Date: Sat, 3 Jul 2010 16:36:47 -0700
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: That's it, I've had it. (Driving with brake on)
In-Reply-To: <08b001cb1b07$13b71e00$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Yah, I swapped out my old style brake handle for a newer type and it does
work much better. But now, with the added leverage, I am reluctant to pull
up 'full power' (what is actually needed to work those rear shoes) because I
bet I could easily brake (pun) something before I would 'lock the rear
brakes'... It does hold me now when I get out to open our gate, which is on
a hill on our road...But I still have driven with it on a couple of
times...smell hot brakes, turn the steering wheel and spy that hidden
warning light down there...
Now I do like I did in my old Beetles....I reach down a lot out of habit
and flick the brake button on the lever with my thumb....
Don Hanson
On Sat, Jul 3, 2010 at 4:25 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
> it's an 84 I think..
> even when you yank those early parking brake handles on pretty firmly,
> you still don't get much leverage on the brake drum shoes.
> it's really very poorly designed.
>
> the later style parking brake handle is at least 3 times better .
> you know the parking brake is on with those.
>
> some vans get sticky/draggy parking brake cables..
> and while tension at the handle may feel like a lot, it may not be getting
> to the brake shoes.
>
> another spot of hundreds that old vanagons could use some lubing,
> or new parking brake cables...if new ones can be counted on to be of
> decent
> quality that is.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jeff Schwaia" <vw.doka@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2010 4:04 PM
> Subject: Re: That's it, I've had it. (Driving with brake on)
>
>
> Or... fix your parking brake so that the van doesn't move well when it's
>> engaged.
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Mike "Rocket J Squirrel"" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2010 12:31 PM
>> Subject: That's it, I've had it. (Driving with brake on)
>>
>>
>> This is the third time I've forgotten to take off the parking brake
>>> before driving. It's not like the brakes are so monstrous that I'll
>>> notice on the first quarter-mile downhill away from the house, and my
>>> sitting position places the steering wheel right between the dash Brake
>>> light and my eyesballs.
>>>
>>> I'm gonna rig some alarm to sound when the Brake warning light is on and
>>> the transmission is in gear.
>>>
>>> Mellow Yellow has an automatic transmission, and the starter won't turn
>>> if the van is not in Park, so there's some wire that connects to a
>>> switch on the shift linkage or something. I can't find that wire in
>>> Bentleys.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Rocky J Squirrel
>>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
>>> 74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
>>> Bend, OR
>>> KG6RCR
>>>
>>
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