On 17 Feb 2005 at 8:26, George Goff <THX0001@AOL.COM> wrote:

> 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.

After 15 years of installing OE pads/shoes from the local FLVWAPS on my Jetta, I
bought a "new" Jetta, same model/year (1985) that had been dealer serviced since
new. The brakes, quite simply, are light years better than my OE equipped Jetta. I
think in this case, the front pads are the difference.
I simply don't have enough experience with Vanagon brakes to give a similar
experience except to say that our '88 (bought in '96) has also been dealer serviced
since new by the PO, and has good brakes, at least up to the limit of their ability.
Given the Vanagon's ability to push these limits fairly often, I'll be seriously
considering VW pads when the time comes. If I recall from memory, the original
rotors and drums were replaced around 300k kms. I have heard that some OE pads
that claim better performance will result in much short drum/rotor life.

Shawn Wright
http://zuiko.sls.bc.ca/~swright
'85 Jetta TD (retired)
'85 Jetta D
'88 Westy 2.1L
'82 Diesel Westy