question on swingaxle 944 brake install....

[danielzink]

To those of you that have put 944T Brembos on a swingaxle.
I've been told it's pretty much a "bolt-on".
I've got my backing plates and calipers - the hubs are on the way.
I need a backing plate install kit right ? (big seal that goes in the backing plate and some assorted gaskets where the backing plate bolts to the axle flange).
Then just start unbolting the old stuff and bolting on the new ?
Do use the stock "spacer" that's on the axle ? (big metal one that slides over the splines).
I've heard I may have to mill 15 or so mm off the hubs if I have short axles.

What am I missing ?
what about parking brake cables ?

Thanks, Dan

[kafer.chris]

use a seal/gasket set for a swing axle beetle all the same as a 944 ..

look at performanceghia.com for the low down ..

reference the spacers i did not use any or so i think but i did not take out any meat on them if i did!!

a bit of a straight swap but hand brake is a little work i cut the ring open on the cable end then welded it when i pushed the pin thru the hole on the brake tensioner thingy...

chris good luck!!!!

[danielzink]

Originally Posted by kafer.chris

use a seal/gasket set for a swing axle beetle all the same as a 944 ..

look at performanceghia.com for the low down ..

reference the spacers i did not use any or so i think but i did not take out any meat on them if i did!!

a bit of a straight swap but hand brake is a little work i cut the ring open on the cable end then welded it when i pushed the pin thru the hole on the brake tensioner thingy...

chris good luck!!!!

Since this has been posted I've made some contacts that may help me get this done on a timely basis.
I'm currently working with Lanner from vdubcustoms on the front adaptors and the ebrake cable for the rear.

I'm running a king/link front beam.


Regarding the rears I emailed MBT and got these responses.

No Problem you are wellcome.

If you take a close look to your stock set up you will find a little hole in the ancore plate of the drum brakes on the swing axle set up under the bearing lid. In addition a kind of washer in front of the sealing within the bearing lid has the task to stop transmission oil coming into the drum area. The little whole is a kind of drain for oil comming through. In the past we had a lot of customers and also we ourselves used the 944 aluminium plates for assembling on a swing axle. But sometimes especially on hot days and long fast runs when the transmission oil is very thin it wasn't stop by the single sealing of the 944 plate and poluted the handbrake mechanism. The 944 sealing is the same as the drum brake sealing but in the 944 or the IRS it has only the task to avoid the leackage of grease.

So we manufactured a cast iron plate in the thickness of stock plate where you can use the stock oil barrier set up (:-) including the paper sealings etc. That is our experince due to the missing speed limits we often get problems with the oil temperature of the stock trans boxes. The oil runs out off any whole...

and

Thanks for your interest on our parts. Yes, we have the suitable adapters for link pin front axles, but not in stock. We did it in the past some times but it is not very common in Europe. The cars have normally an automatic pan with standard front and IRS back end.

It is not a big deal for us the only ressource we need is time. We have also aluminium hubs (5/130) for the stock vw or 356 bearings. Do you drive on the rear a swing axle? What kind of anchore plate do you use there. We offer special steel plates for swing axles for usage of the stock lids and bearing set ups to avoid an oil leackage of the gearbox. The anchoreplates out of cast iron can completed with the stock 944 e-brake mechanism and the hub etc..

The prices for the front MBT Kit is Euro 980.- and it contains the adapters for the stock spindles, hubs and hardware. The plates for the rear cost Euro 248,- each. The delivery time is in the range of 4-6 weeks.

We prefer pre payment of about 30% with the start of the project and the rest after finishing the work before shipping in the U.S..

By the way our recommandation is not to use the 944T- set up. Due to the different weight distribution of the 944 transaxle car in comparision to our beetles the 911 set ups like the 964 (same body design as the 944) are the more better choice. The 944-set up tends to block the front axles especially on slippery roads....

I don't think I'll have a problem with the rears leaking - I'm sure they're talking about extended 100mph runs on the Autobahn that I'll never see.
I'm still going to run the 944t dual pot Brembos and see if maybe I need a proportioning valve for the fronts.

I'll post as the project goes along.
I hope to have my front end parts off to Lanner by Monday (3-29) for machining and fitting.
I need to have this car on the ground (with the Brembos on it) by the 2nd week in May for my first show.
I'll post pictures !!

Dan

[boygenius]

VDUBCustoms made my front drakes. They are the 944-S brake kit featured on their website. I should have my brakes back in two weeks at the latest...

[danielzink]

I'm getting closer to getting htis all bolted up.
I did a trial fit on the rears today.

One problem.

It seems the 944 aluminum backing plates don't want to "snug up" to the flange on the axle tube.

It seems there's about an 80 thou. gap there.

I think I can get the backing plate machined and also the spacer in front of the bearing.

Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem ?

Thanks, Dan

[boygenius]

Isn't there a paper gasket that goes there for the original backing plate.

That might take up the gap...