TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:23 am

Good Morning,

I am ordering new brakes for my '77 Westfalia.
Am I right with assuming that it is brake drums in the rear and calpiers in the front?

Thank You

Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:35 am

Yes, the front are disk brakes but I recommend doing an inspection before ordering any parts.

Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:49 am

Thank You,

I have inspected the rear brakes. Just double checking on that.

Fri Aug 28, 2015 1:29 pm

http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/wolfsburg_new/brakes/bus_brake/brakes_bus.cfm?type=2

Post some pix of the Old Girl and start a Thread. Then you can ask questions in your thread. That way everything stays together.

Good luck
Tcash

Fri Aug 28, 2015 2:49 pm

Use Rock Auto!!! they have quality american and german parts for vw buses!!!!! I spent $400 with shipping for the following

-Front rotors, front calipers, front pads, disc hardware kit, rear cylinders, rear seals, rear drums, rear shoes, new wheel bearings all around, and new rubber hoses! top quality too! Im 95% sure all of these specialty vw websites are buying from this wholesaler website! heres a link, dont get screwed by expensive websites selling the same products... all the brake parts I bought are warrantied and Name brand!!!! and I only spent $400!!!!

https://www.rockauto.com/

Find your year vw bus and look under the brake category :) have fun!

Fri Aug 28, 2015 7:53 pm

what brand(s) did you get?

Fri Aug 28, 2015 8:45 pm

Off the top of my head I know I ordered Bendix, Wagner, IAP, Dorman, Centric, Beck/Arnley, and Raybestos.

The websites got a funky layout but thats because its more a wholesale company, its easy to figure out, ill post pics of my parts as they slowly come in. Shipping said 4 to 6 business days and so far they 5 boxes came in the next day haha! pretty rad! their shipping is ridiculously cheap too.

Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:55 pm

Everything I have bought from RockAuto.com has fit well, quality as expected. 1999 Jeep Cherokee, 1977 and 1973 Transporter. 2003 Honda CRV. Brakes, engine management, cooling system.

A lot of it is drop shipped and not all will arrive at the same time. Not all of it is American made, but that is not always a good thing anyway. They don't have every single thing I need all of the time, but neither does WW, BD or GW. Shop around on the internet and carefully compare tax, shipping and handling charges. Carefully read returns policy.

Elaina.... we would all like to see some pictures of your bus! 8) :D

Sat Aug 29, 2015 6:18 am

Very True^ Im really happy with the parts I bought however. im not afraid to use them on my bus. One of the brake hardware kits I got seems to me like NOS as its in a funky 70s colored box with yellowing all around the white colors haha! smells like its from the 70s too lolololol

Sat Aug 29, 2015 3:37 pm

How do I start a thread?
Sounds neat...
I'll defintely post some pictures of the old girl

Sat Aug 29, 2015 5:34 pm

I have been dealing a lot with Rockauto for about 7 years. Very yood parts, very good shipping and excellent customer service..

Be sure an read all of the info and cross match tabs on the parts you shop. And....Rockauto is not just a broker/shipper. They have their own warehouses....just more than one...and not everything is in every one.
If its out of stock when you order it and not in a known shipment.....meaning it would be on backorder. ...their computer will stop the order at checkout and either cancel the sale or the sale of that item.

Also...if a part arrives and is not, as advertized, damaged or has issues.....call their customer service. I had to last fall with tie rod ends whose part number was correct but Federal Mogul had changed the part. Rockauto was very interested because they needed to, change their parts description. They were happy to look at comparison pics in an, email. They refunded me and sent a free shipping RMA package to me to return the part.

6 years ago they were not as goodm they are doing very good now. Ray

Sat Aug 29, 2015 6:24 pm

yea the prices are great and shipping is pretty cheap too 8)

Sat Aug 29, 2015 7:56 pm

Also...check often...like weekly....for things you want. Their inventory can change radically and quickly. Sometimes things they never seem to carry...appear out of nowhere in a range of quality from new, 2nd and 3rd world.....and brand is always listed.......to mid 90s NOS.

There are a some items that appear. ...that note....distributor closeout and/or mfg closeout.....which makes me think their buyers are just scouring the market looking for good truckloads of deals.

I bought caliper rebuild kits last year for 42mm ATE type 4 front calipers (also rebuilds both early and late 914, late type 3 and some Volvos and 911).......and they were listed as world parts (usually the same supplier that Beck Arnley gets). They were $7.35 per kit.....and came in and turned out to be FAG.....awesome!

Know your parts though...because they can have a huge range of choices per item. Dont shop by price alone.

Also very important. ......their customer service guy noted that they have agreements and lots of correspondence from large customer groups like the Mazda owners group who have asked to carry a range of common items....so they do. Also some of the other car groups have gotten together and asked.....and stated their numbers....and Rockauto has gone out of their eay for them. Perhaps the VW group should get together. These guys have buying power and connections. Ray

Sat Aug 29, 2015 7:59 pm

Definintely!

Mon Aug 31, 2015 3:03 am

Have to chime in with more positive feedback for RockAuto. I really like their informative catalog features also. RockAuto actually gives a slight discount (5% ?) to members of many established car clubs when orders are placed including their current discount code(s). Maybe a Sambanista Bay Window Club should exist! :lol:

OTOH a lot of thesamba.com vendors go way out on a limb to offer specific dub stuff NO wide-range auto parts store (online or brick & mortar) would ever carry; gotta love 'em for that!

Still, great to have choices!