Date: Tue, 6 Sep 2011 22:02:53 -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: Brake Fade
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=response
Hi Edward,
top answer your last question ......'no.'
Next,
you 'could' say what year van so it's known if it's a two-piston 'up-to-85'
or the later single piston sliding caliper design. Forgive me, I forgot what
year your vanagon is.
next.....how much did the pads cost ?
$ 30ish ?
Sounds like funky pads to me, IF you broke them in properly.
I use PBR Brand low or semi-metallic pads.
Find they work quite well.
and they don't eat up brake discs.
AT is always rougher on brakes, particularly the fronts.
Measure your front disc, and your read drum temps with your IR Temp gun ..
report what those temps are please.
I SURE hope you changed the brake fluid when replacing pads and rotors.
All bets are off it's old brake fluid ...like say 3 yrs old.
Without more info I'm inclined to say at this point ...'it's the pads'
but some more info as I suggested above what help.
'sorry' ..I'm back from an awesome vanagon trip.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Edward Maglott" <emaglott3@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, September 05, 2011 4:59 PM
Subject: Brake Fade
> Had a scary brake fade scenario on this Labor Day weekend trip. I've
> been doing a lot of work on my front end lately, and that included
> new wheel bearings, rotors and pads. I got pads from the FLAPS and
> Brembo rotors from a list vendor. Carefully cleaned the rotors
> before I put the pads on and have been going easy on the brakes since
> all that new stuff was installed. It's probably been about 300-400
> miles since they were replaced and I did progress to harder brake
> testing with no problems.
>
> As rainman would say, I'm a very good driver. I know how to use the
> brakes and not overheat them. I've driven "stock" cars on road
> courses and long demanding autocrosses and never experienced brake
> fade. (oh, and my 2002 Golf TDI has 165k miles and all original
> brakes.) I've used my Van's brakes a lot harder than this in the
> past with no fade. So we're driving along on Rt 58 in Virginia near
> Whitetop. Typical winding 2 lane "major" mtn road. I noticed I was
> getting less braking vs pedal effort and this effect was rapidly
> getting worse. I was already going slow and pulled into a driveway
> with the e-brake assisting to stop. Smoke immediately drifted in
> through the passenger window. I got out and the front wheels were a
> little hot, but not unusual. Back wheels also warm. (I thought maybe
> I'm operating on only front brakes?) No signs of leaking fluid or
> grease at either front wheel, and fluid reservoir is fine. I think,
> maybe the new pads have just never been really hot and they are doing
> some kind of initial outgassing? Maybe they are just plain inferior
> cheap FLAPS pads? After 10 minutes or so, they have cooled down and
> I cautiously proceed, using "2" on my AT to ease our descent, which I
> rarely do and never would have in this situation because there was
> plenty of "cooling" time between brake applications. We do another
> up and down heading to Taylor's Valley for the Virginia Creeper
> trail, and again have some fade. It's a much steeper, tighter road
> and I used 2 and 1 on the AT to keep things slow. Later, when we get
> back to our campsite at Grayson Highlands State Park... There's a
> pretty good descent on the way to the CG. I got out and checked the
> wheels and they seemed hotter than when I checked them after the fade
> incident but I had no problems. Oh, and today on the same road, in
> the rain I had some squeaking under moderate braking. Long loud
> squeak. No fading, but I was nervous and put the AT in 2 on the
> descents and went slowly.
>
> So now I'm not too confident about these brakes. Any thoughts on
> this? And how should I test them? I suppose I could drive in a safe
> flat area with my left foot on the brakes for a while to heat them up?
>
> Edward
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