Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:34:49 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Rear brake shoe replacment= crappy pedal now
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
glad it's working right now.
It was common a decade or so ago to 'arc' shoes to fit the new drum size.
Due to the hazard of having brake dust and asbestos fine particles in the
air .........that is no longer done.
I even have some front brake pads I'd like to file a new fresh surface
on............
but from a health hazard viewpoint.............might not be the smartest
thing.
So these days, the drums are left to mate to the shoes on their own.
I have not had the problem you describe, however.
Scott
turbovans
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Kao" <dtkao0205@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2008 11:48 AM
Subject: Re: Rear brake shoe replacment= crappy pedal now
> Ken is right about the radius of new shoes not matching worn
> drums. I put on new shoes and new slave cylinders on my camper
> several months ago. My pedal simply was sloppy and no amount
> of bleeding could fix it. I ended up double pedaling always.
> That means I stepped on the pedal twice and the second time I
> do it the pedal would be higher and the brake would be fine.
> The Pedal wasn'r spongy so it wasn't air in it. I knew it wasn't
> right but I could not fix it by adjusting or bleeding.
>
> Somehow a few months later now suddenly the pedal is right.
> I no longer need to double pedaling. I think what happens is the
> shoes are worn to a point that the radius now matches the drum.
> And the self-adjust is kicked in correctly.
>
> I should have filed the shoes when I put them on. It took me
> several hundred miles to break in instead. Of course I am not
> an expert and I could be wrong. Bottom line is my brake works
> correctly now and it has been that way for several weeks.
>
> David
>
>
>
> --- On Mon, 9/29/08, Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET> wrote:
>
>> From: Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
>> Subject: Re: Rear brake shoe replacment= crappy pedal now
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Date: Monday, September 29, 2008, 11:26 AM
>> Don,
>> As you have probably learned the hard way, the rear brakes
>> on the
>> Vanagon have a major impact
>> on pedal feel. In other words if your rear brakes
>> aren't up to par your
>> pedal will feel spongy or have a
>> major pulse to it. I was going to email you when I saw
>> your post that
>> you were going to get your rear drums turned.
>> I have tried this in the past and even though the drums are
>> in spec, I
>> have had problems after turning them.
>> The main problem is that back in the day, when everyone
>> turned their
>> drums and they had drum brakes, they would
>> not only turn your drums but also radius your shoes to
>> match. If you
>> don't do that then you have a rather small
>> area of your shoe touching against the drum and you will
>> not get as good
>> of a pedal as you could have.
>> If I am going to do anything to drums I replace them now
>> with new ones.
>> New drums, new shoes and you are good to go.
>> A worn out or turned drum with new shoes that aren't
>> radiused to match
>> and you are going to get trashy pedal.
>>
>> I have a econo drum that had made in China for $45 each
>> plus shipping
>> (251609615OP). I have used these myself on customer's
>> vans
>> and they are fine. I am sure that the German ones are
>> better in some
>> way but these are decent and the price is right.
>>
>> So either find a shop that can match your new shoes to your
>> turned drums
>> or get new drums. That is my advice.
>>
>> Ken Wilford
>> John 3:16
>> www.vanagain.com
>>
>>
>> Don Hanson wrote:
>> > On Sun, 28 Sep 2008 06:17:23 -0700, Don Hanson
>> <dhanson@GORGE.NET> wrote:
>> >
>> >
>> >> I replaced the rear shoes on my 84. SBS shoes now.
>> Had the drums turned,
>> >> they are within spec. Replaced one wheel cylinder
>> that was weeping. Bled
>> >> the
>> >>
>> >
>> > <<Snipped>>
>> >
>> > using the brakes...Anybody?
>> >
>> >> PS: My brake MS is relatively new..last March..My
>> fluid was replaced at
>> >> the time of the new brake and clutch cylinder..
>> >>
>> >> Don Hanson
>> >>
>> >
>> > I just realized that the hydraulic cylinder I've
>> replaced two times in my
>> > van is really the clutch MC, not the brake. Do the
>> symptoms I've tried to
>> > describe sound like maybe my brake MC is problematic?
>> >
>> > I'm getting a little short for time, having a
>> trip to Utah coming next
>> > weekend, so I want to get the van 'finished'
>> and correctly. I could see
>> > snow on the trip, so I want the brakes working without
>> any unexpected or
>> > unpredictable behavior. Should I throw a master
>> cylinder at the
>> > problem..and should I go for the high priced spread MC
>> or is the "european
>> > copy" gonna be ok for a poor fella (now) who is
>> not a "Van-atic" owner?
>> >
>> > Don Hanson
>> >
>> >
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