At 11:08 9/21/99 , John Hurley wrote:
>Date:  09/21/1999  11:07 am  (Tuesday)  From:  John Hurley
>To:  vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
>Subject:  rear brakes 85 westfalia
>
>I just ordered shoes & wheel cylinders from the depot. Before i tear into
>the job i figured i'd ask the list (since i do not own a manual) if there
>are any other parts i should purchase first, and if there are any
>precautions i should take. thanks john 85 westy

Hoo-boy.  Spend the $25 for the Haynes manual from the Bus Depot, you'll be
very glad in the long run.

Notes:

1) Bentley wants you to take off the hub to change the shoes; it's much
better access if you do, but you have to deal with the ridiculously high
torques on the 46mm hub nut -- 500 n-m/360 lb-ft.  Don't do it. (I recently
had to change the backing plate, which *does* require that the hub come off.)

2) If you don't have the Haynes book, make darn sure you understand exactly
how the various springs are hooked up, and precisely how the adjuster fits
in to the assembly -- before you take it apart.  Of course you can always
look at the other wheel, if you haven't already taken *that* apart
<g>.  Actually, if you *do* have the Haynes book it tells you the same
thing....

3) The two little bolts holding the drum on are superfluous.  Might as well
toss them.  No, you cannot use the threaded holes to extract the drum --
you have to tap/beat on it.  The place it's tight and rusty is where it
fits snugly around the hub.

4) You may have to back off the handbrake adjustment.  It's a 10mm Nylok
nut on a threaded rod -- you'll have to clamp the rod in a vise-grip to
turn the nut.  If you have to use heat it will ruin the nut, so you'll need
either a new nut or a locknut afterwards.  I highly recommend greasing up
the threads on the rod after chasing them with an M6 threading die.

5) If you have the drums turned they will likely be ruined, as American
equipment doesn't seem to know how to hold on to them properly.  That's my
experience, anyway.  Also you're supposed to use oversize shoes in that case.

6) The forks in the bottom fitting fit/turn freely -- except that they'll
be rusted solid.  I don't see what difference it makes, myself.  Maybe they
were just built that way for convenience in machining.

7) I had a sticky handbrake cable on one side.  Unfortunately, I had a
spare for the *other* side.  Fortunately the cables themselves are the same
on both sides.

david

David Beierl - Providence, RI
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"