In a message dated 3/5/07 3:24:27 PM, drillock@EARTHLINK.NET writes:

> The other factor is that the rear shoes tend to wear badly at one end
> only so if you look in the middle and the other end it looks like you
> have plenty of material when really they should be replaced. Instead one
> should look at the top ends and worry about the thinnest spot. The more
> wear on the drums the worse the shoes will wear at just one end. The
> lower shoe pivot pins can be shimmed to help with this but this is best
> left to someone with at least half a mechanics brain, not typical
> owners. The best solution is new drums.
>
Mark,

In an earlier time, I would take the Vanagon to Midas for brake work. Then,
about two months later I decided to change the rear brakes out personally and
found this f**ked up return spring problem. I had decided to redo the rears
because of severe braking loss during heavy rains. I switched to sintered
metallic pads and new drums. The new drums are inexpensive and I always stock an
extra set. The sintered metallic linings seriously increased the stopping power.
No more loss of rear brakes in LA rainstorms or creek crossings and literally
no fade after heavy braking down Mount Palomar. The price for this increased
stopping power is rapid cutting of the brake drums. Probably need to be replaced
every 50K miles. Although the rear clearly grips up strongly, there is no
breaking loose when lightly loaded (rare event anyway).

Of course your experience may vary!

Also, changing over to the later front disks and suspension geometry, as you
suggested when I was looking at the Audi front disk solution, also really
improved matters further.

Frank Grunthaner

**************************************
 AOL now offers free email to everyone.
 Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com.