Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (September 2008, week 4)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:53:56 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Subject:      Rear brake questions
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

Hi all, I'm doing a rear brake job on my 84. Found one slightly weeping wheel cylinder, so I have a replacement for that as well as new shoes for both rears. When I replace the wheel cylinder, do I have to do a complete bleed? Including the clutch? Or just bleed that one wheel's line?

Second question: I notice the old shoes are very worn on the "top" and almost full thickness still at the "bottom". "top" meaning the end of the shoes that are at the top of the drum next to the wheel cylinder. One wheel is pretty radical...not the one with the leaky cylinder, BTW. The other is not quite so bad..with about 3/4 thickness on the shoe at the bottom and perhaps a mm or two of lining left at the cylinder end.

Is that somewhat normal? Did the PO get the shoes in there wrong? Seems like the wear should be more even around the whole radius of the shoes, but these, it looks like the cylinder end is doing most of the work of stopping and taking most of the wear.

Well, off to have the drums turned and hopefully I'll have an answer waiting...fingers crossed... so I can do the job correctly and finish this afternoon.

Thanks, Don Hanson

If it helps, my parking brake barely holds the van on a 5-6% grade when pulled on as hard as I can get it..it seems to be adjusted ok, just no holding power. I read the mechanical leverage on the older (84) E-brake handle is not great, but mine it almost not functioning...and I have a horse gate to open and close each time up my drive, one on a 5% grade...


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Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived.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.