>On Tue, 24 Jun 2003, Ri wrote:
>
>>  1. Do the big disc's work much better than drilled rotors?
>
>There was some discussion about this on the list a while back.  I think
>the consensus was that drilled rotors don't have any real benefits in
>non-race applications.  *Vented* rotors (not the same thing) would, but no
>one offers them for Vanagons that I know of.

South African Transporters have ventilated front discs. Ventilated
discs are hollow, basically a built-in centrifugal fan drawing
cooling air through intake openings around the center, radially
through the disc and exhausting through vents around the outer edge.

>Cross-drilling just doesn't
>add enough surface area to really help the cooling.

It doesn't help cooling at all, as the air in the holes will be dead
space; nothing really to get it moving, so much of it will just spin
with the disc. AND it traps water, which then escapes as a film to
lubricate the pads... not good.

>IMHO there are two main
>benefits to rear disc brakes: they're easier to service

A major gain!

>and they look
>better with spoked alloy wheels. ;)

Ditto.

They are also lighter (in theory) than drums, allowing better
suspension performance.

>5. I have had good luck with the 15" tire and I know several folks on the
>list have as well.  Low profile and the Vanagon I don't think go well
>together.  You need the reinforced Tire (load range C or D) and I don't
>think you are going to find this in low profile.

There are LOTS of these vans in Europe with 17-18" alloy wheels and
very low-profile CAR tires. The car's handling is good enough to
benefit much from their fitment. As I say, use tires of appropriate
load rating. Low stiff sidewalls with grippy tread pattern/compound
allow these vans to be really belted along tight twisty roads (T2s
too!), but a Westy is never going to be really up to that... so
perhaps 16" wheels would be sufficient; lower-profile tires might be
counterproductive.
--
Andrew Grebneff
165 Evans St, Dunedin, New Zealand
64 (3) 473-8863
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Fossil preparator
Seashell, Macintosh & VW/Toyota van nut