Date: Fri, 20 May 2016 06:47:58 -0700
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Setting E-brake causes adjuster to adjust? Hot Drums.
In-Reply-To: <CAB2RwfhH8aXGdb4ajXeupkR4Qsf1_zU-ZGZBkv=iGAfgbpBbjA@mail.gmail.com>
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I think you have them working about as well as they will work. I'd back
off the adjusters until the rears turn freely every time and call it good.
Rear brakes on the Vanagon aren't that great anyhow. Making the parking
brake tight enough to actually hold the vehicle on a hill, that almost
always results in them being too tight for going forward in everyday
driving, at least in my experience. I've converted to the newer style E
brake lever, and that did help, but to get holding power on a slope, you
still have to pull the handle so hard I am afraid I'll pull it through the
floor, because the shoes want to let go, by design, when you roll
backwards......
Rear brakes aren't a big player in stopping vehicles anyhow...As you
apply the brakes, the vehicle's traction (weight, momentum) is transferred
to the front wheels and tires....almost no traction remains at the rear
wheels, You could have Porsche Big Red Brembos on the rear and 12" NASCAR
racing slick tires, you wouldn't stop much shorter than with stock drum
brakes.....
I've just put my van back in service after a transmission rebuild and I,
too, have been fiddling with the rear brakes, clutch, and hydraulics to get
a firm high pedal...three times around, bleeding everything, adjusting the
shoes a couple of times (thanks for the tip on which way to turn the rear
adjuster wheel) fresh fluids and the pedal is still lower than I'd like,
but it stops fine on the highway and it holds on my driveway hill and the
drums stay cool so the rears are not dragging....
On Fri, May 20, 2016 at 12:01 AM, Neil N <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi all. Sorry for the long post but this is very frustrating.
>
> I've replaced nearly every part in my rear brakes. The shoes are so
> close to the drums,
> I have to leave the adjuster bar **slightly** slack. I've adjusted the
> shoes and e-brake at
> least several times now. This last time, with the new adjuster bars
> installed, I left my garage,
> drove a short distance, felt drums. They were cool. Drove more, parked
> on a *steep* hill, set e-brake really tight, released it, then drove
> away up hills for a while, parked in my driveway, the drums were hot.
> This did not make sense. This happened before. At that time my
> infrared gun showed drums being 100ยบ F but they felt hotter.
>
> Theory: setting e-brake pushes shoes closer to drum than foot pressure
> on pedal during
> normal driving, which in turn allows the adjuster to adjust shoes too
> close to drums
> which causes the drums to heat up even when brakes aren't being used.
> With my foot on
> the brake pedal while setting the e-brake, I feel the pedal drop very
> very slightly. I know this means the shoes aren't adjusted properly
> but the pedal height is ok and if I adjust the shoes
> any closer, they drag, causing the drums to heat up when brakes not in use.
>
> New parts:
> - backing plates
> - e-brake cables
> - shoes, drums, hardware
> - adjuster bar and wheel
>
> Do I
>
> - not use e-brake until shoes have worn down
> - back off e-brake adjustment (there is a ~ 1/16" gap between e-brake
> lever and adjuster
> bar)
> - remove material from shoes
> - turn drums
> - not worry, leave things as-is
>
> If I leave things as-is, I feel like I'm ruining the drums and shoes
> but there seems to be
> no recourse!
>
> Thanks,
>
> Neil.
>
>
> --
> Neil n
>
> Blog: Vanagons, Westfalia, general <http://tubaneil.blogspot.ca>
>
> 1988 Westy Images <https://picasaweb.google.com/musomuso/New1988Westy>
>
> 1981 Westfalia "Jaco" Images, technical <http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/>
>
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>
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