[tech] Why not have a working Parking Brake? [long] was: Flatspotted a rear

[T Berk <tberk@mindspring.com>]

1st Duan wrote: 
> 
>     So I'm to understand that TBerk has a 'rocco with a WORKING 
>     parking brake?  Sheya!  ;P 
> 
>     (NONE of my A1 VWs have working parking brakes) 

Then Mike said:
>
> Mine works....same with all but one of my other cars (I hit a hubcap on the 
> freeway around Redding California and it broke the cable....still haven't 
> fixed it). 

[Most folks aren't going to swap out drums for rear disks so, Here ya go...]

I recently redid the rear brakes and cables on my Roc (with Drums currently).

1. Two (2) rear brake cables.

2. Two sets brake hardware; springs and stuff. 

3. Two sets brake pads for stock drums. 

4. DOT 4 brake fluid. Large bottle. 

While I was there- 

- Replacement (new) Rear Wheel Bearing set. (one side)

- Red Line Synthetic Bearing Grease.

Got the hardware from Potter-folk <http://www.parts4vws.com>, the
Redline I picked up from Griffin Motorwerke in Berkeley on San Pablo
Ave. (Nice guy). Fluid from ND or FLAPS, I forget.

I cut the old lines when removing as one had snapped anyway, replace
both sides as a set- they are both old and they stretch over time.

I threaded the new lines in after a liberal application of the bearing
grease down the cable sheath and the conduits built into the car.

In the car I found all kinds of crap and debris around the bottom of the
hand brake base so I took the front seats out and cleaned things up.
Also this is a good time to visit the contact switch there with some
contact cleaner, verifying its lubed up and tight.

As far as the other end I used a rubber mallet to help 'ease' the drums
off. They have been there through thick & thin and want things to stay
put. Be firm. 

I cleaned the drums with brake cleaner, after removing all the old
hardware. Rusty and nasty, the self-adjusting type I have had lost some
of it's 'pep' over the years.

Note: Early brake models had a more manual adjustment system that needs
tending to, those with early Mk1s take note and check your Bentleys.

After getting down to the backing plate and spindle I repacked the
bearings on one side and replaced the whole bearings set on the other.
Please be sure to remove ALL old bearing grease before repacking, old
and new (let alone two different formulas) don't go well together.

In the hardware kit I received springs, a wedge, new metal 'bracket'
thingie, and some fittings to keep it all together. I might have swapped
out the drums for new while I was there but they were serviceable. New
replacement drums are cheap though.

Reassemble was funky as the springs, being new, put up a great fight
before giving in. Expect to have the rear of the car in the air and both
drums off so you can mirror the intact one while reassembling the other.
Makes life easier.

With the new cables in place somewhat, I connected one end to the bottom
of the lever in the drum assembly and threaded the other up into the
car. (Remember the grease earlier? Slap on some more now).
 
The ends of the cable(s) were hard to keep set into the conduit ends
until I kept tension on the cable themselves. It was also hard to get
the ends (once attached at the brake end) to reach far enough to engage
the balancing adjustment bar straddling the lever (in the the car). 

I took a pair of pliers and puuuuuled like mad to 'seat' the cables and
their sheaths in the conduit (_now_ they started to take on an 'S' curve
under the car) and then I was able to thread the nuts on the ends.

Once in place I was able to pull up on the brake lever a bit and check
every thing for placement before cranking on it. Be careful at 1st to
make sure every thing is seated right in the drum backing plates and the
under car conduits.

Note also that they are new and will stretch over the next few days so
you can expect to re-adjust the tension in a week or so. I think I
remember three or four clicks before engagement is standard.

After it was all done I think replacing the brake pistons for new ones
is a great thing since you're there anyway and won't be back for awhile.
(Cheap, same as Rabbits use). Also be sure to avoid contaminating the
pads and drum inner surface with lube and grease during reassembley, (hard).

I didn't detail how I flushed new fluid in but you clear the caliper
closest to the M/C last, do the ones furthest away 1st, in series. You
may not think you need to but any time you push the piston(s) back in
you most likely now have bubbles in the fluid. Besides new fluid is a
goodness.  

Oh, and I remember now that ATE was the brand name for my goodies, good
stuff- don't cheap out with brake jobs. You can live without a motor but...



hth,
TBerk

This intended as a guide but can not replace common sense and safety
precautions must be observed.  Detailed instructions can be found in the
Bentley at your elbow. Don't have one? Get one.

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