Brake tools?

J

Jack2002

New member
I have an 1980 Scirocco ITC car and I am getting ready to change all the brakes, drums and rotors. I assume I need a drum puller for the rears, anyone have a source for the puller?
Thanks in advance
God Bless
Jack Weigand

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ITC Scirocco #48

http://www.jackweigand.com
 
Jack, no, you don't need any special tools to do the rear drums / shoes. If your changing the rear wheel bearings, it would be good to get a couple of bearing race pullers, buy I've found that old sockets, of the exact outside diameter work OK to remove and re-installing of the races.

Remove the grease cap, remove the cotter pin, unscrew the nut, and remove the outside bearing. The entire drum should then be able to be pulled by hand off of the spindle.

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Tim Linerud
San Francisco Region SCCA
#95 ITB GTI, GP for 2002
 
Yeah... but it could all be stuck and the adjusters corroded... then you have got a problem.

Maybe then you need the BIG hammer (ugh!)
 
I bought a tool that looks like a screw driver and hooks onto the springs and tightens down to grab and stretch them on and off for drum brakes. I had never seen one before and don't know how I ever lived with out it. It works very nicely. Take a photo or draw a detailed diagram of the drum brakes before you disassemble them, do one side at a time so you have a real reference too, there are subtle little tricks to the way they go back together. Also, if you plan on bleeding the brakes, a very good idea, flush the old fluid and use new, release the pressure in the system before you re-assemble the shoes. From experience I have blown out the wheel cylinders jockeying the shoes back and forth into position. Good luck, its alot of fun and swearing!
 
One of the things that's really handy is the tool for pushing and turning the little spring-loaded discs that hold the shoes to the backing plate. I got a whole set of brake tools from JCWhitney for something like $10. Came w/ two 'spoons', a set of brake pliers, the tool mentioned above, and the spring tool mentioned above (other post)

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MARRS #25 ITB Rabbit GTI
 
Thanks everyone. I will be changing the brakes next week and I may be looking for a little more help, LOL!

Bill,
It was good to see you at Pocono. I don't know if you stayed for Sunday but we won by a nose. I was a little slow on the Tri Oval and I was not sure why. I came home and checked the alignment. We had lost 1 degree of camber on the right front and had 3/8" toe out, OUCH! I had brushed a hay bail at a hillclimb the week before and never checked the alignment, rookie mistake. We are all set now.

God Bless
Jack Weigand

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ITC Scirocco #48

http://www.jackweigand.com
 
Jack,

Congrats on your win! Not bad for having rookie stripes on the car!!!
biggrin.gif


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MARRS #25 ITB Rabbit GTI
 
Sears makes a brake tool--hook and post with the pliers set up to stretch the springs, the little spring cup compress-and-turn tool on the handle. And when I broke mine it was guaranteed forever, so I got another. That and a C clamp to hold the wheel cylinder pistons in close until I slipped the shoes on and it wasn't so bad. Bentley manual has great pictures, but I had to make sure I did the left side of my car first so they matched up. All those d*#& springs hooked just so. Swore 10 years ago I'd never have another set of drum brakes to fool with and now I find myself with 2 cars and a truck so equipped.
Is there an easy way to get the parking brake cable hooked back on? Or do you just need an extra set of hands?
 
Thanks to all,
I replaced the brakes last week and got through it pretty well. The tough part was the front wheel bearings but that is done also. They were really worn out, I will keep a closer eye on them in the future. Again thanks for the input.
God Bless
Jack Weigand


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ITC Scirocco #48

http://www.jackweigand.com
 
Jack,

You really need to stay on top of the front hubs. It's usually not the wheel bearings that are a problem, but the front hubs are a known weak point of the A1 VW's. It's a good idea to change them every 5 or 6 races, as a matter of regular maint. Last thing you want to do is have one fail on you. At best, you'll wipe out the hub/bearing/CV joint, at worst, the wheel will leave the car at the most inconvenient time!
eek.gif


The $40 or $50 per side that it costs to change them out is well worth it. You'll spend 2x that if you have to swap a CV joint, on top of having to do the hub/bearing anyway.

I've heard of guys getting hubs shot-peened and getting much more life out of them (2-3 years on a Prod car). I also understand that as long as you use stock hubs, that the shot-peen process is legal.

HTH

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MARRS #25 ITB Rabbit GTI
SCCA 279608
 
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