Rear Disc Brakes Question, Again

LB181 · Post by **LB181** » Thu Sep 12, 2002 4:51 pm

Has anyone tried out the SoCal Imports Rear Disc Brake setup? Bob, I checked out the wide 5 brake kits at SoCal and it didn't look too cheesy. Do you or does anyone else have any idea what parts should be looked at that might be a weak link in the kit? Obviously it is no racing setup but they say the brackets for the calipers are better quality than others in the ad. What do you guys think, stick with drums or spend more for a better Disc kit?

Bob Ingman · Post by **Bob Ingman** » Thu Sep 12, 2002 6:42 pm

I`ve been trying to find out more about that kit but have`nt had any luck. What is the price and how complete is it? I tend to trust So. Cal Imports because the owner Andy has a Thing he uses off-road.
Single cab here on this forum is most knowlegable concerning disc brakes. If you are willing to use either 4 hole or adapters he can set you up with a quality set for an attractive price. I think its based on Porsche 944 components but do`nt quote me on that.Tell us more about the So. Cal kit. Good luck. Bob Ingman

LB181 · Post by **LB181** » Thu Sep 12, 2002 8:20 pm

I think I may have seen that Thing. They had a blue offroad Thing in the showroom of their old wharehouse. Now they moved to another location down the street and there is no room in the showroom for it. Anyway, back to the brakes.
It says:
Wide-5 Rear Disc Brake Kit '69 up IRS- $250
2 rotors, 2 calipers, 2 caliper brackets, pads, seals and caliper mounting brackets
It also says that they do not offer inferior stamped steel brackets, they are nodular iron or billet aluminum for $30 extra.

LB181 · Post by **LB181** » Thu Sep 12, 2002 8:28 pm

If you look at the ad in Hot VWs, it looks like the kit is actually the 4 lug with a 5 lug adaptor. The adaptor seems pretty beefy though. Bob, I was reading a little about the 944 conversion, did you end up buying the parts for a conversion?

Single Cab · Post by **Single Cab** » Tue Sep 17, 2002 9:54 pm

Hey Bob thanks for the plug, I don't sell kits but maybe I should

However I can certainly recommend the Porsche 944 setup. The necessary parts are readily available in junkyards all over the place and relatively cheap too. If you can work on your suspension and brakes then you can do the rear swap. In fact the only challenging part is adapting the e-brake cable to the 944 mechanism. There are a multitude of methods to do that including home brewed and vendor designed parts from MBT and CSP. You can find them by searching the STF forums. The 944 rear disks are vented and provide excellent stopping power especially when matched with the fronts. The front swap is more challenging but the results are worth it. If you go with disks all the way around then I would recommend using an appropriate master cylinder like the 944 unit that I will be using in my swaps which should be a bolt in to the Thing. I should also note that doing the swap will give you the Porsche 5x130 wheel pattern and will require adapters if using wide 5 rims. Some people consider adapters to be a down side but I don?t think that it would be a problem if they were well made. Being an unemployed techie I have been spending way too much time in the local junkyards and could probably get the parts if anybody is interested in the 944 front or rear swap. To date I have only done the front swap on my ?65 Single Cab and have designed a rear adaptation to the stock reduction gear boxes as well. My plan is to go with the 944 parts all the way around on my Thing, Single Cab and Type 3 Fastback. This will simplify things so that I don?t have to keep too many spares in stock and is the same philosophy that I plan to apply to the engines in those three vehicles. I will eventually have all three moving with T4 powerJ

With respect to the SoCal kit I believe they are using a proprietary one-piece rotor/hub with the wide five flange which should prove to be a solid item provided it is made of good materials. What I don't like about that is you are stuck using their product and who knows how long that will be available.

LB181 · Post by **LB181** » Tue Sep 17, 2002 10:11 pm

Thanks for all the info. You have a lot of useful information. I know nothing about the Porsches let along the 944 yet. What years are they? I will have to look into that. I really just want to change my rear brakes to discs. The drums stop it ok but a little less maintenance and the stopping power of discs is worth it.

Single Cab · Post by **Single Cab** » Tue Sep 17, 2002 10:51 pm

Do a forum search on 944 disk brakes and you will find out everything you ever wanted to know about the swap. The brakes come from the early normally aspirated 944, '83 to '86. You can go with the later years as well and have even better braking power but they are fairly rare compared to the early models. I have even found a few 924's with the 944 brake components. I have heard that the stock Thing master cylinder is capable of working front ghis disks and rear 944 units but I would do all four corners and go with the 944 master cylinder.

Thomas

Thomas

Mattt · Post by **Mattt** » Wed Sep 18, 2002 12:57 am

Thomas,

Maybe it would be good to post here what is necessary to adapt the 944/924 fronts over to the Thing front end spindle.

Jim Andritsakos · Post by **Jim Andritsakos** » Sat Sep 21, 2002 2:09 pm

Hello guys,

You can find out how to install them here : www.germanlook.com under "Tech Articles"...
Fully detailed instructions easy to understand...

Rgds,
Jim

mrbaja · Post by **mrbaja** » Mon Sep 30, 2002 11:27 pm

The Porsche 944 setup... "The necessary parts are readily available in junkyards all over the place and relatively cheap too."

How much do these parts run in your neighborhood? 944's are unheard of here in "ToyHondaland". Don't 944's have the aluminuim trailing arms that are a bolt up to a VW chassis?

Aloha, Theo

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