Date:         Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:35:06 -0700
Reply-To:     Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Rear Brake Shoe Design Questions
Comments: To: Mike <mbucchino@charter.net>
In-Reply-To:  <054CCDB1E9D043C1A2B1D50937F05F91@mike2d93581d7f>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

No kidding - the drum brakes on my Ford pickup were the same, as were the
drums on my Chevy trucks, Splitties, Beetles, etc.  The only one that was
different was my '58 Alfa which had 3 leading shoes on each front wheel.



On Thu, Apr 30, 2009 at 3:07 PM, Mike <mbucchino@charter.net> wrote:

>  If that's true, then most production vehicle's drum brakes must also be
> laughable.  They practically all use this same design, not just in the rear,
> but in the front, too.
>  Oh yeah, it really works, too, and has for millions of vehicles, over
> millions of miles, for decades, even on Vanagons..........believe it or not!
>
> Mike B.
>   ----- Original Message -----
>  From: Don Hanson
>  To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>  Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 2:45 PM
>  Subject: Re: Rear Brake Shoe Design Questions
>
>
>  The rear drum brakes on MY van..an '84..they are laughable.  First time I
>  looked at them, I was amazed..."This is how it was sold?" I thought.  The
>  brake shoe mechanisim in the rear hub reminded me of what you might see on
> a
>  stagecoach...except the stagecoach ones must have worked better with just
> a
>  single 'center'.rather than pretty much pivoting on one end and moving
> only
>  the other end....  I bet you can find vanagon rear shoes with linings that
>  are untouched on one end and worn to steel on the other.
>    They do help stop the van, I guess.  Musta been a Friday when
>  the VW engineers sent in that design to Managment..I am not complaining
>  though..they work.
>    If I lived and worked somewhere involving a commute through the
> mountains
>  or over a pass, I guess I'd swap them for something different, a set up
> that
>  actually used the braking surface that you pay for on the shoes...
>    Don Hanson
>
>  On Thu, Apr 30, 2009 at 10:27 AM, neil N <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>  > Hi all.
>  >
>  > I read of details regarding spacers (Dennis Haynes) one could install
>  > at anchor end of the brake shoes. My understanding is that this would
>  > help ensure more of the shoe contacts the drum.
>  >
>  > Does adding spacers accomplish something similar to arcing the shoes?
>  > (not done much these days from what I've read)
>  >
>  > Were VW shoes shaped to fit the drum better than aftermarket shoes?
>  >
>  > If so, would one be wise to install these spacers when installing new
>  > shoes and hardware?
>  >
>  > AFAIK, my braking system is working right. But, I notice that with
>  > foot on brake engine running, I pull up the handbrake and feel the
>  > pedal drop a *little*. Is this because the lower portion of shoe is
>  > pushed out to contact drum?
>  >
>  > Curious minds just need to know,
>  >
>  > Neil.
>  >
>  > --
>  > Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"
>  >
>  > http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>  >
>  >
>  >
> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
>  >
>



--
Jake

1984 Vanagon GL
1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"

Crescent Beach, BC

www.crescentbeachguitar.com
http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27