Date:    Thu, 31 May 2007 21:10:46 -0400
From:    Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Subject: Big Brake maintenance

So I decided it as about time to do some maintenance on the Big Brakes
(South African) that I put on my Westy Syncro. It's gotten a lot of
usage (sometimes towing a LOT of weight). I had probably around 60K
miles on them.

Rotors are worn down about 1 mm a side. Pads were worn down almost to
the wear limit (2mm). Perfect timing to replace the pads. A relatively
simple job, other than pushing in the brake caliper piston. I seem to
remember this being easier on the stock brakes.
Took a LOT of effort to push it in.

Replacement pads (From VolksCafe/VanCafe I believe) are from Australia.
Had a sensor wire on the piston side (since that sensor wire was
embedded in the wear media, I'm presuming it was some sort of device to
turn on an idiot light on the dash for when your pads need replacement.)
Since I have no such connector, I cut the wire off.

Would be a nice addition though to have that idiot light capability.

 
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kim,

Interesting what you say about the Australian manufactured T3 pads with
the sensor wire....
Aus. Spec T3 vans have a brake warning light (below the park brake
indicator) but that is a low fluid warning lamp only.
I have not ever seen T3 pads locally with this wire and there is no
idiot light for brake pad wear on the Australian spec T3....so this
remains a curiosity. It wasn't until the 2000 model T4 that this was a
feature on the Transporter.

Whilst I cannot imagine exactly how, the only other thing I can think of
is if it had something to do with ABS brakes which were an option for
later Aus T3s, like the Europeans. Except for the steering wheel being
on the other side, the Aus T3 was much closer to European ones than the
Nth American version. We got proper H4 headlights standard for
starters... :-)

Cheers,
Steve O
NSW Australia
'92 Transporter WBX Kombi
'00 Transporter Double Cab
'03 Transporter Double Cab (work truck)
'78 Land Rover Series 3 soft top ute (ex-Aust.Army)
'07 Passat Variant TDI (on order from the Fatherland - delivery due in
June)