I think we have decent deals on the OE parts.  You can check out our
website for details but we supply ATE rear brake parts (shoes, rear
wheel cylinders and drums).  These are original equipment supplier for VW.

For the front of an 86-91 Vanagon Pagid is a great German brand and we
also offer front rotors in Zimmerman (another OE supplier to VW).
Please specify Pagid and Zimmerman brand when ordering and we will
supply them (they cost a little more than PBR pads or Brembo rotors).
For 80-85 Vanagons we can get ATE rotors and ATE pads for the front as well.

Just because it has the VW emblem on it doesn't make it any better in my
experience.  I don't believe in high priests, or blessings with holy
water.  If the same manufacturer is making it to the same specs, then
the parts are the same.  That is the case with these brake parts.

If you think OE is so great just ask Eurovan owners how great it is when
their 2003 EV are in need of new brake pads and rotors at 30k miles!  Yikes!

Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com

George Goff wrote:

>In a message dated 2/16/05 3:56:19 PM, Dieselslave@WMCONNECT.COM writes:
>
><<  I am also thinking about just replacing shoes and pads and letting the
>rotors and drums slide till next time---any and all comments appreciated. >>
>
>G.,
>
>If the rotors and drums are not too chewed up, just replace the pads and
>shoes for now.  Then start saving for genuine VW replacements.  As I have written
>before, I have years of experience in driving cars with 4-wheel discs and I
>have never found run-of-the-mill aftermarket pads and rotors to come close to
>the factory parts.
>
>I'm not sure what the Vanagon Bentley says about the matter, but the Volvo
>factory manual says to simply replace the pads unless the disc has grooves
>deeper than 0.015" (I think) or is thinner than the minimum limit.  Should those
>specs be exceeded, the rotor is to be replaced, not resurfaced.  A similar
>procedure has been described by Doktor Tim, a List notable of sorts, at:
>
>http://vw.upnorth.net/Deutche-Methode---Brakes75.htm
>
>Read it, it might help you decide what to do.
>
>If you are looking for the "best buy", you have to first define the term.  It
>seems to me that the "best buy" should be the best value which seldom is the
>best price.  I have used Brembo rotors on two different cars and as
>beautifully finished as they were, they were also utter disappointments.  On a Syncro of
>mine, they rusted so severely that they had to be changed with the pads and
>also the exfoliated rust wedged them SOLIDLY to the hub.  No small
>complication, that.  On another car, the Brembo rotors were the source of squealing (and
>overheating) which was only cured by replacing them with factory items.
>
>While I do have a pair of German-made rotors branded Zimmermann in my parts
>horde, I have not tried them yet and until I do, my advice is to look to
>factory parts and to cultivate a friendly relationship with a dealer parts guy.
>
>George
>
>
>