Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:41:10 -0400
Reply-To: Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: rear wheel cylinders
In-Reply-To: <1238465673.4036.12.camel@desktop>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
AJ, I can't speak to the spring or no spring problem since I always use
German rear wheel cylinders when I do rear brakes (every time I take a
leaking rear wheel cylinder off it is a non German one). However I
don't think this is your problem. First of all, did you measure your
drums? Many times these are beyond the limits printed on the drum and
need to be replaced. If you are using new shoes with old drums there
can be a wear in period where the new shoes need to break into the old
drums because the radius of the new shoes is for new drums and if the
drums are getting close to the limit but still usable they it can take a
little while for the rear shoes to seat in. Are you sure you bled the
rear wheel cylinders properly? I have done this and still had soft
pedal and then came back the next day, did it again and there was an air
bubble still in the lines.
Improper installation of the rear wheel springs, adjuster and hardware
is the next problem I run across. Be sure you reference the picture in
the Bentley manual as to how to install your rear brake hardware. Many
times the person before you may have installed the springs or adjuster
or even the rear most shoe wrong and this causes many problems.
Finally the biggest thing I can't stress enough is adjusting the rear
shoes so that they just start to drag on the drum. If you don't do this
you are going to have crappy pedal no matter what you do or what type of
rear wheel cylinders you have. If your shoes aren't adjusted far enough
out when you step on the brakes they go out and stop without touching
the drum or maybe just touching it, then you have to step again to push
them out another pump to get them to do something. Once you release the
brakes the wheel cylinders return like they are supposed to and you have
to pump twice again.
I have a nice step by step write up with pictures that I provide to
customers who get their rear brake parts from me. If someone is
considering doing this job in the future I would recommend they buy
their parts from us at Van-Again and we will not only provide you with
OE parts but also the information you need to do the job right. I can
think of no other job on the Vanagon that I have seen screwed up with
brand new parts more than the rear brakes. The fault dear Horatio lies
not in our parts but in ourselves. You can quote me on that one. :-)
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
A J wrote:
> Having done the rear brakes on my Vanagon and ending up with the"soft
> pedal" I was wondering if anyone had a set of wheel cylinder springs
> they would be willing to part with?
>
> Even if it is just one that I could use to match to a new set. I just
> cant see removing the cylinders and buying new new cylinders to replace
> the new cylinders already installed to test if that is the real problem.
> I figure I could just open the cylinders and see if there was a spring,
> if not then just slip in one and see if that in fact cures the problem.
>
> So if you have several old cylinders with the springs and can spare a
> pair, or even one please contact me. I will post if this works and in
> fact cures the pedal problem. That way we can all be sure to check
> before we install. I didnt.
>
> Thanks,
>
> A J
>
>
