I don't know if this is normal or not either but my "85 behaves the same way. I almost
never use the handbrake  as in Canada during the winter they are subject to freezing, and
like Don says, they aren't to be trusted. If on a steep hill I turn the front wheels to
the curb, if no curb I find a big rock.

Alan

On Aug 6 , don spence <dspence@OANET.COM> wrote:
>
> I may be out in left field here, being relatively new to Vanagons
> but......Does the point at which it transitions from easy to hard
> coincide with the shoe contacting the drum? If so I'd say you have a
> "normally functioning handbrake with free moving parts (cables, shoes
> etc).  The handbrake is marginal at best on most vehicles and should
> only be relied upon for parking.
> On Tuesday, August 5, 2003, at 09:53 PM, Automatic digest processor
> wrote:
>
> > Date:    Tue, 5 Aug 2003 16:17:28 -0700
> > From:    Zoran Mladen <zmaninco@YAHOO.COM>
> > Subject: Handbrake Problem - Can't figure it out...
> >
> > Hey folks,
> >
> > I am having a strange problem on my 84 GL.  The
> > handbrake doesn't work very well.  On my late model
> > Vanagon, as you pull the handbrake, you feel the
> > tension build as you pull the handbrake higher.
> >
> > On my 84, it seems like there is no tension, and then
> > it gets very hard to pull all of a sudden.  The brakes
> > only hold marginally.
> >
> > I have removed both rear drums and watched the
> > mechnaisms work as someone else pulled the handbrake.
> > I have replaced both handbrake cables to no avail.  I
> > also replaced both rear drums with new drums and
> > installed new rear brakes.  I have tried adjustment as
> > well - all that does is move the point at which the
> > brake goes from pulling easy to pulling hard.
> >
> > I am stumped.  Any thoughts on this?  Anyone else
> > experiencing this?
>