The rear drum brakes on MY van..an '84..they are laughable.  First time I
looked at them, I was amazed..."This is how it was sold?" I thought.  The
brake shoe mechanisim in the rear hub reminded me of what you might see on a
stagecoach...except the stagecoach ones must have worked better with just a
single 'center'.rather than pretty much pivoting on one end and moving only
the other end....  I bet you can find vanagon rear shoes with linings that
are untouched on one end and worn to steel on the other.
  They do help stop the van, I guess.  Musta been a Friday when
the VW engineers sent in that design to Managment..I am not complaining
though..they work.
  If I lived and worked somewhere involving a commute through the mountains
or over a pass, I guess I'd swap them for something different, a set up that
actually used the braking surface that you pay for on the shoes...
  Don Hanson

On Thu, Apr 30, 2009 at 10:27 AM, neil N <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi all.
>
> I read of details regarding spacers (Dennis Haynes) one could install
> at anchor end of the brake shoes. My understanding is that this would
> help ensure more of the shoe contacts the drum.
>
> Does adding spacers accomplish something similar to arcing the shoes?
> (not done much these days from what I've read)
>
> Were VW shoes shaped to fit the drum better than aftermarket shoes?
>
> If so, would one be wise to install these spacers when installing new
> shoes and hardware?
>
> AFAIK, my braking system is working right. But, I notice that with
> foot on brake engine running, I pull up the handbrake and feel the
> pedal drop a *little*. Is this because the lower portion of shoe is
> pushed out to contact drum?
>
> Curious minds just need to know,
>
> Neil.
>
> --
> Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"
>
> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
>