TheSamba.com :: View topic - More brake issues...(rear drums and pedal assembly)

Sat May 21, 2005 6:11 pm

Hi, Folks...

Ok, well...I've made progress on my brake system rebuild. The buggy is based on a '67 VW. In the process, I've run into a couple of problems.

I took the rear (splined) drums to a place that told me they could turn them. Well, they pulled out a mic and showed me the drums had already been turned beyond spec. He told me I should be able to reuse them...I don't think I want to do that. I read on another site that because of the weight distribution of a sand rail that it isn't like a standard vehicle where the front brakes take most of the burden in braking. For this reason, I hesitate to reuse those drums.

I found a place that will sell me new, German rear drums for about $60 each. Does this sound like a good deal? Sounds like it to me, but I haven't checked around much yet.

Also, I was going to replace the brake return spring and after doing some research here, I think I've decided to replace the entire assembly. Anyone have a good source on parts? I checked CIP (as someone recommended in one of the posts I read), but didn't locate it yet...I'm about to check again.

Thanks for any help, as always!

Sat May 21, 2005 6:20 pm

www.pacificcustoms.com

www.mooreparts.com

Sat May 21, 2005 6:56 pm

Thank you! I will check them out!!

Sun May 22, 2005 3:31 am

hey man you would probably be better off just going to disk brake in the rear. i have a baja and i had the same delema was going to redo the drums then went disk. it stops on a dime and i have only done the rear so far. i used the wide five extra which ran me about $320. but if you go with the four lug you are looking at about $180 i garantee you will be happy. with the new drums you are already looking at 120 +pads+wheel cylinders+the springs i went through the drums thing and always had to adjust them and change pads. this gets to be a pain in the ass. if you want to use the wide five pattern and dont want to pay alot use the four lug disk brake set up then use a 3/8 spacer or bigger and a wide five adapter its alot cheaper well good luck with those drum brakes i have not had one problem since i switched about 3 months ago its a daily driver.

Sun May 22, 2005 9:04 am

Yeah...I was sort of leaning toward doing that because of the cost of drums. Is it typical to leave the front brakes drum and convert rear to disc?

I'll check around on some conversion kits...where did you get yours? The drums on the rear right now are 5-lug, but the wheels are 4-lug...they used an adapter plate to be able to use the 4-lug wheels with those drums. Do you have (or rather, Can you have) an e-brake hooked up with your rear brake setup? I need to add an e-brake so it will be able to pass inspection. Would it use the same e-brake handle? Same cables?

Like yours, mine is also going to be a daily driver so the less I have to mess with the brakes, the more time I'll have to do other things if I need to.

Thanks for the advice!

Sun May 22, 2005 2:13 pm

Well...after doing some more research on here, I've wimped out. I just can't afford to do the disc brake conversion the right way just yet (with getting the e-brake set up, etc...would need a proportioning valve if just doing the rear brakes as disc...on and on...$$$$)

I'm going to get some new brake drums...I discovered that the new shoes I bought are correct replacements in every way except they lack the third hole for the brake retraction spring to hook into on all shoes except one. :!:

So now, I'm waiting to get the correct brake shoes...and the hoses. And hopefully, will have the brakes all together again. The star adjusters were badly rusted on the rear wheels -- after reading on here about PB Blaster, I bought some and the adjusters freed right up!!! Great stuff!

Tue May 24, 2005 1:41 am

yeah i could see how the e-brake would be cool but i tore mine out. I didnt have to have my car inspected(friends in high places) shhhhhhhh. lol well i am sorry to hear the e-brake is what made you stick with the drums. my car stops exellent. with the disk in the rear and drums up front it doesnt do any swerving like people told me it would it stops straight and everything i can even lock the brakes up and spin the car i like it. the brakes have well paid for themselves with many near misses that if i still had the drums my car would have been in the vw cemetary. well good luck with those drums.

Tue May 24, 2005 9:53 am

Yeah...if I could find a crooked inspection place, I'd probably go with the disc brakes too... :wink: I just can't do it...that and the cops harass me every chance they get anyway. The city gets on my case about my vehicles because they're "too old" or "too offensive to my neighbors" or whatever the reason...nothing is illegal about them, but since my neighbors bitch, they come bother me. :evil:

I used to have a '52 military Jeep (an M38A1)...they used to stop me just about every night they would see me out because it only had one taillight. Funny thing about that year -- they were only REQUIRED to have ONE taillight. As soon as I told them what year it was, they'd say, "Oh....ok, sorry...have a good evening..." and didn't ask me anything else. It just gets annoying being harassed like that every other day. I feel like if I didn't have the e-brake and I got stopped (for something they're not supposed to be able to stop me for, as above)...they'd see there wasn't an e-brake and make a federal case out of it.

Oh well...I'll go ahead and fix the brakes up as they are now and hopefully by the time it needs brakes again, I'll have saved up enough to do the disc conversion. Did you put a proportioning valve in yours, btw? I'm also concerned about what will happen if I need new rotors in the future...my understanding is there's just one place that makes them. Is there any way to do a disc brake conversion with rotors already being mass produced for some other model car?

Thanks again...