they don't fall off when you remove the wheel..
there are more likely to be stuck on.
but it still makes sense to have some retaining system of some sort.

----- Original Message -----
From: "J Stewart" <fonman4277@COMCAST.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, January 21, 2011 5:30 PM
Subject: Re: VW Necessity...

> It was explained to me by a tire shop manager that it is to keep the drum
> in place so the average Joe doesn't freak out when it falls off while he
> is changing a flat on the side of the road. That made sense to me. Jeff
>
>
>
> Jeff Stewart
>
>
> ----- "Rob" <becida@COMCAST.NET> wrote:
>
>
> I've always thought it was a manufacturing thing
>
>
> Rob
>
> At 1/21/2011 03:56 PM, Alistair Bell wrote:
>>yes, but the bolts are not needed to hold the drum on, just to keep it
>>in place. You can leave them out even...
>>
>>alistair
>>
>>
>>On 21-Jan-11, at 3:52 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
>>
>>>seems just right for the application to me.
>>>10mm head with 6mm thread would be much too small.
>>>10mm hex head on a 7mm diameter bolt thread seems too small for that
>>>diameter thread.
>>>
>>>8 mm thread with 12 or 13 hex head would be overkill.
>>>
>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Alistair Bell" <albell@shaw.ca>
>>>To: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
>>>Cc: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>>>Sent: Friday, January 21, 2011 3:28 PM
>>>Subject: Re: VW Necessity...
>>>
>>>
>>>>Thanks Scott. Its funny why a 11 mm was used on the drums eh? why
>>>>not 10?
>>>>
>>>>alistair
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>On 21-Jan-11, at 3:13 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>the only 11's I can think of on the whole van are
>>>>>the brake drum retaining screws, as mentioned already ... and
>>>>>there two per
>>>>>rear wheel of course.
>>>>>That thread is barely used on vangons ..it's a 7 mm diameter bolt
>>>>>thread, of
>>>>>a pretty fine pitch.
>>>>>
>>>>>and brake lines..
>>>>>11mm on those ...12mm on the clutch hydraulics I think.
>>>>>otherwise no 11's anywhere I believe.