Full Stop. Exclamation Mark!

Posted by Chris Gilmour on October 07, 2008

There are certain things in life that you need to know that you can count on. Your alarm clock on the first day of a new job, Your boiler, in January - and the brakes on your VW. When you stamp that middle pedal, you need to know that everything will work exactly as it should.

As my wise old Grandad often used to tell me, prevention is better - and usually cheaper - than a cure. Nowhere is this maxim more true than with your brakes. It’s the one area of your van that’s really worth investing a little time and money to get things working perfectly. Here at JK, It’s our ‘Safety First’ philosophy means that we have drastically reduced many of the prices on our safety-critical lines to ensure that for even the most cash-strapped owner, an upgrade is well within reach. When you think about it, it’s the cheapest insurance you can get!

To this end, we have lowered the prices on brake pads and shoes, wheel cylinders, steering and suspension components such as swivel pin kits, shocks and ball joints. If you only do one job this season, please check these items are up to scratch.

Check Your Brake Fluid!

You hopefully wouldn’t dream of running your VW without checking your oil, but when was the last time you checked your brake fluid? Whilst ageing oil may damage your engine, ageing brake fluid will doubtless have far more dire consequences!

This is because brake fluid is hygroscopic. For those of us who weren’t really paying attention in chemistry, this means it attracts water. Once water enters your brake system, its performance can be significantly reduced. The volumes required are tiny - and it can enter from many places around the system, including the reservoir. Even a lowly 3% water build up could massively affect your ability to stop by reducing the boiling point of the brake fluid. Once the fluid can boil, the solvent contained inside becomes vapour, which unlike liquid is compressible. The result? A pedal that goes flat to the floor with little or no result. Scary at best. At worst? Really not very good at all…..

Just Kampers recommend that you fully overhaul your brakes and replace the fluid at least once every two years. Particularly for vans that stand for much of the year. Inactivity can be one of the biggest culprits of failure.

Brakes Check List

1968 to 1992

All this potential drama can be easily avoided by taking the following pre-emptive steps. Usual nanny-state rules apply, Gloves on! Brake fluid is not nice stuff to get on your skin.

On drum brakes (front and rear up to ‘71. Rear only from ‘71 on) remove the brake drums to check for the following. By gently lifting the rubber boots on the back of the wheel cylinders you can check that there is no weeping of the brake fluid. If you see even a small amount of fluid, it’s advisable to replace. Important to remember always replace in pairs if it’s on the rear or all four on the front to retain perfect balance and a nice ‘square’ pull-up.

Whilst the drums are off, check the inside face to make sure they are not excessively grooved or scored. These will reduce the efficiency of the friction surfaces. It’s worth investing in a can of brake cleaner. Give everything a good old squirt, to allow you to ensure that all of the adjusting stars and nuts are free and clean and well lubricated with copper slip.

The brake shoes should be worn evenly and free from contamination from either brake fluid - or copper slip! Take a moment to examine the thicknesses across the brake lining material. They should all be wearing fairly evenly. If they‘re not, invest in a new set of 4 shoes and ensure that they are correctly fitted and adjusted to prevent it from happening again.

At the rear, the hand brake linkage is often worn or incorrectly fitted - with fairly obvious consequences. Ensure that this is working or replaced before reassembling the rear drums. The handbrake should come out by no more than 5 click before braking starts.

Front Disk Brakes

For those lucky enough to have disks on the front, it is imperative that they are working at full efficiency. Start by checking that the front discs are not worn or scored.

Minimum thickness             11.5mm   1971-72

                                                11.5mm   1973-79

                                                11.5mm   1980-85

                                                13.0mm   1986-92

Again, check the pads for wear. If you find any uneven wear patterns or one pad is worn more than another, you are likely to have a ‘lazy’ or stuck piston within the caliper. Gently lift back the caliper’s dust jackets to ensure that there is no weeping of brake fluid. If you are feeling super-practical  you can rebuild the caliper using one of our rebuild kits, or for as-new braking, replace the entire caliper unit. Please be aware that again, it is always advisable to replace or rebuild these in pairs to ensure a perfect balance.

Cast an eye over the brake lines and flexible hoses to ensure that the metal brake lines are not showing signs of excessive rust and corrosion, and the rubber lines show no bulges, cracking or damage. Replace any suspect metal lines with new copper brake lines and replace the flexible lines in pairs with new items.

Last but not least, check the master cylinder. It's located under the floor of the RHD drivers side of pre-1979 models and tucked above the pedal cluster on 1980 onwards models.  It's rare that an external leak is immediately obvious. More often than not, the seals perish inside and as you brake fluid can pass between the front and rear braking circuits, causing spongy brakes. When it gets to this point. Best to replace!