TheSamba.com :: View topic - Rear Brake Shoes

Wed Dec 03, 2025 2:35 pm

Hello! I'm doing a rear brake job on my 56. I installed new brake shoes from CIP. I'm not super excited about how they fit in the adjusting start cradles. The angle is off, and they don't seat as full as they should. Is this cause for concern? Or just they way these particular pads are?

Wed Dec 03, 2025 3:18 pm

Your backing plate appears to be a later version than for a 1956. You may have the 58-64 style which has different shoes. I am not sure if the shoes should be 30mm or 40mm wide for the later year brakes.

Also, the bearing cover is upside down as the drip point should aim down. It will not match up with the shape of the brake plate that way so you may need to grind clearance where it necks down to match the shape of the upside down plate. If you don't fix this, you can easily foul your new shoes with oil.

Wed Dec 03, 2025 4:28 pm

Thanks for the reply Dan! I posted another question a few weeks ago about brake orientation, and there were some replies there that I hadn't seen previously. Other folks there mentioned that I seemingly have 1958-1964 rear brakes (not original to the car). So that matches up to what you noted. I do know that the shoe width of these new brakes match the width of the ones I removed. The shape of the 58-64 shoes would probably match up better. I appreciate the info!

Wed Dec 03, 2025 8:45 pm

Pay careful attention to the adjusting screws in your wheel cylinder.

There are many different ones-some are angle cut at the seating surface to accommodate the angle on the brake shoe

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=2468888

That may or may not be your problem if you are using angle cut shoes and straight adjusting screws then it is a mismatch.

You can see better on this photo where the slit is down to the threads on one side and then the other the slit is half way up on the head
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2614789

Wed Dec 03, 2025 11:03 pm

74 Thing is spot on! Those adjusters do not go with those shoes. I believe the straight slot are late split window Bugs. They then went to a slight angle to 55. Then changed the angle again. I might have it wrong, but I am pretty damn sure I am right. I would look it up, but my plate is over flowing right now. Maybe after the holiday season takes a break!

Also, sometimes the wheel cylinder needs to be collapsed a bit.

Also, also, sometimes the ebrake needs to be released in tension. And be sure you got the spreader bar keyed correctly!

Sun Dec 07, 2025 3:22 pm

VW_Jimbo wrote: 74 Thing is spot on! Those adjusters do not go with those shoes. I believe the straight slot are late split window Bugs. They then went to a slight angle to 55. Then changed the angle again. I might have it wrong, but I am pretty damn sure I am right. !

I Just did the rear brakes on my 55.. and the screw surfaces were flat - i was surprised...having only done brakes on much later bugs, where they were all slanted. Believe this is all original, even the drums had "55" on the inside of them...not positive proof of originality, but helps point that way