Brake Parts

[California Dreamin]

Strangely....I do have one of my descriptions written up in the official Audi 100/200 workshop manual (English Version circa mid 80's). Audi ran a 'technical suggestion box' at its VAG dealerships for its Technicians. I made a detailed suggestion about bleeding cooling systems on 200 Turbo's which was taken up, used and ended up in print.

With respect to the original poster.....it does worry me a little to hear someone questioning the basics...this just has to be right.

Martin

[BertieWells]

Ha, excellent. When i initially set up the drums, just a quick go to see how it worked really, i took the drum off, adjusted, put the drum back on and checked for friction. I think the drum is brushing on the backplate silghtly as this stays the same until the brakes start to bind making it difficult to turn the hub. Is it a case of finding the point of contact and slightly bend the backplate out the way?

My next question is if i adjust through the back plate instead, i assume this is quicker than taking the drums on and off, is there any advantage to doing this with the wheel on?

So click till binding
bong till free

I definitly wont forget that one

[BertieWells]

ith respect to the original poster.....it does worry me a little to hear someone questioning the basics...this just has to be right.

To be totally honest this van has been a massive learning curve for me. Although iv helped family and friends on their cars its not the same as working on your first vheicle, on your own. Im a full time student and work part time so hence why most of my threads tend to drag on for a while as i dont get a massive amount of time to work on it. Just to ease your minds i am not driving my van while im working on it. I can't tell you guys, indeed everyone from club 80 90 how grateful i am for your help, haynes helps but it can't answer all my questions.

[what2do]

Oh my giddy aunt, do not take the drums off in between adjustments, however, if you can manipulate arm, muscle, finger, tool, neck, etc sufficiently to adjust the brake without removing the wheel whilst parked on the ground ( assuming you don't have a car lift), then you're more dexterous than me.

I may find to my embarrassment, that people actually do the adjusting without removing the wheel, then I'll questioning why I can't!! Besides, you need to jack it up to rotate the wheel so you may as well remove the wheel ( it's a theory and I'm sticking to it .

Keep on trucking and all that...

[California Dreamin]

Adjusting through the hole in the backplate is just far more accurate than removing/adjusting refitting the drum...however, that method is better than nothing.
Trouble is, with new shoes and drums its hard to determine the correct adjustment point as they often touch 'a little' even with correct clearance....hence my advice to 're-adjust' after a thousand miles or so. This just helps with the bedding in of the new linings to the drums.
Having said the above ^^^^ IMO the linings aren't truly bedded in until they have done at least 10K ...I've stripped lots down that are only using 1/3rd or so of the shoe, it seems to take an age before most of the lining touches.


Martin

[CovKid]

Thats partly why with new shoes, I'm not too bothered if they 'just' touch (ie very occasional and very light scrape) rather than backing off completely. It seems to help them bed in a lot quicker but you do need a bit of judgement doing it that way. A case of adjusting them up as close as I can without actually rubbing or binding. You also need to pull the handbrake and press the brakes a few times so the shoes sit where they should for correct adjustment. Yep, need to adjust them again to reduce handbrake travel and ensure maximum efficiency.

Hope weather is as predicted round here for tomorrow as thats when I'm doing mine.

[kevtherev]

..... it seems to take an age before most of the lining touches.


Martin

This is very true, I replaced the shoes and it took 6 months and some fierce handbrake turns to bed them in

[CovKid]

Would like to have seen the handbrake turns Kev.

[CovKid]

Nice sunny weather today and even nicer brake shoes





One leaky wheel cylinder (now replaced), new drums, shoes and springs, and brake pedal firm once more. Happy days.

Weird though. Hardly any wear on those shoes in eight years (I'm not brake-happy, was taught to use gears properly) - just crazed to hell. I'm putting it down to that horrific and frightening hill on Anglesey, or old age (theirs not mine)....

[kevtherev]

What manufacturer made them?

[CovKid]

Heaven knows. They were fitted when I first bought it ten years ago. They've been on there a long time but had little use. Certainly not untypical of very old shoes. I was taught to go up and down the box so only tend to touch brakes in bumper-to-bumper traffic or in a dire emergency which is why they've hardly worn down. They stopped fine. It was the recent squealing from the back (and reduced efficiency) that prompted me to renew the lot. Drums were in far rougher shape than those to be honest. Probably chicken & egg scenario. Anyway, decent shoes on it now.

[BertieWells]

CovKid that looks nasty! Mine were badly pitted but no cracks.

Update:
I have just finished adjusting the brakes. What a fiddely bloody git of a job xD. Having the wheel on doing this would be pure lunacy Anyway i think i have them adjusted about right using the official "click bong" method. I generally tightened up untill binding then gave a few pulls on the hand brake until it loosened off again and then repeated until i couldnt go anythurther. Finally gave them a bong or two just to loosen them off.

Had a quick test driving down the road and back and i can't believe I have been driving on such poor brakes. I just assumed the brakes were that bad because everyone says the vans are under braked. But yerr properly positive brakes now. Going to do the front and then adjust again in a few hundred miles or whenever i next get a chance.

Thanks for all your help with this guys. Im sure ill revive this thread when i get around to doing the front!

Regards

Rob

[what2do]

CovKid that looks nasty! Mine were badly pitted but no cracks.

Update:
I have just finished adjusting the brakes. What a fiddely bloody git of a job xD. Having the wheel on doing this would be pure lunacy Anyway i think i have them adjusted about right using the official "click bong" method. I generally tightened up untill binding then gave a few pulls on the hand brake until it loosened off again and then repeated until i couldnt go anythurther. Finally gave them a bong or two just to loosen them off.

Had a quick test driving down the road and back and i can't believe I have been driving on such poor brakes. I just assumed the brakes were that bad because everyone says the vans are under braked. But yerr properly positive brakes now. Going to do the front and then adjust again in a few hundred miles or whenever i next get a chance.

Thanks for all your help with this guys. Im sure ill revive this thread when i get around to doing the front!

Regards

Rob

Front are a piece of cake, especially as you're now a 'master'. Well done.

[what2do]

Heaven knows. They were fitted when I first bought it ten years ago. They've been on there a long time but had little use. Certainly not untypical of very old shoes. I was taught to go up and down the box so only tend to touch brakes in bumper-to-bumper traffic or in a dire emergency which is why they've hardly worn down. They stopped fine. It was the recent squealing from the back (and reduced efficiency) that prompted me to renew the lot. Drums were in far rougher shape than those to be honest. Probably chicken & egg scenario. Anyway, decent shoes on it now.

I used to go up and down the box until I bought the van. I figure it's cheaper to overhaul the brakes than it is the box, thus, I'm using them a lot more than previous.

[CovKid]

I once had a bus driver trainer in my van and he was alarmed at just how often I change gear. I just like to be in the right gear so I'm ready to slow down or zip away - whichever, Even on a 1.9DG, a T25 can be fairly sprightly if you use the gearbox correctly. Besides, theres not much else to do.

Took it for a run tonight of about 20 miles, working the brakes more than usual to help bed them in so I can adjust again tomorrow. I'll tell you one thing, its baked the paint on those drums - nice and hot when I got back.

Don't forget to adjust rear brakes again in a week or two BertieWells - they will need it.

Concluded that the damage to shoes is the result of aging shoes plus heavy on extreme gradients in Wales rather than make. Lets face it, ten years is a long time for any set of shoes.