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11K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  Mike's 82 
#1 ·
81 Rabbit truck been sitting for about 15 years, thinking of getting it back on the road, the REAR brakes are froze up, SUGGESTIONS IN GETTING THEM FREED UP & REMOVING WHEELS FROM DRUMS?
ALSO
Since I'm going to redo the brakes, IS THERE A REAR DISC BRAKE CONVERSION?
Thanks
 
#2 ·
Moved your thread to the General Forum, as it is more a question than a DIY.


Yes, you can convert the rears to the rear disk from a Scirroco, You would need to upgrade the master cylinder as well as probably the rear weight proportional valve. There are plenty of threads on the www.vwvortex.com in the mk1 forum as well as the caddy....


To remove the drums you probably are going to have to do a couple of things.
You didn't say if they could turn?


If you are not familiar with the design of the rears on Rabbits, then here ya go.


They look like this internally



The Brake adjuster wedge probably needs to be released.



To do that you use a small flash light and rotate the drum so the bolt hole is about at the 8:30-8:45 position. Insert a thin blade screwdriver in the hole and push the wedge up. At the Same time you will use a hammer to Bang the left and right side of the drum to release the brakes from the drums


(oh I forgot that you have to remove the cotter pin, castle keeper, and nut/washer first.)


If your Brake cables are frozen, or broken, then they can also cause the issue and removing them may be needed also.
 
#4 ·
Well, then you can try this. Using a good Penetrating oil like PB-Blaster and the straw, shoot it in and around all 4 lug bolt holes, so that you get it all over the drum..... Let it work. Spray it again, the smack the hell out of the drum 12,6,3,9 and so on a few times. It may loosen up.... If not then you are left with


Getting new stub axles, Drums, and hardware from ie: Napa, or Baker Autoparts, Autobahn perf parts in Doraville then backing plates from a Junkyard.


You can remove the Brake hose off the wheel cylinder in the back, then undo the 4 nuts that hold the stub axle to the axle.




Prior to using oil on it you could try to heat it up with a torch and Map Gas, just be sure to have extinguisher handy as you are going to possible set the grease and internal rubbers on fire.... But I have had good luck with spraying it all with oil internally, then smacking the hell out of it to get it to move, insert a couple of the lug bolts in opposite, and use the bolts as a fulcrum point to get a piece of Steel between then to smack it in a rotation pattern to try to free it up.
 
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