Had my rear end apart today & thought that I would show u my rear disk brake setup. It's not a new way of doing it & there are many beetles with the same conversion going around, so I thought that I would show it for the guys that hadn't seen it yet.
The general setup is from a XB or XA ?falcon wagen. U need the caliper, calpier bracket, the rotor & the flexible line on the caliper.
U also need some type 3 flanges that need to be turned down to fit inside the ford rotor, I also put a counter sunk screw in them for good measure even though my father made them a tight fit. U can then drill them together for whatever stud pattern u desire.
U also need to drill the caliper bracket for the 4 stud bearing cover, the bearing cover needs about 2mm shaved off the back of it since the caliper bracket is slightly thicker than the vw drum brake backing plate.
Then it's all pretty much a bolt on. I decided to go with brand new DBA rotors & new ford calipers just for peace of mind, but u can pick up a complete 2nd hand kit from the wreckers for under $300.
The hand brake cable also hooks straight up to the ford caliper with very little modification, even the ford flexible brake line screws straight into the vw hardline.
I'm sure that I've forgotten something but thats pretty much it, hope it helps someone.
regards
Jak

.

Nice conversion Jak. Can you tell me why there are extra holes in the disk? Is this because your running porsche pattern? How legal is it to redrill the disk?

I'm putting early 944 brakes on my car, but only because I got a set for $300. This is was my second choice.

Looks nice

Steve

is not allowed on road going cars , should you have a bing and there is a inquiry on you car ,you will be in more shit than the first settlers!!! . The flange you can buy blank so go that way .

I do these as well but weld the backing plate holes ( ford ) I did a post on this tech section a few weeks back .
jakrix can you please explane the bit on machining the bearing cover , also the off set did you machine the ford bracket ? or add a spacer on the axel to push the hub out ???? I must say the EA is the best ( me ) less parts Xf are vented up to you seagull

The pics show the paint on the rotors marked with the ford & holden stud pattern, my wheels are multi pattern. The DBA rotors were blanks that I had drilled in the Ford pattern. The pic is a little misleading.
The machining required on the bearing cover is to make up for the offset difference from the ford caliper bracket to the vw backing plate. 2mm should be more than enough to keep the bearing cover snug against the bearing & the spacer.
I don't remember having to machine the caliper bracket, except opening the hole up slightly that goes around the trailing arm.
does that make sense?
Jak

did you change the master cyl ?/ if so to ? seagull

Yes I just changed the master cylinder to just a brand new one, it seems to be more than adequate.
I forgot to mention that I don't run a brake bias valve either, I was told by nearly everyone that I would have to. to control rear wheel lockup. I've had a couple of lockups on the track (which CT has seen) but that was before I went to a harder compound pad on the rear, now it doesn't do it.
regards
Jak

Jak,

What have you done to the front brakes? Surely they are not standard.

I like the idea of using easy to get Aussie parts.

Cheers,

James C.

The complete front brake setup is from Steve Carters turbo beetle, it consists of type 4 front calipers with custom brackets & the rotors I think are the late type 3 style but were blanks that have been drilled in the Porsche & now Ford pattern.
They are pretty awesome as well. The calipers are 1.5 times the size of a standard superbug caliper & have a bigger piston size as well.
Jak

how hard was it to fit the type 4 front calipers ?

Can you buy the adaptors or did you make them?

I have been thinkig of installing VL Turbo/VN-VS V8 callipers to the front of a Beetle and combining them with a Falcon disc conversion, as the piston diamters F/R would be 'as factory', meaning no bias valve required. Can anyone suggest a brake rotor that will slip onto a BJ beetle front stub, but be the same thickness (28mm) as a vented Commodore front rotor? Maybe Audi or something?

Craig

VWcool

Whats the advantage of the late type 3 calipers ?

The Late type 3s have a bigger pad area but need different front stubs to use, thanks to the mounting bolts being further apart than previous T3s. Pre'73 (I think) T3s have a calliper piston diameter compatible with the large T3 rear drums that are a bolt-on to a beetle, using all standard bits and MC

54, yeah, I've done plenty of Amaroo circuit sprints and Old Road runs and never have I run out of brakes - T3 drums and t3 fronts with standard pads - but I just kinda want bigger ones! W**k factor, really... I have callipers here from when I upgraded my Holden to Group A spec brakes.
I'm getting a new 'big block' 1916 built soon so I'll give my old streeter a few hottie upgrades

[Edited on 23-2-2004 by VWCOOL]

[Edited on 23-2-2004 by VWCOOL]

Hi VWCool

Jak’s brakes were part of the Powertune Superbrake kit that was on my car, I upgraded when I had fade chasing Leigh around the back streets between my place and his, don’t have that problem anymore. Jak has had great success with them, maybe my foot was to heavy.

Have a look at the DBA website http://www.dba.com.au/ for suitable rotors, either use a complete rotor like a Commodore rotor and adapt bearings or machine your brake surface off so that your left with a hub and use a slip over rotor.

Then you will need to have an adaptor made, this is what I used when I upgraded to Porsche brakes.



1302Steve

Go the w#$%^ factor:thumb

vwfool, you'll see that those VL calipers will need a 22mm thick rotor.

U2U me if you want some more info.

Cheers

Yeh Steve, they have been fantastic! would u beleive that they still have the same pads in them that u gave me, I still have the spare set in the plastic!
regards
Jak

PS as a note, both my mates CT & Paul that also race only have type 3 brakes all round & they have never had a problem either,:thumb