Re: MORE brakes!

[ejfluhr@ulc231.residence.gatech.edu]

> Has anyone out there with a mid-eighties non-quattro 4k ever changed out 
> the rear brake shoes?  The guy that gives me such good prices said I was 
> asking for trouble trying to change those out myself.  He said the drums 
> are full of moving parts/springs.  Also, why do shoes cost twice as much 
> as pads?  Is it just because of the amount of material used?  I'd really 
> like to hear from anyone who has done this successfully.
> Jeremy R. King

Well, the 4K & Coupe brakes are identical, and my father and I have done
the brakes on my '85 Coupe once and his '82 Coupe 4 times.  While it isn't
as easy as the front, it certainly isn't rocket science.  The mechanism
used to keep the brake pads correctly distanced from the drum is relatively
simple.  It just takes a lot of muscle (and a pair of vice grips) to pull
the spring into position.  Refitting the brake cylinder with new seals
isn't very difficult, either.  The worst part of the entire operation is
cleaning out all that brake dust (well, at least *I* think it is the worst
part, since I'm always the one who gets stuck doing i).  :-)
As for the price of shoes, I don't remember what I paid.  My father and
I get the el-cheapo organic brake pads from our local Bennett Auto Supply
store.  They work fine, although they do produce a lot of dust.  I don't
think I pay any more for backs than fronts (and fronts cost $15).  Also,
my Dad is still using the original rotors, after 330K miles.  He had
replacements ($30 a pair, American OEM stuff from Bennett Auto), but
ended up using them on my sister's Jetta when re-doing her brakes.  I
think he is planning on putting her old rotors on his car (they only had
70K or so on them).  So, chalk that up to another cross-platform part.

Later,
Eric

Eric J. Fluhr                    gt6493c@prism.gatech.edu :: Georgia Tech!
http://ulc231.residence.gatech.edu/
Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gets understanding,
for the gain from it is better than gain from silver and its profit
better than gold...                                       Proverbs 2:13-14