I did some brake work on the '89
Westie Syncro (cost detail follows), and
have  3 questions. Also & looking for
tips on adjusting park break & getting
air out of lines.

Any members of the list live near 700
block of Aberdino St, Fredericton, NB?
Could use a test pilot to try the brakes.

Cheers

Dino KubiK
'89 Westie Syncro
64 K Kilometres

ADJUSTING STARS...
QUESTION 1: When listening for
shoe-to- hub contact, should you rotate
the hub using the lugs or by pushing on
the top of the hub?

BACKGROUND:
I adjusted the shoes "out" (pushed
down from above?) until the noise of
the break was audible when the hub
was turned using the lug studs. Then I
re-adjusted the shoes "in" until the
noise disappeared when turning the
hub with the lug studs. However; when
I rotated the left hub by pushing on the
top of the hub I could hear a scrap!! I
re-re-adjusted the shoes "in" some more
until no scrape sound was audible
when rotating the hub with a push
from the top. Did I do the right thing??

editorial comment "God bless John
Muir! I would never have figured the
stars out using the Bentley."

FRONT ROTORS
QUESTION 2:
Should I worry about rust collecting  on
a spare pair of 12mm rotors that I want
to store? If yes, how do you prevent the
rust? 

QUESTION 3:
The Bentley says that 13mm is a
minimum - any one got experience
using rotors measuring 12mm.

BACKGROUND:
The original front rotors were turned &
when I got them back I misread the
calipers & mistakenly concluded they
were 9mm thick. When you use the
caliper correctly they measure out at 11
 or 12 mm. I put them on until the new
pair could be ordered, and drove
gingerly for about 500 km. There was a
squeak that got progressively worse.
The new rotors arrived and installation
went well - no squeak. I am hoping to
store the old rotors as spares. (editorial
note - since this was my first break job
the squeak could have been from the
workmanship not rotor thickness)
 

COSTS -

AFTER MARKET
Front Semi-metallic Pads
C$58, plus tax for a total of C$68

Front Rotors (Brembo from Italy)
C$97 each, C$194 for 2, plus tax for  a
total of C$228.

VW DEALER
Front Pads
C$111, plus tax for a total of C$131.

Rotors
C$82 each, C$164 for 2, plus tax for  a
total of $C194.

NOTE:
Discovered my "after - market - parts -
mechanic" bought the Brembos through
the VW dealer at $82 each & sold  to
me at $97 each (humm... 18% mark-up
on cost) . Dealer claims these were the
last pair in Canada so now only VW
originals available at:
C$215 each, C$430 for 2, plus tax for  a
total of $507. (I'll be keeping those
11-12 mm rotors).