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Sun Nov 16, 2008 9:06 am

First of all, any help would be greatly appreciated. I have recently replaced all the wheel cylinders, master cylinder, and brakes in my bus. they appear to be in adjustment seeing as though i am not pulling to one side or another when i stop. i did however a short while ago, have a brake sticking after it got warm, which i beleive ended up being a collapsed brake line. i replaced it, and it seems back to normal. i am having difficulty adjusting the handbrake now. it seems that i have cranked it all the way down, and it BARELY gave me any tightness on the rear wheels. how free are the rear wheels supposed to turn?? it just appears that when i release the throttle, i am starting to decrease in speed, and not maintain it. this is driving me nuts!!!

Sun Nov 16, 2008 9:14 am

So you've only replaced one rubber line? Go replace the other 3. The rubber lines are the first thing I replace on every VW I own, unless I know they are new.

You can see which wheel is sticking by driving around the block, then putting your hand on each hubcap. The one that burns your hand is sticking.

If you have the e-brake cables totally cranked down, this could be making the shoes bind. The rear wheels should bind when the e-brake is 3 clicks out and be totally locked at 5 clicks.

Before you adjust the e-brake cables, adjust the brake shoes. I tighten them until they hit the drum, then back off 3 clicks of the adjusting stars. Some people prefer 4 or 5 clicks.

Sun Nov 16, 2008 9:16 am

First, jack up the rear of the bus.
Second, adjust the rear brakes.
Then adjust the parking brake, with the wheels off the ground.
With the later style parking brake with the adjustment for the e-brake in the cab, you must do each one exactly, as each cable works one rear wheel.
The earlier style has an equaliser lever under the floor, and the adjustment for the parking brake is under the floor.
The later style is better in that if a brake cable snaps, you still have an e-brake on one side. With the earlier kind, if a cable snaps you have no parking brake.

I like to adjust it so I can feel friction at three clicks, and so the lever stops at about 7 clicks.

There is a procedure in the Bentley.

Make sure the parking brake is not tight before adjusting the brake shoes.

hope that helps

Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:57 am

I've already experienced the "hot" hub-cap on the left rear, causing me to go ahead a replace the rubber line. i didn't replace the others only because i didn't seem to have any issues with them. i mean i have great pedal at the brake, it just seems that when they get a little warm, they seem to "stick" in a sense. maybe i don't have them adjusted properly.. some people have said that just a "little" friction at the drum is ok when you adjust them... i shouldn't have ANY at all then, right?? i should be able to spin them and they should spin freely?? i will go back and try that first.

thanks guys

Sun Nov 16, 2008 1:48 pm

Mine have a little friction when freshly adjusted, basically you can hear the drum catching the edges of the shoe as it spins. The front spins freely and would take quite a while to stop on its own. The rear has some resistance because of the rear end parts but not the brakes.

If you replaced one rear hose, I can pretty much guarantee the other one is bad too.

Mon Nov 17, 2008 7:44 am

Shouldn't you first back off the e-brake nuts before you adjust the rear stars? Or is that only when you're doing a new-shoe.

Mon Nov 17, 2008 8:51 am

Yes, you may need to do that with new shoes.

I've rarely had to do that because usually the e-brake is not adjusted properly anyway.