it's an 84 I think..
even when you yank those early parking brake handles on pretty firmly,
you still don't get much leverage on the brake drum shoes.
it's really very poorly designed.

the later style parking brake handle is at least 3 times better .
you know the parking brake is on with those.

some vans get sticky/draggy parking brake cables..
and while tension at the handle may feel like a lot, it may not be getting
to the brake shoes.

another spot of hundreds that old vanagons could use some lubing,
or new parking brake cables...if new ones can be counted on to be of decent
quality that is.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Schwaia" <vw.doka@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2010 4:04 PM
Subject: Re: That's it, I've had it. (Driving with brake on)

> Or...  fix your parking brake so that the van doesn't move well when it's
> engaged.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Jeff
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mike "Rocket J Squirrel"" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2010 12:31 PM
> Subject: That's it, I've had it. (Driving with brake on)
>
>
>> This is the third time I've forgotten to take off the parking brake
>> before driving. It's not like the brakes are so monstrous that I'll
>> notice on the first quarter-mile downhill away from the house, and my
>> sitting position places the steering wheel right between the dash Brake
>> light and my eyesballs.
>>
>> I'm gonna rig some alarm to sound when the Brake warning light is on and
>> the transmission is in gear.
>>
>> Mellow Yellow has an automatic transmission, and the starter won't turn
>> if the van is not in Park, so there's some wire that connects to a
>> switch on the shift linkage or something. I can't find that wire in
>> Bentleys.
>>
>> --
>> Rocky J Squirrel
>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
>> 74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
>> Bend, OR
>> KG6RCR