Thanks Brother and much appreciated!!!! My wife always asks me when I'm fixing a vehicle if I'm recording it, as she knows it takes twice as long!!!!! Really do appreciate the comment. Thanks :)
Thanks so much for the comment brother!!!!! I love my Westy and it's amazing what a following these vans have. They are the one van that keeps going up in value (as long as you keep it maintained) If you do get one, I have a whole section on my channel on common Vanagon repairs that may help you out. If you are looking at one, I have found the most reliable are the 86-91 as they have the 2.1L and have worked out most of the issues.
@@ryanarmishaw3305 Thank you for the support my friend!!!! Not easy to grow a small channel so thanks again. If you have any questions just let me know :)
Hi, Great video, THANKS! You mentioned a link to a caliber cleaning video in the notes but I don't see it. Can you provide? THANKS again!! PS: purchased the compression tool from you link, so you'll get a fat paycheck soon!
Hey there thanks for the comment, and the paycheck LOL :) I do have a caliper cleaning vid, but its terrible, you can tell I'm honest. Check out this Lexus video th-cam.com/video/G0tWIghAMJw/w-d-xo.html and go to the 5:25min mark and watch from there. I go over cleaning the caliper pretty thoroughly in that video. The caliper cleaning on most floating calipers is the same. Thanks so much and if you have any questions just let me know !!!!
Hey great video, but where is the Brake Dust Plate? I have an 86... The dust plates were seized on, but I was able to replace them. Does your van not have the brake dust sheilds?
Hey buddy great find, you are the second one to notice that. Mine were rusted right off and I needed the van for a trip. I didn’t want to say they were not needed in the video as I would have been flamed!!!! And I had to get the job done so for a test I just didn’t mention them. You are the second so good catch buddy!!!! Also just as an FYI it still braked fine and I have had no problems. Thanks for the comment :)
Hey There, I use a wheel bearing tool 99% of the time. In the video I used a special tool, its plastic and to be honest it does not work well. I would get a kit like this amzn.to/3Pb1Ah5 its because the parts are steel and have some weight to them. You can get the aluminum ones like this amzn.to/45PqUAA which are much cheaper but I find that sometimes its a challenge with aluminum ones as they are too light. Be careful of some of those "bigger" sets because they come with a lot of small drivers and don't give you the bigger ones.
Thanks soo much for the comment, I have to check my settings as I just saw this now!!!! Sorry for the late reply, but glad you liked the vid :) I was also going to say let me know if you ever need anything. I help a lot of folks with Vanagons
looks like wheel spins fairly easily, mine has a lot more drag, and I did the preload too....probably need to go back check it before I cook something unintended...would 85 be different ?
No, 85 should be the same. Make sure the grease seal behind the rotor is straight, if its not in right it can cause drag. When you spin it, make sure there is no "roughness", even though it might be a little more stiff, it should not be rough. Remember that centre nut really does not have to be tight at all. I have taken brakes apart where you can just take the nut off with your hand on some vehicles with the same style brakes. Hopefully I helped you out and if you need anything else please let me know. Thanks buddy, and great pic in your avatar (yellow bug)
@@GarageKing it was 2 things; the grease seal was not even (replaced it), and the NEW dust shield was so far over, it was dragging on the whole rotor, bent it back and all good now, bled brakes, have great pedal ! Thanks...and glad you like the avatar, it my yellow bug that;s just fun to drive...
@@DanTheManIOM That is awesome!!!!! Ya I thought it might have been the seal, and the dust shield can surely contribute to it. Glad you are all up and running :)
No, there should be no play. If there is play most likely what happened is you did not set the preload correctly. Not a big deal. You can jack it up, pull the dust covers, take out the cotter pin and then snug them up. Thats all you need to do. I have done lots of brake jobs on older cars with these style of bearings and most are loose. Glad you enjoyed the video!! If you need anything else just let me know :)
I forgot to add that I am a Vanagon Owner so I do regular videos on my Vanagon. I have a playlist "Vanagon Repairs" on my channel if you want to check it out :) If you like I would appreciate if you would subscribe!!! Thanks!!!
@@GarageKing I figured it out the castle bolt was the issue, because how old it was it didnt go tight. I am redoing it when the parts arrive since the upper ball joints are bad also but i appreciate your fast response
These brakes are for 86-91, your 83.5 will have different brake calipers, but the rotors and the removal process for the rotors is the same. Its just your calipers are a little different. There are two types of calipers, 80-85 and 86-91. The brake job is basically the same as the important part of the video was showing the removal and re-packing of the wheel bearings and how to set the pre-load. Your brake calipers are just two bolts as well and they come off, you take the pads out and push the piston back in. Hope I have helped and if you need anything else just let me know :) Thanks
@@GarageKing thanks for the reply. im actually taking good parts off a donor van and putting them onto my recent fixer upper I bought. is it possible to remove the disc, callipers and brake lines all in one to transplant on to my other van?
@@MrHump86 Sure I think that should work, the rotors are the same. Just remember if you need to do brakes on your recent fixer upper in the future, make sure you remember to order the 80-85 style brake pads to go with the 80-85 style brake calipers that will be on your van. I'll think you are good to go. Don't forget to sub if you want, as I have a whole section on my channel about Vanagon repairs and I keep posting a new one every so often as I have to mix up the content on my channel. I help a lot of Vanagon Owners (I own one and am a mechanic) Thanks Bro and if you need anything else just let me know.
My donor is an 84 and am transplanting parts to an 83.5. I’m sure there won’t be any issues. Thanks very much for the help. Do you have or know of a good video for a step by step engine swap/removal/install for 1.9L vanagons? Thanks again
@@MrHump86 I removed and rebuilt a 2.1L and sadly, very sadly, did not film, one of my biggest regrets........ When I took mine out I took out the engine and transmission together, it was much easier. I had the van on lifts and used a motorcycle jack with a flat piece of wood on it to lower the engine down. The 2.1 and 1.9 are pretty much the same for removal and install. There is one mount for the transmission, and one for the engine (its that bar near the exhaust) For me that was the easiest way to take out. You could leave the trans in, but I think it would be hard to line them up, plus if the trans falls there is only one mount holding it and I think it would break.
Good eye you have, they were actually rusted off, and I needed the van and could not get a set in time. They actually don't provide any protection, they are used for cooling as they help to direct air to the rotor. The problem with the factory rotors are they are solid, so they don't cool very well to begin with. I did the brakes in 2019, and I have not had any issues with them, but I don't drive through mountains. Maybe if you are going through a lot of hill they may overheat. Good catch though, appreciate the comment :)
@@GarageKing OK thanks, mine are completely destroy by the rust and bolts are completely rusted too. I think i'll follow your way and delete this protection. Thanks for your feedback about this modification
There is supposed to be a locking in that speedometer line, you can see a hole for it. Whatsoever square in that dust cup has to be ideal otherwise you'll see how your indicator oscillate :)
You are 100% correct, I probably should have shown a close up of the dust cap to show how it has to be square. If its round the speedometer will oscillate as you say!!!! This was one of my older videos so over time I'm getting better at editing and making them better :) Thank You :)
@@kalimethod Hi There, this should not happen. Are you putting new rotors on? Sometimes I have seen new rotors come WITHOUT the race installed and it causes problems, make sure your new rotors have races in them. The race is what the outside of the wheel bearing rides in. The inside of the wheel bearing rides on the spindle. You should not punch the old race out of the old rotor, you never have to transfer these parts over. Make sure your wheel bearings are clean and packed with new grease. For a test to see what is sticking you can take off the rotor and slide the wheel bearings on WITHOUT the rotor, they should slide right on with no force. DO NOT hammer them. If they slide on ok then you may just be misaligned. Put the rear bearing in the rotor, install the grease seal and put the rotor on. Once the rotor is on (it will not slide off) then put in the front rotor bearing while wiggling it. That should be it, let me know how you make out.
@@GarageKing ok we figured it out. It's the old outer wheel bearing. Well what's left of it. It was smashed. We thought it was the brakes sensor or metal on metal on the rotors from having no pad left. But it was the wheel bearing making the grinding nose. The inner part of the wheel bearing is suck on the spindle. It won't budge. Wish I could show you a picture.
I know exactly what you are talking about. No pic required. Just as a FYI that is really very rare for something like that to happen. Most likely the bearing was not repacked at the last brake job and the center nut could have been too tight. Very rare to see that and I’m glad you got it figured out. Cheers
You sped through the important part of how to seat the bearings during the tightening, and how tight to make it. You also didn’t show how to pack the dust cap and how to secure the speedometer cable in the dust cap.
At 19:40min mark to 20:00min I explain how to preload the bearing (what the manual says - and it does not say much) I really didn't think anyone would care about me turning the nut back and forth, and its hard to explain how hard I'm turning it. I have done a ton of these things, as all the old rear wheel drive American cars were the same set up (except for the speedometer). Most guys do it by feel, and I do say the final torque should be about 1ft/lb after preload. Sorry about that. I think next time I will use a beam style torque wrench so everyone can see how hard I am turning. Also for the dust cap there is no need to pack that, it should remain dry, and just line up the speedometer cable. I did speak about that at 21:40, but I did not show it on the camera. I thought it would be self explanatory as the square hole in the cap lines up with the end of the speedometer cable which is also square. This is one of my earlier videos that does not have a lot of editing in it, and frankly its too long. Most people watch on average 3-4min so now I try to put just the most important stuff in, and keep the length down. I'm always learning so I appreciate the feedback. I have come a long way since this video in terms of making instructional videos. I appreciate the comments. If you need any clarity on anything please reach out. I have helped many others on repairs (that are different) than the videos. Thank you again, and hope you enjoy your weekend :)
2:42...."Depeche Mode"into R.E.O. Speedwagon into David Bowie....listening to some "Clear-Channel" huh? 🤣🤣... I swear to god....I've never heard anyone say "these ones" so many times in my life!! Jesus Christ!! "These" is a pronoun...just say that instead of "adding a double-plural...."these" is a grammatical tool...use it just like that breaker bar you've got there!! Good video by the way...👍
Very informative, and thanks for the high def video. The Depeche Mode playing in the background was a throwback bonus
Thanks Brother and much appreciated!!!! My wife always asks me when I'm fixing a vehicle if I'm recording it, as she knows it takes twice as long!!!!! Really do appreciate the comment. Thanks :)
Thanks for taking the time to make this video!!
+ML Z Thanks soo much for the comment. I will be posting more Vanagon videos so if you enjoyed I would appreciate if you would subscribe:) Thanks :)
Awesome video! Thank you. I don't even have a Westy, but I figured I'd check out how to fix them...just in case I get the itch to finally buy one ;)
Thanks so much for the comment brother!!!!! I love my Westy and it's amazing what a following these vans have. They are the one van that keeps going up in value (as long as you keep it maintained) If you do get one, I have a whole section on my channel on common Vanagon repairs that may help you out. If you are looking at one, I have found the most reliable are the 86-91 as they have the 2.1L and have worked out most of the issues.
@@GarageKing Great to know about the '86-'91s. And yeah, I've been snooping on your channel. Watched a handful of fixit jobs today :)
@@ryanarmishaw3305 Thank you for the support my friend!!!! Not easy to grow a small channel so thanks again. If you have any questions just let me know :)
This is a really top notch video!!!
Hey thanks for the comment !!
Hi, Great video, THANKS!
You mentioned a link to a caliber cleaning video in the notes but I don't see it. Can you provide? THANKS again!! PS: purchased the compression tool from you link, so you'll get a fat paycheck soon!
Hey there thanks for the comment, and the paycheck LOL :) I do have a caliper cleaning vid, but its terrible, you can tell I'm honest. Check out this Lexus video th-cam.com/video/G0tWIghAMJw/w-d-xo.html and go to the 5:25min mark and watch from there. I go over cleaning the caliper pretty thoroughly in that video. The caliper cleaning on most floating calipers is the same. Thanks so much and if you have any questions just let me know !!!!
Hey great video, but where is the Brake Dust Plate? I have an 86... The dust plates were seized on, but I was able to replace them. Does your van not have the brake dust sheilds?
Hey buddy great find, you are the second one to notice that. Mine were rusted right off and I needed the van for a trip. I didn’t want to say they were not needed in the video as I would have been flamed!!!! And I had to get the job done so for a test I just didn’t mention them. You are the second so good catch buddy!!!! Also just as an FYI it still braked fine and I have had no problems. Thanks for the comment :)
I would like a seal driver kit. Can you tell me what i should order on the canadian amazon site? txs
Hey There, I use a wheel bearing tool 99% of the time. In the video I used a special tool, its plastic and to be honest it does not work well. I would get a kit like this amzn.to/3Pb1Ah5 its because the parts are steel and have some weight to them. You can get the aluminum ones like this amzn.to/45PqUAA which are much cheaper but I find that sometimes its a challenge with aluminum ones as they are too light. Be careful of some of those "bigger" sets because they come with a lot of small drivers and don't give you the bigger ones.
Great video.
Thanks soo much for the comment, I have to check my settings as I just saw this now!!!! Sorry for the late reply, but glad you liked the vid :) I was also going to say let me know if you ever need anything. I help a lot of folks with Vanagons
looks like wheel spins fairly easily, mine has a lot more drag, and I did the preload too....probably need to go back check it before I cook something unintended...would 85 be different ?
No, 85 should be the same. Make sure the grease seal behind the rotor is straight, if its not in right it can cause drag. When you spin it, make sure there is no "roughness", even though it might be a little more stiff, it should not be rough. Remember that centre nut really does not have to be tight at all. I have taken brakes apart where you can just take the nut off with your hand on some vehicles with the same style brakes. Hopefully I helped you out and if you need anything else please let me know. Thanks buddy, and great pic in your avatar (yellow bug)
@@GarageKing it was 2 things; the grease seal was not even (replaced it), and the NEW dust shield was so far over, it was dragging on the whole rotor, bent it back and all good now, bled brakes, have great pedal ! Thanks...and glad you like the avatar, it my yellow bug that;s just fun to drive...
@@DanTheManIOM That is awesome!!!!! Ya I thought it might have been the seal, and the dust shield can surely contribute to it. Glad you are all up and running :)
Thank you
Thank you for the comment !!
I just finished doing this on a 89 is the rotor supposed to move back and forth a little after being tightened?
No, there should be no play. If there is play most likely what happened is you did not set the preload correctly. Not a big deal. You can jack it up, pull the dust covers, take out the cotter pin and then snug them up. Thats all you need to do. I have done lots of brake jobs on older cars with these style of bearings and most are loose. Glad you enjoyed the video!! If you need anything else just let me know :)
I forgot to add that I am a Vanagon Owner so I do regular videos on my Vanagon. I have a playlist "Vanagon Repairs" on my channel if you want to check it out :) If you like I would appreciate if you would subscribe!!! Thanks!!!
@@GarageKing I figured it out the castle bolt was the issue, because how old it was it didnt go tight. I am redoing it when the parts arrive since the upper ball joints are bad also but i appreciate your fast response
@@stevenb320 Anytime Buddy!!!! These Vanagons are getting rare so keep it on the road as long as you can. I love mine :)
is this the same for my 83.5 wasserboxer? or is it specific to 86-91?
These brakes are for 86-91, your 83.5 will have different brake calipers, but the rotors and the removal process for the rotors is the same. Its just your calipers are a little different. There are two types of calipers, 80-85 and 86-91. The brake job is basically the same as the important part of the video was showing the removal and re-packing of the wheel bearings and how to set the pre-load. Your brake calipers are just two bolts as well and they come off, you take the pads out and push the piston back in. Hope I have helped and if you need anything else just let me know :) Thanks
@@GarageKing thanks for the reply. im actually taking good parts off a donor van and putting them onto my recent fixer upper I bought. is it possible to remove the disc, callipers and brake lines all in one to transplant on to my other van?
@@MrHump86 Sure I think that should work, the rotors are the same. Just remember if you need to do brakes on your recent fixer upper in the future, make sure you remember to order the 80-85 style brake pads to go with the 80-85 style brake calipers that will be on your van. I'll think you are good to go. Don't forget to sub if you want, as I have a whole section on my channel about Vanagon repairs and I keep posting a new one every so often as I have to mix up the content on my channel. I help a lot of Vanagon Owners (I own one and am a mechanic) Thanks Bro and if you need anything else just let me know.
My donor is an 84 and am transplanting parts to an 83.5. I’m sure there won’t be any issues. Thanks very much for the help. Do you have or know of a good video for a step by step engine swap/removal/install for 1.9L vanagons? Thanks again
@@MrHump86 I removed and rebuilt a 2.1L and sadly, very sadly, did not film, one of my biggest regrets........ When I took mine out I took out the engine and transmission together, it was much easier. I had the van on lifts and used a motorcycle jack with a flat piece of wood on it to lower the engine down. The 2.1 and 1.9 are pretty much the same for removal and install. There is one mount for the transmission, and one for the engine (its that bar near the exhaust) For me that was the easiest way to take out. You could leave the trans in, but I think it would be hard to line them up, plus if the trans falls there is only one mount holding it and I think it would break.
What kind of grease are you using?
I used GM wheel bearing great. I bought a tub (like 1 or two quarts) and use it for pretty much everything. Thanks for the comment !!
No disc protection behind the disc ?
Good eye you have, they were actually rusted off, and I needed the van and could not get a set in time. They actually don't provide any protection, they are used for cooling as they help to direct air to the rotor. The problem with the factory rotors are they are solid, so they don't cool very well to begin with. I did the brakes in 2019, and I have not had any issues with them, but I don't drive through mountains. Maybe if you are going through a lot of hill they may overheat. Good catch though, appreciate the comment :)
@@GarageKing OK thanks, mine are completely destroy by the rust and bolts are completely rusted too. I think i'll follow your way and delete this protection. Thanks for your feedback about this modification
@@angerx4 anytime :)
There is supposed to be a locking in that speedometer line, you can see a hole for it.
Whatsoever square in that dust cup has to be ideal otherwise you'll see how your indicator oscillate :)
You are 100% correct, I probably should have shown a close up of the dust cap to show how it has to be square. If its round the speedometer will oscillate as you say!!!! This was one of my older videos so over time I'm getting better at editing and making them better :) Thank You :)
Having trouble on passenger side. Wheel bearing gets punched out when installing.
Any advice
@@kalimethod Hi There, this should not happen. Are you putting new rotors on? Sometimes I have seen new rotors come WITHOUT the race installed and it causes problems, make sure your new rotors have races in them. The race is what the outside of the wheel bearing rides in. The inside of the wheel bearing rides on the spindle. You should not punch the old race out of the old rotor, you never have to transfer these parts over. Make sure your wheel bearings are clean and packed with new grease. For a test to see what is sticking you can take off the rotor and slide the wheel bearings on WITHOUT the rotor, they should slide right on with no force. DO NOT hammer them. If they slide on ok then you may just be misaligned. Put the rear bearing in the rotor, install the grease seal and put the rotor on. Once the rotor is on (it will not slide off) then put in the front rotor bearing while wiggling it. That should be it, let me know how you make out.
@@GarageKing ok we figured it out. It's the old outer wheel bearing. Well what's left of it. It was smashed. We thought it was the brakes sensor or metal on metal on the rotors from having no pad left. But it was the wheel bearing making the grinding nose. The inner part of the wheel bearing is suck on the spindle. It won't budge. Wish I could show you a picture.
I know exactly what you are talking about. No pic required. Just as a FYI that is really very rare for something like that to happen. Most likely the bearing was not repacked at the last brake job and the center nut could have been too tight. Very rare to see that and I’m glad you got it figured out. Cheers
@@GarageKing we figured it out but do you have any idea how to remove. It's stuck. We tried lubricating oil.
You sped through the important part of how to seat the bearings during the tightening, and how tight to make it. You also didn’t show how to pack the dust cap and how to secure the speedometer cable in the dust cap.
At 19:40min mark to 20:00min I explain how to preload the bearing (what the manual says - and it does not say much) I really didn't think anyone would care about me turning the nut back and forth, and its hard to explain how hard I'm turning it. I have done a ton of these things, as all the old rear wheel drive American cars were the same set up (except for the speedometer). Most guys do it by feel, and I do say the final torque should be about 1ft/lb after preload. Sorry about that. I think next time I will use a beam style torque wrench so everyone can see how hard I am turning. Also for the dust cap there is no need to pack that, it should remain dry, and just line up the speedometer cable. I did speak about that at 21:40, but I did not show it on the camera. I thought it would be self explanatory as the square hole in the cap lines up with the end of the speedometer cable which is also square. This is one of my earlier videos that does not have a lot of editing in it, and frankly its too long. Most people watch on average 3-4min so now I try to put just the most important stuff in, and keep the length down. I'm always learning so I appreciate the feedback. I have come a long way since this video in terms of making instructional videos. I appreciate the comments. If you need any clarity on anything please reach out. I have helped many others on repairs (that are different) than the videos. Thank you again, and hope you enjoy your weekend :)
2:42...."Depeche Mode"into R.E.O. Speedwagon into David Bowie....listening to some "Clear-Channel" huh?
🤣🤣...
I swear to god....I've never heard anyone say "these ones" so many times in my life!!
Jesus Christ!!
"These" is a pronoun...just say that instead of "adding a double-plural...."these" is a grammatical tool...use it just like that breaker bar you've got there!!
Good video by the way...👍
Ha Ha, noted and thanks for the feedback :) This was one of my first videos so I must have bee a little nervous LOL :)
Hang that loose caliper from a wire out of the way.
You bet bud, I actually do that most of the time, you caught me this time :) Good Catch buddy !!!!