BRAKES LOCK UP

[Scott Mefford]

My right front brake on my 68 VW frame locks up when the brakes are applied.   Anybody know of a good reference for trouble shooting brake problems or have any thoughts on where to start..?

[Toller]

Scott
Do you have drums or disks that are locking up?

David B Dixon
Port Perry ON CA
Sabine

[scubasteve]

There are many informative and helpful videos on YouTube. I just search the subject I want to learn about. For your situation, I entered “air cooled vw brake” and it came up with over 5 different people showing how to do everything from inspecting to actually replacing the brakes. You can also google(or in my case Bing) “air cooled vw brake” and, again many hits. I’ve done this for everything I’ve done on my cars. There are are two indispensable books you should get. One is How to Keep Your VW Alive and the Haynes VW and Karmann Ghia repair manuals both available through Amazon.com or possibly your local bookstore. Using all three of these resources, you can do just about any work. I recommend reading and watching each procedure at the same time.

Good Luck and keep us posted…

Amor Conquista Todo

[Paul Mossberg]

Rob and Dave’s Aircooled Pages are a great resource too:

http://www.vw-resource.com/

Their brakes pages are indexed here:

http://www.vw-resource.com/brakeslinks.html

Some simple first steps:

Visual inspection – looking for things like fluid leaks, soft brake lines. Bad? Fix it. Good?

Brake pedal – Is it firm? If sot, likely need to bleed the brakes.

If the above are good, and you have drum brakes at all four corners, you may just need to adjust the brakes. Pretty easy to do. Check the Rob & Dave pages or the resources mentioned in other responses.

If you have front disks and rear drums, the next thing I’d check is the proportioning valve that should have been installed when the front was converted to disc.

 

Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

[Scott Mefford]

Thanks for the references and the advice..

Being a 68, I just assumed they were drum brakes on all 4’s, but I guess I better pull a wheel and check first.. Then, I think

I need to start by looking at some of the references or Youtube and as Paul suggests learn how to adjust the breaks before I start pulling and replacing things..

 

Scott

[Bob]

Mine were filthy with a tendency to lockup easily, and one or two (forget now) needed adjusting too.

Brake cleaner on the pads and drums (avoid hub bearings) and a screwdriver to turn the star-wheel (adjusters) is all that it took to fix it. Fairly simple thing, DIY job, just not something you want to get wrong either so I won’t try to explain it.

😉

• This reply was modified 7 years ago by Bob.

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