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Date:         Sat, 10 Dec 2016 23:27:17 -0500
Reply-To:     Eric Wunrow <VW@ERICWUNROW.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Eric Wunrow <VW@ERICWUNROW.COM>
Subject:      Re: Mechanical/Brakes/1984 Westy
Comments: To: "C. Abney" <tsudonimh@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CALsWj8njnxeggZJtgFkBSuO2NdL-5pc_BNWWqefDhOB6Hyvi8Q@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252

Hello, Chuck and Everyone:

Sorry for the delay, I mainly do Samba via cell and only have these emails coming to my laptop — so am booted up for the first time since.

I did read/mis-read the posts from Mark Ward and Dennis Haynes. From my lack of mechanical experience with our bus, I missed the connection of their posts vs. the brakes not working from the wrong bearings. Doh, as it's pretty obvious in reading them now!

With apologies, not much knowing folks here I did think Mark Ward was the same guy as "vw_van_fan_mark." Hence my reply, but I was dead wrong and apologize to both Marks… and I must say, in these two weeks I have gotten to know more about TK than I ever wished to know, so now understand the gist of the latter Mark's comments. Sorry!

Mark Ward said: "I would suggest checking the front wheel bearing freeplay. If the rotors are wobbling going down the road, they will knock the caliper pistons back. When you go to apply the brakes, you need the pistons to move back out giving you the "soft" pedal you describe." —— My thinking was "The wheels and the rotors are on tight since there's no rotor slop — so it must be the right bearing." There was no play as the mechanic over-tightened the retainer nut after the wheels nearly fell off in our test drive. The first play we saw in my wheels and rotors was after we torqued the new retainer nuts properly, dropped it on the ground, and I noticed both wheels were wobbly.

Dennis Haynes said: "Being an 84 there are two possible bearings being used for the outer. The early ones had the smaller bearing which was updated some time to a larger bearing used, all the way through 91. The early bearings was known for failing and destroying the spindle. Properly installed and serviced these bearings should last a long time, usually 2 brake jobs. Overheating the brakes can also destroy the grease and cause a later failure." —— My thinking was "He must mean the bearing width was of varying thickness." I had no concept of this indicating the inside diameter of the bearing varied — and since my wheels were tight, and the brakes never got hot, I assumed they were the correct bearings.

Brief question: I assume the spindle size was also made larger with the ID of the bearings in late '84…???

THANKS!

Eric Eric Wunrow Pictures 303. 988. 8717

VW@EricWunrow.com (for this list's emails) EW@EricWunrow.com (for private messages)

On Dec 5, 2016, at 1:26 PM, C. Abney <tsudonimh@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

> Sometimes I get the impression those guys will start chucking apples > (in a metaphorical way) at someone, for whatever reason... I thought > it was related to disorganized thought process or not doing their > homework, but from this post I don't really get any of that. So it > seems TK, who normally would rib people for throwing parts at a > problem, was a bit odd this time around. > > And yeah, here too, Dennis was right on topic here as well. He > believed the OP about the start of the problem, and nailed the source. > > On 12/1/16, vw_van_fan_Mark <madvws@cox.net> wrote: >> The official VW Parts says the spindle diameter changed in 84 model year >> production at chassis number E - 023827 so most 84 would have the later >> bearing. Only pretty early 84 model year vans would have the old >> bearing. The factory built roughly 150,000 T3 vehicles most years. >> >> Not sure why you gave much credit to TK since Mark Ward blamed the >> bearings right away. Meanwhile TK had you replacing the master cylinder, >> looking for bad hoses, bad bleeders, and said several times that the >> bearing were likely not the cause. >> >> Yes, VanCafe rocks, as usual! >> >> Mark D > > Chuck > -- > It seems my TO-DO list is a FITO (faster-in-than-out) >


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