TheSamba.com :: View topic - Custom Disc Brake DIY piece together kits

Mon Dec 14, 2015 2:44 am

I am wondering if anyone knows of any disc brake set ups that will work on a link pin beam without too much work?

I am aware of the Ghia disc brakes and they are a good option, but I'd like to hear about other custom brake set ups. I've heard of people using Porsche 944 parts, and I'm sure there are lots of other parts that can be made to work on Bugs relatively easily.

I have no problem making my own brackets and doing cutting, welding, and grinding, but I'm sure there are plenty of parts out there to avoid all together.
So, does anyone have an insight into this situation?

Mon Dec 14, 2015 6:51 am

Why go such route when easier kits are available?

Mon Dec 14, 2015 11:29 am

sfcmtz wrote:
I am aware of the Ghia disc brakes and they are a good option . . .

"Ghia disc brakes" are found on BALL-JOINT, '67 and newer Karmann Ghias . . . NOT link-pin Ghias!

As Cusser says . . . look at a kit. There are several available.

Mon Dec 14, 2015 12:55 pm

There is a kit to put ball joint Ghia disc brakes on king pin cars. It looks like a special seal race, special bearings, a new nut for the end of the spindle, and a custom bracket to hold the caliper. It allows the use of the stock Ghia rotor and caliper. It makes the the front 4 lug and pushes the wheel out quite a bit. If you want to look up the kit it is EMPI 22-2990.

Tue Dec 15, 2015 7:52 am

Isn't there kits to adapt Porsche brakes also? But yeah, I'm with the others. Just go with a kit. There's basic kits as well as high dollar multi-piston caliper kits.

Tue Dec 15, 2015 3:34 pm

The reason I ask is because it's pretty easy to find used parts for late model cars very cheap. I think a custom set up could be made to work as well as the $1,200 dollar set ups but for 1/5th the price. For example, there is a set of Wilwood calipers for a Miata on craigslist right now for $150. If I could figure out a rotor to go along with that, then make up brackets, I could have an awesome set of discs for far cheaper than the high dollar set ups.

Someone must know of a rotor that can be adapted to a link pin car, aside from the ghia stuff.

Tue Dec 15, 2015 5:47 pm

I got brake rotors, and brake calipers from a "72 Ghia" from Oreillys (coincidentally, my work). You can also get bearings from them. Pads from Napa. Spindles from online, for brake calipers.

Tue Dec 15, 2015 6:04 pm

Man there's a few things on a car you really don't want to "make work" you want that shit right. Like brakes for example...brake components are designed and engineered to go together,. Not to be mixed and matched the hope they stop your car as its cruising up behind mine that has my family in it. I don't think your gonna find the answer your looking for when companies have already done the work for you and sell it at a reasonable enough price.

Good luck though :shock:

Tue Dec 15, 2015 7:21 pm

So you can find a set of used Wilwood calipers for $150. Go buy a front disk kit, sell the parts you don't need, build your own caliper mount and put it on. Or just buy a kit and bolt it on and enjoy and not wonder if your pieced together parts will be there when you need them. Personally brakes are the last thing I would cheap out on. Even the Empi kits are good I use them on all my cars and haul my cars down from high speeds safely and efficiently.

brad

Sat Dec 19, 2015 12:46 pm

There has to be a few people that would rather fabricate their own parts than buy crappy chinese stuff or spend 1,000+ dollars on a kit.

The 944 parts look good, but rather heavy looking and overkill for my needs. I guess I'll just have to start picking up parts for my own set up or suck it up and buy the bolt on stuff....

Thanks for the responses. If anyone else knows of any calipers and rotors that are well suited for a lin pin beam, please share

Sat Dec 19, 2015 1:54 pm

sfcmtz wrote: Thanks for the responses. If anyone else knows of any calipers and rotors that are well suited for a lin pin beam, please share

If you want info, you gotta tell us more about yer project.
You mentioned Porsche rotors . . . are you wanting to mount a wheel with a 5 X 130mm lug pattern?
Do ya want a "wide-five" lug pattern?
It makes a difference in what rotor you will be able to use!

Fabricating yer own QUALITY disc conversion (especially wide-5) for under a grand . . . even if you consider your labor is free, you will still have yer work cut-out for ya! Please keep us posted!

Sat Dec 19, 2015 2:31 pm

When I bought my '66, it had CB Performance dropped spindle disc kit, along with an adjustable beam. After I got it finished, and on the road, I found out that the dropped spindles set the beam so close to the ground, that I was destroying asphalt and concrete, in addition to almost ripping the beam off the car. I just finished going back to standard spindles, but had to buy the $100 brackets to bolt my CB calipers to my stock spindles, so I could use my CB wide five disc. Saying, you do have options, but usually the options are all inter related. You could make stuff, but most VW folks don't have a machine shop, and the engineering knowledge to manufacture safe parts. You could make brackets for the caliper, but then you have to buy the wide five discs. If you have the wide five disc, then the problem is that VW calipers won't work. Everything is interrelated. I know the kits seem expensive, but look at the headaches, and the cost of making it.

Sat Dec 19, 2015 10:53 pm

Why didnt you just adjust your beam back up?

I had a link pin setup with the 944 brake parts. I had the spindle machined off and the 944 welded on. Oldspeed did it. If you get the parts cheap that would be a good way to go. I'd rather have over kill than under kill on brakes. They are bolt on for type 2's. Just need different bearings and races.

Sun Dec 20, 2015 5:45 pm

The beam WAS adjusted all the way up. That's what was aggravating. Beam was up all the way and the clearance was only a couple of inches. The adjusters were probably installed wrong. Young guys did it, so they probably wanted it slammed on the ground. Anyway, now, I have decent clearance and the body is sitting pretty good.

Sun Dec 20, 2015 6:13 pm

Thor_orr wrote: Man there's a few things on a car you really don't want to "make work" you want that shit right. Like brakes for example...brake components are designed and engineered to go together,. Not to be mixed and matched the hope they stop your car as its cruising up behind mine that has my family in it. I don't think your gonna find the answer your looking for when companies have already done the work for you and sell it at a reasonable enough price.

Good luck though :shock:

Not really true at all. There's plenty of guys on the Jeep forums including myself who have done custom brake conversions using parts from other cars/trucks and used custom made caliper and e-brake brackets. There are expensive kits available for Jeeps too, that doesn't mean people haven't thought outside the box to make cheaper conversions that work just as well if not better than the kits. Whether or not these types of conversions have been done by people specifically on link pin bug front ends is still in question. If so, I'd be interested too, Thx.