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84Westy48
Samba Member
Joined: January 11, 2010
Posts: 43
Location: Big Island Hawaii
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 Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2022 3:50 pm Post subject: Parking brake left on while driven? |
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We have an 84 Westy and were on a road trip. The ebrake was left on for a distance of around 10 miles. The ebrake was not in the hardest detent. When checking the brakes they were not smoking but were hot and have a burnt smell.
Is it recommended to replace or would sanding the pads and drum be adequate.
The pads and drum only had at the time 9000 miles on them.
Thank you,
John
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steve244
Samba Member
Joined: March 18, 2022
Posts: 1668
Location: GA
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DanHoug
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2016
Posts: 4800
Location: Bemidji, MN
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| Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2022 4:20 pm Post subject: Re: Parking brake left on while driven? |
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i've done that, continued on with life.
that said, if your e brake was on as hard as it can go and you were able to drive, you have adjustment and/or rear brake issues. a proper brake will lock you solid and you will NOT take off with it on. when i've done it, it has been when my rear brakes were less than perfect.
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-dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.
'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd
Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com |
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16505
Location: Brookeville, MD
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bobbyblack 
Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2015
Posts: 4351
Location: United States, Iowa
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| Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2022 9:25 am Post subject: Re: Parking brake left on while driven? |
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| steve244 wrote: |
| ..and normal braking doesn't pulse.. |
Be aware; most new brake drums you will purchase now WILL pulse... So, if you have a slight pulse and replace them, expect the replacements to also pulse. Many here have just automatically taken new drums for machining. Guess what? In a few weeks, yet again the pulsing starts.
I've had it happen with top dollar stuff from major vendor, so this is just an FYI thing.. I keep my old drums around, for when I get too annoyed with the 'new' ones and instead I get the old ones machined.
-bobby
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch |
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vwwestyman
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004
Posts: 5688
Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2022 9:33 am Post subject: Re: Parking brake left on while driven? |
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If I had a dollar for every time my '73 has been driven with the parking brake on, I could buy a new set of brakes!
But I don't think I have ever had to do that because of the parking brake being left on. (I did replace the rear brakes last year due to a wheel cylinder leaking but I imagine that was because it was 48 years old, not from the brake being left on.)
One time, the brake stuck on on one side in my Golf due to water getting into the chafed cable and freezing while it was parked. Drove a few miles and was entranced by the ethereal glow coming from the one disc!
_________________
Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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jimf909
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 7476
Location: WA/ID
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| Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2022 10:40 am Post subject: Re: Parking brake left on while driven? |
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Nice van! Check the parking brake adj. to ensure that it's fully on in 3 - 5 clicks and carry-on. Many vans are so poorly adjusted that the brake isn't engaged at 10 clicks.
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- Jim
| Abscate wrote: |
Do not get killed, do not kill others.
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Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
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vanis13
Samba Member
Joined: August 15, 2010
Posts: 3100
Location: ABQ NM USA.... Except when not
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| Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2022 10:54 am Post subject: Re: Parking brake left on while driven? |
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No worries... You just seated your brake pads... I left my (not fully adjusted) parking brake engaged at the start of a 300 mi flat 4-wheel tow. When I finally stopped I noticed the hot rear wheels.... That was a year and 13,000 miles ago and all had been well.
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83.5 Westy with Subaru 2.5, 4 spd manual, center seat, COLD A/C on 134a!, Winter camp heated with an Espar B4 gasoline furnace
www.SuperVanagon.com - some stuff I make |
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campism
Samba Member
Joined: September 07, 2007
Posts: 4492
Location: Richmond VA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2022 3:30 pm Post subject: Re: Parking brake left on while driven? |
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We've all done it. I was stopped heading uphill on a road in West Virginia while police cleared a motorcycle accident and then drove off with the brake engaged a few clicks. The stink arrived soon enough so I stopped to let things cool down for a bit. No lasting damage thousands of miles later.
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'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic |
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84Westy48
Samba Member
Joined: January 11, 2010
Posts: 43
Location: Big Island Hawaii
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| Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2022 5:33 pm Post subject: Re: Parking brake left on while driven? |
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Thanks guys for all the great advise. Much appreciated!
John |
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Steve M.
Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2013
Posts: 6833
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
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| Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2022 4:57 am Post subject: Re: Parking brake left on while driven? |
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You just discovered another one of the Vanagons multi-purpose tools using the parking brake as a lathe to get the drums turned down!
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This free advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.
There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them. |
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