AirSpeed VW Community Forums
Technical => Brakes Forum => Topic started by: neil68 on October 19, 2013, 03:46:41 PM
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Has anyone installed one of the Airkewld front disc brake "bolt on" kits? Any comments on quality, service, etc?
I already have CB 2.5" dropped "drum" spindles and would rather not have to swap them out. The Beetle drives straight and I don't want to mess with things too much.
I've checked into Neal (out of business/NLA?) as well as CB, EMPI, Kercher and Zimmermann, but they all require replacing the dropped spindles. Some others (eg. CSP) don't make a 4 x 130 kit. However, Airkewld sells a kit that will bolt onto the existing CB dropped spindles.
Jim: IIRC you did some of research on this topic a couple years ago, in order to retain your stock 4 x 130 aluminum wheels.
Any input appreciated!
Thanks.
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Neil, I don't like the idea of the thin bolt-on bracket those kits use for the caliper. Lots of flex if it's less than about ½" thick. Can you post a link to a pic of their adapter bracket?
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Thanks, Bruce. And, it turns out that Airkewld no longer makes the 4 x 130 pattern at all. They said that they've gone exclusively to a universal 5-bolt hub with a replaceable wheel pattern adaptor...but the 5 allen-head hub bolts won't allow for any 4 lug wheel pattern to be drilled.
Any thoughts on the kits that CIP1 sells:
Front: http://www.cip1.ca/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ACC%2DC10%2D4121
Rear: http://www.cip1.ca/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ACC%2DC10%2D4126%2DFKT
Should I stay with solid rotors for strength, or are the drilled rotors durable? I don't need road course anti-fade, just some short-term stopping power at the drag strip.
Thanks.
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Don't waste your money on the hype. A set of 4x130 Ghia disc brakes are still the best bang for the buck. Dual circuit disc master and these brakes will out stop most other combos.
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Thanks for the staight feedback everyone, much appreciated!
I decided to go with 4-wheel discs, since my original '68 Beetle drums are starting to show their 45 years of use, and don't really have enough thickness to be turned again. I was having trouble slowing down at Castrol Raceway's drag strip, as they make us exit at the very first turnout.
I'm staying with the stock 4 x 130 lug bolts with solid Brazilian rotors (no grooves or holes), so that I'll be able to swap between my stock wheels and the Bogart/CMS race wheels, and still keep the correct offset.
Will post some pictures later, in case anyone else is looking at a similar swap.
Thanks again.
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I used Ghia disc's up front and Type III drums in the rear - both were simple bolt-on - no mods required on my 70' Beetle.
This provided more stopping power than you could ever want, and replacement parts were easy to obtain.
Art