Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:20:36 -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: Cockeyed Parking Brake Equalizer
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all right ..
rear brakes 'should' be in pretty decent condition.
can't tell how far back in miles or months the rear brake job and mc was..
just that it was 7K miles after 2006.
if you just need a tighter feeling parking brake cable and you think the
rear brakes are in pretty good condition, it shouldn't hurt to dial in a few
turns on the 10mm hex nut at the aft end of the parking brake cable
underneath.
supposed to be 3 clicks on the parking brake handle starts to do anything
I think..something like that.
in any case, make sure the rear drums are free to turn nicely when parking
brake is full off.
that the balance bar is angled is of no concern..
unless you have a broken or seized parking brake cable.
one important check to do while under there is pull on each parking brake
cable with your hand...
see that it moves out a half inch or so, and returns.
if each cable does not do that ...
something may be tired, worn, stuck, fraying, etc.
'mostly' the parking brake cables are quite good and long lasting.
of the last say 50 pairs of parking brake cables on vanagons I played with
..
there were maybe 3 bad parking brake cables in all those vans.
But always do that check..
pull on the inner cables by hand and see how they feel and move.
if they're ever apart and off the van for any reason ..
I'm sure I couldn't help lubing them and getting them moving real smoothly
again ..
though they are really quite good cables in general...no complaints about
them . Good solid VW original parts, those cables, most of the time.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike "Rocket J Squirrel"" <camping.elliott@gmail.com>
To: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
Cc: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 7:04 AM
Subject: Re: Cockeyed Parking Brake Equalizer
> To follow up on this older thread . . .
>
> I still would like to take up the slack in the parking brake linkage, and
> don't care to open up the brakes prior to doing so.
>
> Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
>>
>> yeah, get, if you can find one, a GOOD shop to do a proper rear-drums-off
>> brake inspection.
>
> I just went though my repair receipts. I had the van inspected by one shop
> before buying it, 20,000 miles ago, 2004. The found the brake pedal low,
> so inspected, bled brake cylinders, removed rear drums and inspected,
> cleaned adjusters, checked the hardware, adjusted and tested the brakes.
> $80.
>
> The brakes worked until 2006, 7,000 miles later. The complaint I had was
> the brake pedal fell to the floor.
>
> I took it to a second shop and they replaced the master cylinder; and at
> the same time, the rear brake shoes, both rear wheel cylinders, flushed,
> filled, and bled the system.
>
> Labor was $337. Parts $287. Coastal SoCal prices.
>
> I had the brakes inspected last year. Both the front shoes and rear drums
> were at 75%
>
> --
> Rocky J Squirrel
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