944 brakes

[ViolentBlue]

has anyone tryed a 944 brake swap on a type1? I'd be interested to know about it, upsides, down sides etc

VB

[crazylarry]

You will really need to have 944 brake on all 4 wheels so you can have the rears brakes bolt to the trailing arms, so that is easy enough. the front aren't that hard either. I have seen so kits sold in germany but the are very very expensive. but the are also using 993 turbo brake or brembo's. For stock 944 brakes you must make a bracket for the caliper oh you will need ghia disc brake spindles. To mount the hub you use the 944 wheel bearing and instert sleeves on the spindle so the bearing fit. It really not hard at all I know of some web pages that give the measurement for the conversion or I can e-mail you with the measurement I have. I.ll get back to you with the web pages

Larry

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[ViolentBlue]

I have measurments and pics for the Ghia spindle 944 brake conversion,

I'm considering this conversion due to the cost/quality of aftermarket VW disk brake kits, and this setup seems to be the easiest conversion.
a couple questions on the conversion, what master cylinder should I use? and how is the Ebrake set up?

vb

[Patrick]

Has anyone tried the conversion on a link pin front end and/or short swing axle rear?

[ViolentBlue]

The rear brakes on a swingaxle and IRS interchange quite easily, so if the Brakes from a 944 are a direct bolt up to an IRS then they should also be a direct bolt up on a swingaxle.

as fot the front brakes on a linkpin setup, well anything is possible if you throw enough money at it, you might try an early ghia brake system it should be a direct bolt up, then just have the rotors redrilled for the new bolt pattern.

VB

[Patrick]

Ghias didn't get disc brakes until after the introduction of the ball joint front end.

[ViolentBlue]

Hmmm, I saw a Ghia link pin front beam for sale with complete disc assemblies, maybe they were aftermarket units.

VB

[vw911]

VB and Patrick try MBT, they are pricey like Larry said but may have what you are looking for. VB I forgot what kind of bug/beetle you said you had but if you have a SB them you can put the complete syspension on a 1302-03 from a 944 or 944T with minor mods.

[ViolentBlue]

I have a '54 with a '71 irs pan (balljoint front end)
From what I understand the 944 rear brakes will bolt right up, and the front brakes will mount onto a Ghia spindle with some machining to the hub, a couple custom inserts and a simple adaptor for the caliper.

I found a complete 944 brake setup for $399, is this a good price (assuming the various parts that usually wear out will need to be replaced eventually anyway)


VB

[crazylarry]

Sorry I've been gone for a couple days. Your link pin question is too easy. CB performance make 2" drop linkpin spindle with disc brakes. You can buy the spindle seperatly it will run you about $250. from there the conversion to 944 brake is the same as a ball joint front end.

Larry L_anderson@mailcity.com

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[ViolentBlue]

So does that mean that I could use ball joint dropped spindles, ment for a disc brake conversion, and the conversion would be the same?
if so than I'm happy, I'd rather use dropped spindles than an adjuster on the beam.

VB

[vw911]

Only thing about using a dropped spindle is the thickness of the spndle itself causing you to modify the thickness of your caliper bracket for an axial mount 951 caliper. Plain terms: using the same bracket thickness on a CB spindle without mods will through your caliper out of alignment with the rotor, unless you reduce the thickness of the bracket thus causing a weaker bracket.

[crazylarry]

CB performance spindles are the same width as a stock ghia spindle other manufactures weld the the spindle to lower in CB's units are the same as stock.

Larry

[Patrick]

Just a note for us wide-5 vintage guys - I had seen the CB Performance ads for a drop spindle disc brake kit for link pin front ends (4 lug pattern) but no mention of a standard height kit. I called and they said they make a standard height kit but it has welded spindles. But here's the big news - they are finishing up a kit that will keep the wide 5 lug pattern similar to the $1000 kit that already exists. They expect to have it done by April/May. No word on a price yet, but they said it will NOT be $1,000.