[s-cars] brake adjusters

[JC]

When I got the S6 the RR brake pads were 50% worn while the RL were 100% 
new cuz PO was dummazz.  He'd been driving around with the passenger 
rear side on almost all the time.

Rules of thumb for vintage Audi rear brakes:
- use 'em all the time and keep them going (there's a "never use 'em" 
school but IMO - total MFBS)
- every time you swap winter/summers, clean and lube a little at the 
rear calipers
- at same time, inspect for all failure modes as below...

Failure modes are these, in decreasing order of frequency:
- Cable housing failure causing cable rust up
- Handbrake activation shaft & spring assembly corrosion / dirt / stuck 
(theres a writeup of servicing this someplace)
- Caliper guide pins crusty, rusty, gunked and funked
- Caliper piston seals blown / pistons seized (dark horse - the others 
usually happen well before this...)

When doing wheel swaps I like to clean it up and then keep a nice little 
bead of grease lubed around the shaft. (heh heh).  But seriously it 
really keeps water/dirt from getting in there and from corrosion getting 
in down there.  Then for the cables I try to be sure the end boot is in 
good shape and watch rub spots to be sure the plastic cover on the 
housing doesn't wear through.  On an old 200TQA once I also ziptied a 
piece of thin plastic over the top as an abrasion guard at a few contact 
spots where it rubbed on the body and that kept the cable from wearing 
through really successfully.

JC

On 10/4/2012 10:40 AM, Jerry Scott wrote:
> Thanks Fred.  I guess that's why my pedal travel has gotten so long, since I
> have not been using the e-brake.  The adjusters seem to be stuck, so I
> presume I'll have to take out the rear pads, try to break them loose by
> turning them in, then work the e-brake to get the proper adjustment.
>
> Jerry
>
>



-------------------------
*John J. Cunningham*
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