Anyone using the empi disc brakes george at classic sells? Just looking for some feedback.

Hi there
I took a chance based on the negative things I had read on empi stuff and bought a disk brake drop spindle kit for my 63 beetle.
It has been on the car for around a year or so with no issues, Braking performance is great compared to the old drums.
I took my time assembling and found it all went together easy except for a messy bit of casting that needed to be filed down to allow one of the brake pads to slide in.
I have checked it over a few times since assembly and so far so good..

My kit came from vollks not classic and was delivered in record time.

My son bought some rear discs for his baja, they went on really well but were impossible to bleed properly. We tried every method known to man, in the end tried to contact George to see if he'd had any other customers with the same problem but as you can imagine - no reply. Drums went back on and the discs filed under lesson learned

There are better options

And there are reasons they are cheaper.
What car are they going on?

If it is a 4 stud then there is excellent stopping power in stock parts.
If you are going rear discs "because" well, them quality doesn't matter

I have some on the rear of my beach buggy 1 year old no problems yet..

we fitted some, they weight a lot , swap it back to drums

Don't waste your money
I bought and installed with a new master cylinder from George. Couldn't chase out a very spongy pedal. So pulled front and rear callipers apart all seemed ok. Locked off each rubber line and bled tirelessly. Held calliper up while pumping etc... Still no good. Noticed lots of flex in the actual calliper so pulled them off and fitted my own ea ford rear conversion. Still had troubles hmmmm! George didn't want a bar of it, didn't offer to replace anything just suggested user installation error!!! Hmmm!

Replaced master cylinder, bled up first time no probs. sold $400 rear callipers for $40 at a swap meet so it was a costly f... Up!

We're the callipers ok if I had a good master cylinder to start with? Don't know, but lots of flex and I paid $400 rears and master cylinder can't remember cost and couldn't use either!!!

George sell really cheap gear it's your choice if you buy anyway. I also read all the poor reports prior. Silly me

I,m just tossing up which way to go. I bought a 64 beetle with wide 5 and to be honest the brakes are shit. I jump out of my square which has big discs and ea falcon rears which stops like anything and I would like to replicate. spoke to penrose who does an adaptor bearing so you can use late beetle front discs and calipers,and I would use 4 stud type 3 rear drums. Do the adaptor bearings work? as the idea of using genuine front discs appeals.The empi gear seems to b getting the rap I expected so I think I will give them a wide berth. any ideas greatly appreciated.

I turned down the empi disc to be similar to a type 3 hub. It's 18mm thick. Then sat the ford disc over a machined shoulder. Then machine the ford calliper mounting bracket to fit where the original backing plate sat. Really simple once you see it. If you've had a set already I would suggest replicating it. Wide five may be a concern

Hi Scott,
You should be able to get the so called adaptor bearing at any good bearing shop, just have to know the ID, OD and width, the flex in the calipers can be taken care of with inline residual valves, I had the same issue on a couple of my cars on the front, fitted two 2 PSI residual valves took out the spongy pedal, this would work on the rear as well, I also have a set of CB performance rear discs on my silver ghia and these worked perfectly without the valves, the Empi brakes have a caliper bracket made from a piece of jam tin that appears not to hold the caliper parrell to the disc were as the CB bracket is machined square and holds the caliper in the right position, it will just depends on what you end up with, I think Empi also recommends the residual valves for there brakes. power bleeding the brakes also helps.
http://www.piersideparts.net/MB17-2928.html 

watch this youtube clip, evidence you have to consider.

The title of the youtube kit - empi five lug disc brake kit this is total crap ..... do not buy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJsOMuvpghI 

The brake kit was fitted incorrectly on youtube, I still do not see how any of these brakes are legal with that flimsy bracket and a caliper that is not propriority.

my buggy has passed by my engineer with empi disc brakes on the rear and he was impressed with how well the brakes worked but I did take my time fitting them properly ..