4000 Rear Brakes/Center Bearing Help!

[darrenwall@netzero.net]

Fairly Long Description:  Decided to change the brakes on my 1985 4000 
quattro this weekend and get it on the road, finally (its been sitting for 
over a month).  Well the front brake pads went on great, no problems.  Got 
the rear calipers off and tried to push the cylinders into fit the new 
brakes on - won't budge.  I thought maybe the parking brake mechanism was 
holding the cylinder out (is this possible?), so I decided to loosen the 
parking brake and then try (1st BIG mistake).  Well to get to the very 
rusted parking brake adjusting nut, I needed to move the driveline.  I 
decided to remove the bolts from the center-bearing support, which should 
give me enough clearance to get to the nut (2nd BIG mistake).  Well the 
center bearing is held on with two bolts which thread into two square nuts 
which are held captive in a bracket in the center tunnel.  The bolts came 
loose and started to thread out fine, but then the square nuts just 
started to turn.  Now I'm stuck, their loose so I have to get them out (or 
tight again).  Well I got them out (after much cursing and 1 hour) but 
buggered up the brackets that hold the square nuts quite bad, not that 
they held the nuts tightly anyway.  Loosened the parking brake cables and 
the brake cylinder still won't budge (by now, I have the brake hose 
completely off, so I know there is no hydraulic pressure on the cylinder). 
 So I decide the calipers are frozen, and just remove both, with the 
parking brake cables attached.  So my questions are:

1.  Is there some secret to compressing the rear brake cylinders, or are 
mine just frozen?  The brakes didn't act funny the last time I drove it, 
but I haven't owned it long enough have a good comparison.

2.  How do I remove the parking brake cable from the caliper?  Or is this 
not needed, i.e., when I buy new calipers, will they have cables on them?

3.  Anybody got a good solution to the center bearing bracket problem, 
outside of having new brackets welded on?  I thought maybe I could 
use/make some T-bolts: Insert it into the bracket and then put the spacer, 
bracket and a nut on the bolts.  Any other options?

4.  Who makes a good rear brake upgrade kit for the 4000?  I have seen 
them through Blaufergnugen and 2Bennet, but don't know if they are all 
four corners or just the front brakes?  Has anybody had any experience 
with either of these?  I want to be able to use my stock 14" wheels in the 
winter, so I am limited on rotor diameter.  I just think maybe this is an 
omen that I need to upgrade the brakes now.

Thank you in advance,

Darren D. Wall
darrenwall@netzero.net
dwall@sisna.com
1985 Audi 4000 Quattro
1969 911 Turbo-Look 2.7Liter
1999 Nissan Quest (The Kid Hauler)
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