Rear brake adjustment issue!

[Tim Donahoe]

A few hundred miles ago, I replaced my parking-brake cables and I installed new German drums, shoes (probably not German), and springs.

I was replacing the rear shocks today so I thought I'd re-adjust the rear brakes and handbrake cable adjustment.

When I went to do my adjustments, the right side would play this game with me and I wondered if anyone else had had it happen. I'd adjust to get my slight rubs and turn the drum--wheel off. When I turned the drum about halfway, it would suddenly be very hard to turn. Then when I kept turning, it would become easy again--with just the slight scraping noise that I was looking for.

It's almost as if the drum was out of round--but I know it's not. It's new.

Anyone had this happen while adjusting the rears? I had to back off the stars a little to prevent this super drag on only one half turning of the drum.

Weird.

Anyone else?

Tim

[60ragtop]

just because the drum is new doesn't mean it is not out of round
did you adjust the rear brakes first after you put in new cables then adjusted the cables?
_________________
Rick
Certified Mechanic by the State of Michigan in 1977
ASA certified in 1987
Certified Hunter Wheel Alignment Master Technician 1986

[mrmdls]

Besides the possiblity of the drum being out of round, I'm wondering if somehow there might be some contamination of the new brake shoes.

[volksworld]

drum's slightly out of round....you really don't have much leverage to turn it without the wheel so try it with it on....but both sides should behave the same...if you don't feel a pedal pulsation you can ignore it....if it really bothers you swap the drums side to side and see if the problem moves to the other side....if it does its the drum,if it doesn't its the stub axle ....just cause its new doesn't mean it wasn't dropped from a great height....or could have warped from overheating (driving with handbrake on,panic stop,sticking wheel cylinder,bad rubber hose etc)

[Tim Donahoe]

I paid big bucks for those German drums.

No panic stops, no pulsating, no leaving the parking brake on--although the rubber hoses were not changed in the back (I did change the fronts).

The one thing that bugs me is that the new cable to that side has to be cinched down, using most of the threaded portion of the cable end at the hand brake. The other side does not.

I'll take the drum off again and take it to have it measured to see if it's out of round. If it is, I'm taking it back.

I really should have just gotten rear discs. It would only have been another hundred bucks, or so, anyway.

Thanks, guys.

Tim

[volksworld]

compare both sides....if you had a frozen wheel cylinder that was overextended(or couldn't retract from a bad hose) the shoes would be too far apart at the top and you'd have to pull the handbrake arm way forward before the balance bar hit the front shoe....and that could cause the adjustment deal at the handle and the drag would overheat and warp the drum

[Tim Donahoe]

So I bought two new cottor pins. This weekend I'm going to take off the drums and see what's what.

I did raise the car and stepped on the brakes a few times whilw the wife turned the wheels when I let off the brakes. The wheels would turn easily after letting off the brakes. This leads me to believe that the slave cylinder is not freezing, and the rubber hose is not plugged up.

I re-adjusted this time with the wheels on. The drag at that certain part of the spinning was not nearly as evident--practically nonexistent, actually. So, I may have discovered an issue, simply because I tried to adjust the rear drum without the wheel being on. Doing so takes away the leverage which the installed wheel gives you when hand spinning it.

The new shocks (oil-filled Sachs) provided a slight issue (nothing ever fits exactly right when I replace a part on this bug ). The bottom part of the shock would not fit into its housing, so I had to file off a little metal to squinch it in there. Other than that, the job would have taken just a few minutes.

Tim

[talljordan]

Im having the same issue, apparently you should adjust till tight, back off three notches (ignore if it rubs half the time you spin it) pump the brakes a few times and go for a drive around the block. There shouldnt be any more rubbing. Ill be doing this tomorrow,
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Wanted: Male computer diagnostic plug end

[SBD]

[volksworld]

if the adjuster's slot is 180 out the shoe wont center itself and adjust properly

[johnR]

Right. The slot in the star adjuster is angled and should match the brake shoe. If it's the other way, the shoe will be a bit cockeyed.

[Greezy Joe]

[Tim Donahoe]

Well, the slots are not 180 out. I don't even see how you'd get the drum on it they were.

So, I got fed up and went down to Al Kraut's VW repair shop here in town. He's an old "Muldoon" type that has been working on bugs since the world was young.

He jacked up the car and spun the wheels. One wheel was too snug. I told him that when I adjusted it yesterday, the wheel spun freely. He told he that I was not driving the car then and the brakes "expand" when they heat up. Hm? Had I adjusted it too tightly for driving?

I had him adjust the wheels--just to see if the drums were out of round--in his opinion. He told me that I had adjusted the parking brake too tightly, of course. I told him that I had adjusted it to Hayne's specs for my year: pull up three clicks on the handle and tighten the cables until you can just barely turn the wheels.

He told me that Hayne's was wrong.

Over the years, there were a number of paws in the parking brake handles. All had their teeth start at different places from the other. Three teeth on one of these, put the handle at a different height than the others. So you had to do it by feel--not the number of clicks.

He also adjusted the drums--not for the slight drag that I had adjusted--but to the point where the drag just started to show itself.

My new drums and shoes were not out of round, after all.

So, basically, I suppose it's sometimes best to listen to the old guys who have been doing this since sock hops were popular, instead of our manuals.

I watched him very closely.

Tim

[Hyperspace]

Yep, I wouldn't do any less than 5 clicks or you risk the handbrake pulling itself when you corner fast.
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[volksworld]

the best use for a Haynes manual is an emergency source of toilet paper...please get a bentley