AirSpeed VW Community Forums

Technical => Brakes Forum => Topic started by: neil68 on October 19, 2013, 03:46:41 PM

Title: Front Discs (bolt on)
Post by: neil68 on October 19, 2013, 03:46:41 PM

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.

Title: Re: Airkewld Front Discs (bolt on)
Post by: Bruce on October 23, 2013, 06:17:53 PM

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?

Title: Re: Airkewld Front Discs (bolt on)
Post by: neil68 on October 24, 2013, 05:24:58 PM

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.

Title: Re: Airkewld Front Discs (bolt on)
Post by: Geoff on October 24, 2013, 06:35:48 PM

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.

Title: Re: Front Discs (bolt on)
Post by: neil68 on October 25, 2013, 02:46:32 PM

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.

Title: Re: Front Discs (bolt on)
Post by: Scratchy101 on October 27, 2013, 05:14:10 PM

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