HELP Brake problem 1973/4??

[OurPoorBus]

Hi, this is my first post on this forum, we have a 1973or4 VW bus, 1800, I will have to re-verify the age, we took her in to have the brakes checked and fixed awhile back as they were binding badly [how we bought her] and when driving you could see the rear hubcaps actually sticking and not turning. They did the repairs, made up a brake pipe that was history, replaced the handbrake cable etc. We took her home and she went a bit better but not much, the guy at the brake place said it would loosed up on its own after a bit of driving, I was driving behind the kombi and the hubcaps were all going round fine.
Next day we took her for a drive and after driving about a 100m she started binding again, 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear are fight and go and 4th gear is impossible to get as she totally binds up. So now we are a bit lost, the company that did the brakes are supposed to be reputable but I am reluctant to take her back to them. Alternatively could this be some other problem. We are busy doing major body repair work on her and we have to move her around a bit to get into the workspace, I am worried that we are damaging something while moving her.
The brake drums at the back were replaced with good seconds as new parts are impossible to find, The rear wheels are the ones with the hub that does not come off.
Any help is greatly appreciated.

[OurPoorBus]

Anyone out there, heeelp.

[westy78]

sounds like you could possibly have a colapsed brake line or restriction of some kind in the system. When this shop did the work did they replace any of the old lines. Even if they look good from the outside they could be deteriorated and swelling on the inside. This causes the fluid to not be able to return after applying the brakes. I had this problem on a 72 I used to own. I thought it was a bad caliper so replaced it with a new one and it still drug and heated up. Check the lines. Replacing them all would be a good idea if they have never been done.

Good Luck
Jasan C.

[OurPoorBus]

Thanks Jasan, they did replace one line, I think they checked them for 'free flow' of brake fluid, the brake pedal does not go hard when they bind it stays soft, like normal. Any chance it could be wheel bearings, as was suggested on another forum?