66 beetle brake adjustment problem.| Grassroots Motorsports forum |

Travis_K UltraDork
12/15/12 10:21 a.m.

The brakes work fine if you adjust them, but after about 150 miles they self adjust the pedal to the floor so the brakes barely work until you adjust them again. I'm guessing that's not normal, does anyone have an idea what might be wrong? Or is it time for a disc conversion? Lol

bgkast GRM+ Memberand New Reader
12/15/12 10:27 a.m.

No, that's not normal. Do the star wheels give a good click when you adjust them? If not the springs that hold them in place could be broken or weak allowing them to back off from vibration. Are you sure there is no air in the system?

Ranger50 UberDork
12/15/12 10:27 a.m.

Swap your adjusters to the other side? Sounds like they are reversed.

Knurled GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
12/15/12 11:00 a.m.

Ranger50 wrote: Swap your adjusters to the other side? Sounds like they are reversed.

They should be the same side for side, being the kind that require manual adjustment.

fasted58 UberDork
12/15/12 2:04 p.m.

my .02

If installing new brake shoes, the outer edge is sharp and will drag the corner of the drum giving the feel of proper adjustment and will even have good pedal. As that sharp edge wears away first the adjustment and pedal will go away.

I learned to radius the shoe edges w/ a file to match the radius of the drum.

dunno if that's what you're experiencing there tho

mad_machine GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
12/15/12 4:08 p.m.

something is backwards. I had that problem with the last car I owned with drum brakes. Seems we installed the adjusters wrong while in a hurry and they would unadjust every time you pressed the brake pedal

LopRacer HalfDork
12/15/12 6:03 p.m.

Last I recall the 66 Bug has manual adjusters and no capacity to self adjust, as one of previous poster mentioned the springs that hold the adjuster star wheels, if they are worn out the adjuster could be backing off and not keeping adjustment. It's worth looking under the drum to see.

JThw8 PowerDork
12/15/12 8:38 p.m.

LopRacer wrote: Last I recall the 66 Bug has manual adjusters and no capacity to self adjust, as one of previous poster mentioned the springs that hold the adjuster star wheels, if they are worn out the adjuster could be backing off and not keeping adjustment. It's worth looking under the drum to see.

Another vote for this. No self adjusters on this car so no getting things backwards. Its the retainer springs, missing or worn.