pulling to one side and drum really hot (front right)

[crankbait09]

After recently having the drums machined, shoes replaced, and brakes bled and adjusted..............all was rolling/stopping well. Till tonight.

Decided to take it for a stroll (bad idea). Thought I could take it on the back roads to get in some driving time. Well, didn't think about the time and everyone trying to get home after work. So as you can imagine I had to do a lot of braking, stop and go, from light to light. Engine was getting hot, I could smell it from time to time. Once I got going, it was fine again, and smell was gone.

Last weekend, the brakes were fine and stopped. There were no signs of pulling one side to another when applying the brakes. Tonight, I started off fine. About half way through the ride it started pulling badly to the right front side. I started heading back for home, but I was still a good ways away. But pointless story short, the brakes pulled really hard to the right. Got it in to the garage and put my hand on each hubcap to see if there was any heat. I could feel luke warm heat on all three wheels (all were similar), except the right front. That was hot AF! I pulled off the hub cap with a screw driver, and the drum was even hotter. obviously.

I'm assuming this means that the brakes need adjusted on that side, After I drove it last weekend after doing the brake job, I got home and adjusted the brakes so that all were identical. So I figured I was done. Guess not

Is it safe to assume this right front brake just needs to be adjusted? Any reason to think the bearings are bad? Or axle nut may be too tight?
_________________
1963 Ragtop

[Cusser]

[TDCTDI]

If you install the adjuster incorrectly, this will cause binding, dragging, & overheating.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[crankbait09]

I'll definitely taking the front apart this weekend.

When you say "adjuster", you are referring to the star mechanism, right?
How the hell do you install that incorrectly? It only goes in one way, no?
_________________
1963 Ragtop

[HippyTom]

Maybe a brake cylinder hanging up when it gets hot? Take it out, apart, and grease the internals of it with brake grease and see how it does.

[EVfun]

The adjusters have angled slots (some years) and you might be able to inatall them wrong, but I'm not sure you could install the drum if you made that mistake.

If all looks good then I would suspect a sticking wheel cylinder or failing flex hose to that front wheel (they can fail by acting like a one way valve that won't let fluid return.)
_________________

[crankbait09]

I did not replace the front wheel cylinders or front brake lines. All was dry so I left alone.

I'll check the brakes, then go from there. I'll check everything Saturday
_________________
1963 Ragtop

[Sharp64]

One way to determine if it’s a brake line is to jack the car up and see if the wheel spins after taking it for a drive. If it’s hard to spin, leave it and come back in an hour. See if it now spins. If it does, you most likely have a bad line. What happens is the lines collapse internally. The MCpushes the fluid through and the shoes engage. The line collapses and keeps the pressure from relieving. Letting it sit, it slowly leaks back and releives the pressure, disengaging the shoes. Been there.

Front spindle nuts could also be too tight, but shouldn’t cause pulling.
_________________
1960 Indigo Blue Ragtop (Blue Barry)
1967 Ghia
1985 Westy Money Pit
“...some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” - Michael Caine

[Helfen]

[quote="Sharp64"]One way to determine if it’s a brake line is to jack the car up and see if the wheel spins after taking it for a drive. If it’s hard to spin, leave it and come back in an hour. See if it now spins. If it does, you most likely have a bad line. What happens is the lines collapse internally. The MCpushes the fluid through and the shoes engage. The line collapses and keeps the pressure from relieving. Letting it sit, it slowly leaks back and releives the pressure, disengaging the shoes. Been there.

My guess too, and been there as well.

[Cusser]

[quote="Helfen"]

[TDCTDI]

Here's the adjuster.
One side of the slot is deeper.

If it's installed upside down, the brakes will do strange crap.

Check the bleed down as suggested above.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[60ragtop]

angled adjuster screws depends on the year. 65 was the start from the factory.
_________________
Rick
Certified Mechanic by the State of Michigan in 1977
ASA certified in 1987
Certified Hunter Wheel Alignment Master Technician 1986

[Sharp64]

[quote="Cusser"]

[crankbait09]

[crankbait09]

[quote="Cusser"]

[60ragtop]

[crankbait09]

[Sharp64]

[quote="crankbait09"]

[Sharp64]

[TDCTDI]