rear disk brakes, what options??

[bug-er]

hey guys
straight to the point, what options do i have in the way of a rear disk brake setup??? i know that there are kits that you can buy, but your talking about £500, and i think when the time comes to replace the pads and discs i'll struggle. Ive been reading up on the early porsche 944 turbo full disk setup, being as just the rear porsche disks and standard front disks shall give too much rear bias, is this true??? can this set-up be used with a swing-axle gearbox?? are these the calipers with the porsche cast into them??
Is there a setup off a modern production car that i could use??? Im really looking to spend no more that about £350, what can you guys suggest??? ive got access to most machining stuff, and have a good mechanical knowledge, so would be quite capable to do most things.
I know alot of you guys have covered most conversions, so would be really appreciative of some help
Adam

[Pillow]

For an IRS pan the 944 rears bolt right up. so do the control arms, but it makes for a wider rear end.

As far as bias I would use a 911 master cylinder.

If you have a swing-axle it is more complicated, but with a little machining you can get it to work. Just ask if this is the situation and I can get detailed for you

[Andy White]

Hi Pillow,

I thought that the caliper mounts, stub axles, etc. from a Porsche 944 bolted straight onto the swingaxle setup. Are you sure that it's not just a straight forward job? Even drum brakes from swingaxle and IRS are interchangeable aren't they!?

Andy.

[bug-er]

hi, thanks for the replies guys,
pillow- would i be able to use the porsche rear discs and the standard vw discs up front???

ive just found these http://www.cbperformance.com/catalog.asp?ProductID=714 do you think that parts should be readily available over here??? i think the postage would be stupid, have to look into it.
why dont many people use aftermarket kits???
Adam

[Paul Knight]

big boys toys sell the empi rear disc kit that comes with handbrake cables and everything for about £350 and they can get the kit with porsche pattern brakes if you need them.

[Pillow]

The 4 bolt pattern is the same but the outer bearing is different for the swing than IRS.

The OD for the IRS bearing is 2.865" where the swing axle OD for the outer bearing is 2.840".

That is not the problem really since the smaller Swing bearing will fit in the IRS/944 cover.

The real problem is that the IRS/944 cover needs machined down because the swing bearing is wider. Notice on the stock application ther is the drum backing plate sandwiched in there with two paper gaskets. So you need to plunge the depth of the drum plate and one paper gasket. I am not sure of the exact measurement though.

So it is close but needs a little machine work with a pluge cutter.

Also when doing this for a 944 conversion the 944 hub needs machined down the same amount to keep the rotor/caliper allignment perfect.

Take Care,

[Pillow]

bug-er, once you see the 944 rears you will notice how pitifully small the stock VW front discs are.

Always go bigger on the front before doing the rear. After all most of the braking takes place in the front and not the rear.

I think most people shy away from kits due to the FUD factor. Fear Uncertainty and Doubt. Mostly on who will support this stuff? What bearings/rotor/pads/ or whatever do I need when replacing parts?

I like the Porsche and VW replacable parts because I know I can get them locally or mail order without any problem or hassles whenever I need them. Plus the Porsche parts you can always get German stuff for The VW Brazil and Mexico el cheapo parts do not cut it in my book.

Hope this helps,

[zen]

ok, you guys are giving me buyer's remorse. at the time that i made my decision i didn't feel that the conversion would be easy enough for me to do myself and that there were no affordable kits. so i stayed drum on the rear and vw on the front. :doh: the brakes haven't even seen fluid yet and i am already getting the itch to go 944.

"stay focused on just getting the freaken car done" is all i keep telling myself. i would rather be driving it bitching about wanting 944 brakes at this point. i guess i can always upgrade later.

[Pillow]

There is a good core set of rears on E-bay for $100 if you want them. Control arms and all, granted steal... But you get all you need to get it done fast

Come over and check the rear setup out sometime and see what you think. Right now my calipers and stuff are rebuilt but sitting in boxes ready for install to the bus when it is time.

Granted it you just need it done fast do not worry about it... Except the 944s will be wider by some degree which could throw off wider fender selection...

Figure worst case $300 (all the rebuild and new rotor pad costs) and you have good discs in the rear with a parking brake.

Later,

[zen]

see, there you go, now you are tempting me. dangling the carrot in front of my face. :tisktisk: i just put $150 into the drums plus having them drilled and studded. i think that was around another $40 or so. let this be a lesson to everyone else. go for the disks.

plus, if i do that in the rear, i will have to change out the front as i just have the ghia conversion. that would be another $250 down the drain. it will have to wait. i have an engine to finish and paint to go.

BUT, i am toying with the idea of a double cab. hmmm. any input you have on best year, etc. is appreciated. maybe those 944's would work on that.

[Pillow]

Double cabs are cool.

Granted my advice is to finish what you have now and then tackle the next project... Trust me wives do not like more than one clunker in the garage at a time

[zen]

sorry bug-er, didn't mean to hi-jack the tread there.