brake trouble, need help!

[ali_lou]

I'm new to the mechanics so bear with me please!!!

I bought my 69'beetle about 6 months ago. Recently the brakes have been grinding and the pedal travel has been slowly getting more and more excessive. At the weekend I checked the brake lines (which all look fine, no cracks etc) and adjusted the brakes (now nice and tight). I then topped up the brake fluid resevoir and took the beetle for a spin to see if these had helped. Initially it did but now I have to push the brake pedal pretty much all the way to the floor before any stopping occurs and even then it is minimal!

What is the next step? Should I bleed the brakes? Check the wheel cylinders and push rod?? Any insight would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Thanks

[Nor_AL_67]

Yes, bleed them; right rear, left rear, right front left front. If you don't know how to bleed, use the search function there are >100 posts on bleeding. If that doesn't fix the problem then I'm guessing you probably need new flex hoses.

edit: If you hear grinding take the drum off and see if you're down to the shoe lining.
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63 Sedan
61 Rag
67 Type 1 Sedan
63 Type 2 Standard Walk-thru
69 Ghia
68 912

Amateur Versus Rusty Bus!

[drscope]

If they are grinding, stop what you are doing and go buy new shoes!

Don't adjust a shoe with no lining material out against the drum. You will only be tearing up a good drum.

After you have replaced the shoes, then with the parking brake OFF, you need to adjust them out so they are just in contact with the drums.

Then bleed the system.

If this car has been sitting, or hasn't had the rubber flex lines changed in the history that you know of, you may want to consider changing them as well. They may look good on the outside, but they often start to come apart internally and this can cause lots of problems.
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Mother Nature is a Mean Evil Bitch!

[oman]

mine wouldnt hold pressure and i had to pump it to get any power, but i took off all the drums and inspected the shoes/wheel cylinders. the shoes were terrible and the wheel cylinders were old and leaky so that was why it wouldn't hold pressure. the wheel cylinders slowly loose pressure through a leak so that is why it may hold, then slowly loose force

[ali_lou]

Thanks! That's pretty much what I figured. I'm gonna do a thourough inspection of the brake lines/drums/shoes/wheel cylinders. Any advice on how to easily get the drums off would be good-i've struggled with this before.

[drscope]

Getting the fronts off should be easy.

First step is to go back and adjust the shoes in away from the drum. Otherwsie, you may have a little difficulty getting the drum off if it has a ridge built up on the inside edge.

On the rear, you will need a big socket, a good breaker bar and a piece of pipe. Or the torque tool.
http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ACC%2DC10%2D7036

The torque tool makes it simple! And if you don't have the socket and a GOOD (as in high quality expensive) breaker bar, the cost of those two items will come close to the cost of the torque tool.
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Mother Nature is a Mean Evil Bitch!

[bill may]

[Smokin64Bug]

check for leaks