OK to adjust brake to slightly touch drum?

sagaboy · Post by **sagaboy** » Wed May 02, 2007 9:28 pm

Is it OK to adjust the brake pad to slightly touching the drum when turned by the hand without the wheel attached?

execk2 · Post by **execk2** » Thu May 03, 2007 3:45 am

Yeah that's perfect. Should just touch the drum.

Bugfuel · Post by **Bugfuel** » Thu May 03, 2007 7:02 pm

drums are rarely perfectly round, so you will generally be able to tighten until they drag almost 1/2 a turn, and turn free the other half. That's about perfect.

When fitting new shoes, you need to perform the adjustment several times, and test drive in between.

Also, before adjusting rear drums, release the handbrake cables from the handle. No pre-tension whatsoever, it messes up the geometry inside the drum for tightening.

Jan

aussiebug · Post by **aussiebug** » Sun May 06, 2007 5:08 am

I find it useful to adjust the drums, push the brake pedal several times rather hard to re-centre the shoes and adjust them again - they usually need a click or two tighter.

TheOEM front discs we got in Aus (and Europe) on the 1500 and 1600 models are very nice - only 1/2 the number of wheels to adjust

Desolas · Post by **Desolas** » Tue May 08, 2007 6:04 pm

I think the VW method out of the service manual is basically what is described above. You evenly tighten each adjuster until the brakes are tight, you pump the pedal which usually loosens the brakes and centers the pads and you tighten a few more clicks until tight, pump and adjust again then back off a couple of clicks until the drum turns with slight drag.