4 pot 944 Porsche Brakes on a STD beetle

For road racing, autocrossing, or just taking that curve in style. Oh yea, and stopping!
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volksbugly
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Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2010 5:09 am

4 pot 944 Porsche Brakes on a STD beetle

Post by volksbugly »

Hey all,
So its been a while since I posted. I'm currently making digital content and will be putting a nice forum post up (this one will be edited to be that).
I have been posting some videos as I work on my instagram account, but I plan to do some good edits and photos. The video edits will be put on youtube and the photos with links into this post.
so check this out:
all the videos:
https://www.instagram.com/lucithebug/channel/
some good info and a deeper view on where I'm at on my project:


Specifics on what I'm doing

I will give deeper details and explain everything as I update this post, for example wtf are 28mm x 30mm calipers ect... so please be patient
  • Make this the best post ever about converting vw aircooleds into 4 pot porsche brake systems
  • Square braking meaning same size calipers on front and back. 4 pot calipers 28mm x 30mm piston sizes
  • BACK
    • regular 944 plane rotor
    • I'm doing rear 944 trailing arm in back with late model axel stubs so I get wider track (don't worry I have 3 inch wider fenders from CCC)
    • using porsche bearing in trailing arm
    • using porsche axel (same as vanagon)
    • using thing (type 181) axel cup/flange on the transmission this gives you the same bolt pattern on CV as the 944 axel
    • using vw bug irs pivot bolt
    • I did a complete rebuild of the rear trailing arms, new bearings/bushings/cleanup/heatpaint axel stubs/new drum break rebuild, ect.
  • FRONT
    • Redrilled front hubs and drum spindles.
    • using vw bearings in front
    • using cayeman rotors in front
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volksbugly
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Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2010 5:09 am

Re: 4 pot 944 Porsche Brakes on a STD beetle

Post by volksbugly »

Here is a video of where the project is at now:
https://youtu.be/f8mrbGB7tdw
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volksbugly
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Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2010 5:09 am

Re: 4 pot 944 Porsche Brakes on a STD beetle

Post by volksbugly »

BAM! 285/35/18 fitting under the back of CCC fenders

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8mrbGB7tdw
H2OSB
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Joined: Thu Sep 22, 2022 8:13 pm

Re: 4 pot 944 Porsche Brakes on a STD beetle

Post by H2OSB »

That is the two different sizes of opposed pistons.

Be aware, calipers that big on light Beetle is an awful lot of stopping power. You're really going to need to put together a good matching set up for the rear or you will find the fronts lock up right away (lock up is not great on either end, but front is better than rear). Early 911s have a SIMILAR weight distribution to Beetles so looking into that weight bias and look for something similar. Do your homework, for sure. Bigger is not always better when it comes to brakes. Having the correct size brakes is what you want.

H2OSB
I'm not a vegetarian because I love animals, I'm a vegetarian because I hate plants. :wink:
Ol'fogasaurus
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Re: 4 pot 944 Porsche Brakes on a STD beetle

Post by Ol'fogasaurus »

Well said H20SB!

My blue buggy came that way and it felt like the rearend was going to come over at times when the front brakes locked too fast.

Lee
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volksbugly
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Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2010 5:09 am

Re: 4 pot 944 Porsche Brakes on a STD beetle

Post by volksbugly »

I have the exact front setup brakes too. I'll do a video about them also. I have square braking and I will run a proportional valve and or run different pads on front and back. This is a track beetle, it probably wont see the street again, except to fill up with E85. I chose these calipers specifically as I want to be able to easily change out the pads.
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volksbugly
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Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2010 5:09 am

Re: 4 pot 944 Porsche Brakes on a STD beetle

Post by volksbugly »

Here is a link to some images of the caliper rebuild:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/7gJ1PZYQ8iTbX89E9
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Piledriver
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Re: 4 pot 944 Porsche Brakes on a STD beetle

Post by Piledriver »

I have 944 front calipers on the back and about same size piston Wilwood supertlites up front, front still locks first, but its down to the pads.
(73 squareback) has the early alloy arms, low offset, think '87. Had polished 944 Manholes, in process of growing fenders to take 993 TT twists.
(8"f x 11" rear) Car ais also getting an 090 transmission with a Qualife diff...

I managed to get a set of the later 928 calipers with seals rather than wiper, the wipers are NLA (can usually be left alone)

Note that FJCamper puts his brake bias adjuster (limiter, realy) on his front brake circuit of his race Ghia.

A 944/928/boxter have 50/50 weight distribution, a lowered T1 ot T3 has around 50/50 weight distribution under max braking...
We actually need more rear brake. BTW I used "965" rear rotors as the are thick enough for the front caliprers, and were on sale. Took about 5 minutes of fettling to get the larger calipers and rotors on the 944T arms.

Used the calculator for brakes and shocks at farnorthracing.com
Addendum to Newtons first law:
zero vehicles on jackstands, square gets a fresh 090 and 1911, cabby gets a blower.
EZ3.6 Vanagon after that.(mounted, needs everything finished) then Creamsicle.
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