So i just had the brakes of my '84 westy worked on (and for good reason, the master and rear cylinders were leaking a fair bit).  Yadda yadda yadda, works better, but still doesn't have the "pucker power" (yeah right) that i was hoping for since driving another guy's van at the Van-O-Rama (thanks for the shindig, ben).  For the record, new pads front and rear, flushed brake system and new cylinders, rear shoes as close to drum as practical, etc.

The theory presented was that my brakes are mediocre due to the brake booster (or something like that)... a little doohiky operating off a vacuum from the engine or something?  When talking to the mechanic, he seemed to allude to a possibility of there being some sort of luck-of-the-draw when it comes to these doohikies...  Could this be the culprit?  Are these not all created equal?  What are some good ways to beef up stock brakes?  And, i guess, how does this device even work?  My brakes feel about par for an 18 year old vanagon, i suppose, but i've felt better, and am essentially wondering if there is an effective way to improve my brakes without resorting to dropping big $$$ on a big brake kit or something.

I managed to get the westy up to 90mph on the flats on the way back from the brake shop (on a 1.9!), so maybe stopping is the next thing i need to take care of :-)

Thanks, and as always, this list is a phenomenal resource...

-Damon

'84 Westy

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