busschmiede, is their stuff good?

[v-lux]

Nope, but there's still maintenance required.

[Simon Baxter]

if they are like any other disc brake fitted to the back of any other car then it'll be wanting discs every few years when they corrode.
Discs aren't all that.
To me, most cars don't warrant discs, the back doesn't do enough work and the pads usually end up sticking in the caliper, they then don't work as they should and the discs go manky.
T4 rears don't do too bad really, but the slider pins are forever siezed.
I got discs on my Atlantic, doesn't stop any better for them and the handbrake is no where near as good as drums.
I did it because i didn't know any better, never tried them on a T3, I wouldn't buy any more personally.
My opinion, I'm sure loads of people are about to jump up and defend them, but from what i have experienced i don't think they are that great.

[v-lux]

I went for discs as i was fed up with emptying mud out of the drums.

But on a syncro that regularly get's rather muddy, i have found discs take more looking after than i'd originally hoped for.
But in defence, they've been less bother than drums would've been in that time though.

[lloydy]

I had heard about the rear discs rusting. My brakes feel great at the moment. Adjusting the shoes has cut the pedal travel in half. And the new fluid/flexi's has given them a much firmer/I believe I'm going to stop feel.
Handbrake only has 3 clicks now too, so I'm well happy brakes are now on par with a modern car. I think if I go for the BMW servo, it might be too much?
Cheers for the "how too" on adjusting the shoes
If I have this van does end up being a keeper I still may swap to discs, due to availability and price of 16" stuff. Might be a good idea for me to hoard a few bits, as prices at the moment aren't as scary as some people would have you believe

[Aidan]

just changing the fluid (which rarely gets done but should be done every 2 years) will improve the brakes even if you do nothing else
the standard adjusters are rubbish and don't really self adjust so it's just like having a pre 80's car where brake adjustment was normal 6 month maintenance, which is fine by me as I'm old enough to have been brought up on that vintage of car; nowadays mechanics just put on new because they don't know (or have the patience) to adjust them.
I think our rears and handbrake are fine and I've not had much bother with mud ingress as long as all the bungs are in place and the backplates not rusted through and you don't sit the van in a lake of mud, just done mine and there was nowt but a bit of rust and some shoe dust in there, but that log that jammed in the cable actually bent the shoe as well as stretching the cable inner and bending the end of the front to back rod Shame the cables don't go over the top of the arms
Drums seem to be good for 100k+ miles and a good few sets of shoes before the wear limit is reached

[v-lux]

and you don't sit the van in a lake of mud

Ah..........

Shame the cables don't go over the top of the arms

Mine do now

[axeman]

i think you have also got to look at the cost, short term and long term.
in the short term if your backing plates are fooced and need to be replaced along with the rest of the rear break components (drums,shoes,cylinders,cables etc) then the disk kit cost will be within a few pounds of replacining the stock items.

in the long term ome quality disks and pads (pagid) your looking at £50 when the caliper fails recon is about £70. or you could hunt around for about on ebay for about £20.

and the hand break cables a p cliped to the top of the trailling arms too, out of harms way,

as for sitting in mud i dont know what your talking about


neil