911 Front Struts

[raygreenwood]

Sorry Wally...we got so many threads going (kinda nice really!)..that I'm getting my attributes mixed up.
yes, teh 914 and 411/412 use the same inner and outer bearings as the type 3...but I believe what teh warning is about....is that on the 914...just as the 412....the spindles going from early to late in August of...72?....are different. They all use the same bearings but early to late type 4 and 914 use differnt caliper,spindle and brake pads.

The warning about using type 3 rotors is this: The early 411 rotor and caliper...is the same as the LATE type 3 rotor and caliper, but will not fit the late type 4 and 914. Also...there were two different calipers that would fit the type 3 and early type 4 rotor.
The early type 3 calipers did not have the guide/compensating pin in teh middle of the piston. They can fit all years of the type 3 and the 411...but should not be used. The guide pin was to counteract the cocking of the piston in caliper bore.....which was caused by rotor flexing when going through turns.
The late type 4 rotor/late 914 rotor with the raised ring around the center boss...was made this way to prevent that flexing. At the same time, they went to a thicker pad...and hence the wider caliper.

Speaking of wider calipers...have you guys ever looked at the three piece Teves calipers that came in a lot of the 3 and 5 series BMW's from teh 80's and early 90's? Many of these two piston designs....had a spacer block with gaskets added...to make the caliper thick enough for a ventilated rotor. It bolts right up to the stock front calipers on the type 4. Ray

[Wally]

The warning about using type 3 rotors is this: The early 411 rotor and caliper...is the same as the LATE type 3 rotor and caliper, but will not fit the late type 4 and 914. Also...there were two different calipers that would fit the type 3 and early type 4 rotor.
The early type 3 calipers did not have the guide/compensating pin in teh middle of the piston. They can fit all years of the type 3 and the 411...but should not be used. The guide pin was to counteract the cocking of the piston in caliper bore.....which was caused by rotor flexing when going through turns.
The late type 4 rotor/late 914 rotor with the raised ring around the center boss...was made this way to prevent that flexing. At the same time, they went to a thicker pad...and hence the wider caliper.

Now I am really confused haha!

Speaking of wider calipers...have you guys ever looked at the three piece Teves calipers that came in a lot of the 3 and 5 series BMW's from teh 80's and early 90's? Many of these two piston designs....had a spacer block with gaskets added...to make the caliper thick enough for a ventilated rotor. It bolts right up to the stock front calipers on the type 4. Ray

Kerscher makes a inner ventilated disk (20mm thick) for the bug front axle (same bearings as type 3 and thus type 4...?) with their adapted (widenend) type 3 caliper...

BTW, I think that 'we' better work from the rear to the front: if you can find a suitable rear caliper with a good fat piston (in the 38mm range) with a handbrake lever mechanism, I would go from there, for reasons of reasonable brake balance. Not everything can be adjusted with an adjustable brake balance devise; the front/rear brake parts have to be matched somewhat to begin with imho.

BTW: I found the cup size of the 914 rear caliper in my fact.manual: its only 33 mm diameter..., so its not really an upgrade imo.

The Golf IV model rear (sliding) caliper is nowadays partly alu, has the handbrake lever and has 38mm piston cup There were some new on ebay and those were still cheap iirc, like $85-100 each.
Now, that sounds much more promising

[mg911guy]

Hi all, I am in the process of modifying a set of early 911 front hubs to my 70 914/4.
I have fabricated an inner bearing adapter to use the 914/T4 bearing. 59mm OD X 52mm ID. In my research on the web, I am going to bush the outer spindle dia. to use the 911 outer bearing its like 2mm diff.

Does any one know if the spindle dimensions/diams are the same for 914/T3/T4? The 914/4 bearings cross to T1 numbers.

Wally I can post more info and exact dim. If you need.

Thanks Mark..

[Bleyseng]

70-72 914's used a 311- caliper
while 73-76 used a 914-caliper but you can't use those calipers with the billet hubs as you have to go with atleast the "911 M" caliper or the later Carrera caliper.

[Bill K.]

BTW, I think that 'we' better work from the rear to the front: if you can find a suitable rear caliper with a good fat piston (in the 38mm range) with a handbrake lever mechanism, I would go from there, for reasons of reasonable brake balance. Not everything can be adjusted with an adjustable brake balance devise; the front/rear brake parts have to be matched somewhat to begin with imho.

BTW: I found the cup size of the 914 rear caliper in my fact.manual: its only 33 mm diameter..., so its not really an upgrade imo.

The Golf IV model rear (sliding) caliper is nowadays partly alu, has the handbrake lever and has 38mm piston cup There were some new on ebay and those were still cheap iirc, like $85-100 each.
Now, that sounds much more promising

Agree!! Another thread...