Useful information from Paruzzi magazine and from our YouTube channel :
brake disassembly We will replace the drum brakes at the rear of a Volkswagen 1303 convertible. If you want to do this for another type of VW, the procedure is quite similar. We replaced the brake backing plate, the wheel brake cylinder, the brake shoes and the springs.
replacing brake drums Not all brake parts have to be replaced every time you change the brake shoe. But usually we have to deal with under-maintained oldtimers, cars that have been stationary for too long or classic cars with no service history. It is then advisable to replace all mechanical parts.
oil seals All rotating parts fitted with bearings lubricated by oil or grease, such as crankshafts, transmission shafts, drive shafts, steering rods, etc., must be sealed. In our classic VW's we find two types of oil seals, namely the static and the dynamic (lip seal) oil seals.
installing rear brakes In issue 23, we removed the rear brakes from our VW 1303. All classic Volkswagens were equipped with drum brakes in the rear, the procedure for other models is quite similar. If you used the previous edition to replace the rear brakes on your VW, you should be able to continue your work with this article.
brake fluid replacement After you have disconnected the brake hoses of a hydraulic brake system, to replace the wheel brake cylinders, master cylinder or calipers, for example, you will need to bleed the brake circuit, that goes without saying.
brake circuit bleeding Of course, flushing the brake fluid is not always necessary. If you have disconnected a brake hose or line, or you have disassembled a brake cylinder or caliper, then bleeding part of the brake circuit is sufficient. This saves brake fluid and it's done faster than complete flushing.
drum brakes Almost all classic VWs are equipped with drum brakes at the rear and front, a number of models such as Type 3, Type 4, Beetle 1300S, 1302 and 1303 and Bay Window Bus were first fitted as an option and then standard with disc brakes at the front. Of course, you can convert any drum brake into a disc brake if you wish.
hydraulic brakes Hydraulic braking systems are available in single and double braking systems. Below we show a double braking system, the master cylinder operates two separate brake lines, fed by two separate lines coming from the brake fluid reservoir.
dual braking system The separate braking system was introduced in model year 1967, the front and rear brake lines were separated. If the pressure of the front wheels drops, for example, then you always have the rear left, in the case of a single circuit you will lose your entire foot brake.
VW part numbering All VW parts are identified by a unique reference number. This reference is made up of 9 digits, to which sometimes a letter is added. The oldest book with VW references we could find is the one of the Beetle of 1949, Volkswagen used 6 digits to indicate the parts, from 1956 on 9 digits can be seen.