Retro-fit my wide 5 discs to dropped spindles?

[yodogg]

So I recently bought a '67 beetle and I am gradually restoring/modifying it to my liking (bigger engine, minor body work, major interior work and change in ride height etc).

I would really like to install 2.5" dropped spindles, but it already has a standard BJ wide-5 disc brake kit installed (it looks like the AC Industries version). Unfortunately, it seems the caliper and the outer tie rod arm on a dropped spindle would interfere with each if I tried to mount them using the current caliper bracket.

I really would like to avoid having to buy an entire new dropped disc brake kit, if I can find a reasonable work around.

Thus, I ask these 2 questions:

1) Could I just redrill the mounting holes on the bracket (where it mounts to the spindle) at an offset so that the calipers would be rotated downwards and out of the way of the tie-rod end?

2) Has anyone fabbed a bracket of their own for this or similar purposes?

Thanks!

[Ol'fogasaurus]

1) maybe but you also have to watch out for proper edge margins. There is also cutting and welding that I have seen done.

2) a little air in the caliper to hold the caliper in place on the rotor then fab up a mount for where you want the caliper to be. Just remember to accommodate the brake line in and bleeding of the system.

[JWP]

Have you called SoCal Imports to see if they would sell you the brackets for a drop spindle?

[yodogg]

Have you called SoCal Imports to see if they would sell you the brackets for a drop spindle?

Unfortunately all of the dropped kits seem to be set up so the caliper bolts directly to the spindle. The drop spindles in those kits have an extension built in that takes the place of the bracket and they even seem to use a different caliper from the non-dropped kit.

If you have seen a dropped kit with a stand alone bracket please pass along the link. Thanks.

Just remember to accommodate the brake line in and bleeding of the system.

Just checking, you're referring to allowing for adequate clearance/access when all is bolted back up, right?

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Yes, you need to have a certain amount of "meat" or metal between the edge of the hole and the edge of the part so that when loads/pressure is applied the bolt does not tear out through the what is left of the metal.

[yodogg]

Got it.

The more I look at them, I am thinking the easiest modification is to redrill the bracket with the spindle mounting holes reversed- so the caliper would now sit on the leading edge of the caliper instead of the trailing edge. I should be able to re-use at least one, possibly two, of the existing mounting holes on the bracket so having enough margin for the new hole(s) shouldn't be an issue. I haven't had a chance to have everything apart and double check clearance yet. But that seems like the leader as of now.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Yoo-Dog, this might help: Do yourself a favor and make a cardboard copy of you unmodified caliper bracket (if you already haven't done anything yet). Cut in the new mounting holes in it first to see how things fit. Then you can use it as a template to drill out the new holes.

The easiest way to make the new cardboard bracket is to lay the cardboard over the bracket and using the ball end of a ballpeen hammer knock the cardboard along the edges of the bracket and the holes. The tapping of the hammer should cut the cardboard to shape. You don't have to beat the crap out of it, just some nice firm taps... you'll figure that out quickly if you have never tried this before.

Lee

[yodogg]

Thanks for the tip, Lee. Will do!

[FJCamper]

Yo, Yo;

Brake calipers will work in almost any orientation, but not bleed well ... although presure bleeding helps.

The reason you usually see calipers on the 180° line, facing front or rear, is for the bleeders. Disk rotation direction is not an issue.

The one thing not to do is mount the caliper at the top of the rotor. This usually places them above the master cylinder rather than level or just below the cylinder level. The fluid tends to drain back to the cylinder and makes extra pedal pumps necessary.

Murphy is an SOB, but Newton is always right.

FJC

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Thanks FJ. I was going to say something about that myself this am as I woke up thinking that I forgot to mention that important item. It is also one of the reasons I used the word "maybe".

First, have you checked to see you got the right kit (what was ordered and/vs. what you got)? I find it hard to believe that someone sells a kit that does not fit or has interference problems. I would check before you got into cutting (if you haven't already). Also, unless someone tells them they have a problem they can't fix it.

And... as FJ said, rotate things as little as you can. Make sure you can get the tie-rod ends in and out and stop rotating there. And it may be the correct thing to do is to add residual pressure valves if you already haven't considered it. The standard is 2# for disc and 10#s for drum but I have talked to off-roaders that use 10#ers on disc and don't seem to have a problem with it.

The reason for the residual pressure valves is as FJ said; if the slave/wheel cylinders sit higher than the master cylinder (MC) then you can have the brake fluid flow back into the MC's reservoir. This makes pumping the brakes necessary to get fluid and shoe/puck distanced from the drum or rotor stay as the recommended gap. The residual pressure valve keeps enough line pressure so that the shoes or pucks stay at the required distance from the drum or rotor. The number and placement of the valves is kind of up to you. I have seen one per end of the car, one for the rear and one each for the two front brake lines or one at each wheel.

Thanks again FJ for keeping me honest.

[yodogg]

Roger that, FJC.

Lee, the current brake kit fits the current stock BJ drum spindles perfectly. However, I want to switch from stock height spindles to a nice set of dropped spindles that I managed to get a good deal on (lightly used forged Airkewld dropped drum spindles). So it isn't a matter of a poorly manufactured kit. It's really more about me trying to find a creative (read cheap!) solution to make my current brakes work for these new spindles.

So tomorrow I pull the old spindles, make a cardboard template of the brackets and see if I can mock up an alternate bracket orientation that will keep the calipers clear of the of the tie-rod arms and still allow for safely placed new mounting holes.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Sounds like a plan to me. Have fun and be careful, take your time and don't let it bug you (no pun intended).

With all the VWs w/dropped spindles that are around that also have disc brakes I guess I was wondering out loud about that.

Lee