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Date:         Fri, 26 Jun 2015 11:45:54 -0700
Reply-To:     Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Low Brake Pedal, Caliper Piston Movement.
Comments: To: "sailingfc @dslextreme.com" <sailingfc@dslextreme.com>
In-Reply-To:  <CAJ-pOobvaSL8HJQOn9RX2kCgM4UkAANzsOByKa9uMh3J-URb3g@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

the Vanagon brake hydraulic is set up differently. 1/2 of MC is for fronts etc.

As noted in Bentley (and previously missed by me), and as you obviously know, if shoes are set properly, e-brake cables are ok, then the gap between each e-brake lever on shoe is properly eliminated via adjustment at e-brake equalizer bar, the e-brake works just fine. That said, since I'd backed off the nut at equalizer bar quite far (in a somewhat ignorant effort to take those parts out of shoe adjustment situation), I had to "mess around" with the e-brake cables to ensure that the noted gap was taken up properly. i.e. I found that even after gap was eliminated, if I levered slightly on the shoe at lever, thus pulling on the cable, this would cause a small amount of gap to reappear. Thinking now, doing this on one cable/lever may simply have pulled on the other thus causing a gap between lever and adjuster bar??

For others who may have been in this position (not understanding e-brake / shoe adjustment relationship), I think of these two systems as separate things, even though they are obviously related. i.e. properly adjusted and functioning shoes should work fine in spite of slack e-brake cables. This is why one sets shoe adjustment, then e-brake. AND, the e-brake once adjusted, should not affect brake shoe position, at rest. As has been noted already by folks far more knowledgable than me!

Neil.

On 6/26/15, sailingfc @dslextreme.com <sailingfc@dslextreme.com> wrote:

> If you are not getting a firm pedal, l would say you are not getting > effective braking from the calipers. I don't know if our vans have a > diagonal hydraulic circuit like the old Rabbits/Sciroccos did, where the > you had one front and the diagonal rear brake on the same circuit in case > of a failure.. > > My current parking brake shoes are adjusted to the point I get slight drag > when I spin the wheels and at one click of the parking lever, it will hold > in my slightly inclined driveway.

-- Neil n

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