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Brakes
BiX - September 21st, 2003 at 08:06 PM

Iam am having some problems with my brakes. I bled them and adjusted them, wasn't happy had a vw shop so it, and am still not happy.

U use alot of force and the car just doesn't pull up, but add a little bit more, and they will lock up.

so what could be causing it?

I do run heavier front springs and the tyres are warn.

Also what is a good brand of performance brake pad for an L bug?

thnaks BiX


Ray65432 - September 27th, 2003 at 11:52 AM

Disconnect and block off vac line to booster and carefully drive it and see how it performs.
It sounds to me as if your booster needs reconditioning.
Cheers


MickH - September 27th, 2003 at 08:37 PM

Booster???:jesus


Jenny - October 31st, 2003 at 01:31 PM

Hmm, I don't think my beetle has a brake booster either. Did this get added to the L bug?


mnsKmobi - October 31st, 2003 at 02:22 PM

If you have front discs you may have the same problem I had on my 74 Honda Civic. The "slides" were seized. The brake calipers worked by having one pad driven directly by a piston and the other pad moving on a couple of metal rods (the slides). Over time these slides gummed up with brake dust and stopped working. This meant that only one disc pad on each disc was getting the full brake force.


Baja Wes - October 31st, 2003 at 02:28 PM

L bugs certainly don't have brake boosters. Only kombi's get those.

Any chance you've got oil or grease on the pads? if so they will need to be replaced.

Do the brakes pull to one side at all?

Do they remain on at all?


11CAB - October 31st, 2003 at 05:30 PM

Beetles do not have brake boosters, and do not have caliper slides......Jack the car in the air and have someone spin the wheels while you apply the brakes to make sure each wheel is braking. The pistons could be seized, the flexible brake hose could have a flap inside that can collapse causing problems, the rear adjusters could also be seized .
See how you go.


MickH - October 31st, 2003 at 07:52 PM

Have just fixed my cousins car (beetle) that had the same problem. Found one front brake hose to be badly deteriorated and the caliper pistons were partially siezed in the bore. Had a spare set of callipers which had recently been reconditioned from a "donor"so just put them on and replaced both front brake hoses and pads. The discs were badly worn so we replaced them with the ones from the other beetle. Test drove and now working well. Would reccomend you check your callipers first!!:bouncegood luck.


11CAB - October 31st, 2003 at 08:58 PM

:thumb