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help! vw replacement calipers not clearing wheels. huh? :(

bajachris88 - March 9th, 2012 at 06:21 PM

No discount new vw parts replacement is complete without poor fit. The outter side of the caliper has a circular face coming out. It doesn't clear the spokes of my rims by approx 2-3mm.

Would it be safe to space the caliper away from the wheel by using washers on the mount? or should i sneak in some wheel spacers (which i don't want to do, due to legal reasons and wheels protruding from the guards).

Any help greatly appreciated! And to think i thought it was going so smooth lol. ah wells... had fitted new rotors, calipers and pads.

And see the difference with the old caliper with fitted fine:

bajachris88 - March 9th, 2012 at 06:23 PM

Rotors and bearings where from Mick Motors,
Calipers were from http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/360435656619?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=... and were marketed to suit Type 1's from 67 to 77, Super beetles, KG and Type 3.

Poor braking and a tight wallet left me no choice. Although the ebay ad talks em' up pretty well.

grumble - March 9th, 2012 at 07:23 PM

No mate don't use washers,contact Micks and explain the problem.

68AutoBug - March 9th, 2012 at 09:45 PM

Hi Chris

Have You tried a steel VW original wheel rim on these brake calipers??

it may be Your wheels....???

LEE

Sandy - March 9th, 2012 at 10:10 PM

File it down (unless the circular face is like a hollow reservoir behind the piston) or use vw wheels or rebuild the original calipers.

coletrickle - March 9th, 2012 at 11:07 PM

When you start using patern parts the wide tollerances compared to Vw means eventually it adds up to shit don't fit.dragways were fine but heavy the new calipers with pads are cheap that's why you got them,rebuilding German parts is always preferable but that takes time and heaps more money.Nothing is bolt on anymore unless genuine Vw and the car is unmolested

11CAB - March 9th, 2012 at 11:15 PM

You cant space the caliper away otherwise it wont be in the correct position for the rotor

matberry - March 10th, 2012 at 09:55 AM

Grind off the lug.
ps. at your own risk :lol:

empi - March 10th, 2012 at 10:45 AM

Wheels!

Joel - March 10th, 2012 at 02:07 PM

It's just mix and match parts.

You're original calipers are the old 1500 ATE type and the new ones are the later 70s style which have the nipple on them in the back of the piston recess.

It's only with certain wheels its a problem.
My old 18" zeptors there was barely room for a buisness card between them.
Some of the repoop Empi 8s have the same issue.

You can shave a bit off there but I wouldn't go too crazy.

bajachris88 - March 10th, 2012 at 06:52 PM

Thanks for all the help and suggestions guys! I braced myself and figured given the price it wouldn't hurt to grind it back and clear it. And heres the result! worked a treat, with enough clearance for a failed bearing to have some play lol.

Much appreciated

Now i have a shiny dot of mystery and wonder! :dork:

Smiley - March 11th, 2012 at 05:31 PM

Nice work getting it all sorted out Chris.

How do the brakes feel now??

Smiley

bajachris88 - March 12th, 2012 at 09:46 AM

Thanks Daniel, yea the brakes are good! no more vibrations/jitters. very smooth. Haven't braked hard yet till i rack up some kms, but done a dozen moderate, consecutive braking stop / starts from 50-60km's to bed em in. Working fine, just need to sort out this bloody lack of reverse lock out and she'll be set for valla. Hmmm... maybe i'll fit a more quiet muffler too...

Update: shifting all sweet. ready for another road trip !

vlad01 - March 12th, 2012 at 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Joel
It's just mix and match parts.

You're original calipers are the old 1500 ATE type and the new ones are the later 70s style which have the nipple on them in the back of the piston recess.

It's only with certain wheels its a problem.
My old 18" zeptors there was barely room for a buisness card between them.
Some of the repoop Empi 8s have the same issue.

You can shave a bit off there but I wouldn't go too crazy.

I am sure its the other way around, round ended calipers on the first early disk bugs, squarey calipers on later 70s models.

I have only ever seen those round nipple ones on real old disk bugs.

those square ones I have had on every 70+ model I have owned plus other I have seen.

Germans don't un-revise their parts, the square ones are clearly the revised version.

Joel - March 13th, 2012 at 11:44 AM

It wasn't that the Germans un-revised parts, it was the Clayton factory using a mish mash of whatever was on the shelf.

Typically the Aussie assembled 1500s had the single pin early style ATE calipers.

I've onwed alot of 70s superbugs and worked on alot more at the garage, a couple had those stupid replacement U pin Girling calipers but all the rest had the later ATE twin pin and 2 of them were original low mileage cars.

The early single pins ones were superceded by the new style with the nipple which is pronbably what you encounted.

Both my 1500 bugs had the old style still.

Also Chris's bug is a German import so would have had whatever they were using at the time.

Unfortunatly with these cars being so old and many been round the block a few times you can't go on what parts are on them.

vlad01 - March 13th, 2012 at 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Joel
It wasn't that the Germans un-revised parts, it was the Clayton factory using a mish mash of whatever was on the shelf.

Typically the Aussie assembled 1500s had the single pin early style ATE calipers.

I've onwed alot of 70s superbugs and worked on alot more at the garage, a couple had those stupid replacement U pin Girling calipers but all the rest had the later ATE twin pin and 2 of them were original low mileage cars.

The early single pins ones were superceded by the new style with the nipple which is pronbably what you encounted.

Both my 1500 bugs had the old style still.

Also Chris's bug is a German import so would have had whatever they were using at the time.

Unfortunatly with these cars being so old and many been round the block a few times you can't go on what parts are on them.

the square ones as like the OP's og one is dual pin, can't remember what the nipple ones are?

Joel - March 13th, 2012 at 08:53 PM

The nipple ones are twin pin, but the earlys were in both but mostly single with the DB23 pads.

I still have the original single pin early calipers off my black 70 bug somewhere, I was having trouble getting pads so I swapped them for twin pin ones.

Joel - March 13th, 2012 at 09:00 PM

Gotta love Google

How did we survive before it? you can find anything now

These are the good old original ATE Calipers
The modern Varga ones are a knock off, look pretty well the same except the nipple.

I hate those f88king Girling ones, my blue Lbug had them, you gotta remove them to replace the pads :rolleyes: