TheSamba.com :: View topic - 89 Vanagon Brake Drag/whine after install?

Sun Jul 31, 2022 2:08 pm

As per the great suggestions from members here, we decided to overhaul the rear brakes before taking our newly acquired Westy on a 6 hour drive.

The mission was a success, although it took me two days :( anyways, we hit the first town and noticed some pretty audible whine and drag (?) after a stop light for a good 1km or so. Is this normal? We don’t have time to inspect and adjust, just basically wanna know that they won’t catch fire. I can smell them and they’re quite hot

Thanks!

Jeff

Sun Jul 31, 2022 2:14 pm

not normal

if they are hot enough to smell they will get hot enough to burn up the wheel cylinder, cook the seals and shoot brake fluid out as your pedal sinks to the floor.

if it's hot enough, vaporized brake fluid will burst into flames

always love the "we don't have time" comments.... either find the time and fix it, or it WILL make you find the time and fix it and it will be under the worst possible circumstances

Sun Jul 31, 2022 3:48 pm

You’re right. We just stopped somewhere shady and I took the wheel off and the drum was almost impossible to get off. My fault. I adjusted them back and no more whine. Thanks for the advice!

Sun Jul 31, 2022 8:07 pm

Well, after adjusting them back so the drum fit back on nicely, they still stuck and we had to pull over again and adjust them back even more. I think the adjuster was caught and maybe causing the ebrake arm on the shoe to get stuck outward? Anyways I backed it of more and tried to find the groove where the adjuster was a bit more free and not getting stuck on something.
We’ll see how it goes.
We did end up doing this last adjustment at the beach though and the swim was niiicccceeee.

Sun Jul 31, 2022 9:13 pm

can you psot pictures of your brakes with the drums off, l know it's a bit late now.
did you have both sides off at the same time.
let's have a look, perhaps when we see a picture, someone will be able to tell you what's wrong.

there's a shop, 15 miles east of me, they've got two ''mechanics'' who can't seem to put vanagon rear brakes together.
l found a van they had worked on, with rear brake troubles, both sides were installed incorrectly, but differently incorrectly.