the adjuster wheels for the brake shoes with a screwdriver..But for the life of me, I can't find one that works..Do I need to bend one up somehow in order to reach in there and turn the adjuster wheel?  Also, the direction of rotation to move the shoes?.
  .From an archive post (Bently says nothing) I get that *to loosen the shoes you rotate the right wheel's adjuster upwards and the left one downwards*..So, taking the left side wheel:  I bend up some implement that will reach into the little hole without hitting the other supporting structure.  I try to locate the star wheel adjuster, probably by feel, since I can't seem to fit even a trouble light back there...and then using the edge of the access hole as s fulcrum, I lift my adjusting implement, causing the tip of said implement to rotate the adjuster downwards?  And the opposite on the passenger side?
  I don't have the capability to loosen the axle nut..no impact wrench or large breaker bar...(broke all those trying to get off my Beetles axle nuts..After unsuccessfully bashing around (carefully) back there yesterday, I re-assembled and drove some.  Got some 'squealing, squelching' noises from the rear driver side brakes when stopping..Also, after tapping back there, I found a pile of brake dust under the drum, indicating that indeed, I have a dragging brake there...
  So today, I want to try again..but before I spend all day doing it wrong, or devising a difficult way to accomplish a simple task, I thought I'd ask...Special tool to access the adjuster? and Which way does what with them?
  Thanks,
  Don Hanson