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Fri Feb 19, 2010 1:36 am

oldspeed@flash.net wrote: the early 944 rear brake backing plates and hubs can be machined to fit the swing axle. we charge $100 to machine both rear hubs and backing plates if you send your stuff in. we also sell complete rear disc brake set-ups starting at $750 with genuine 944 parts. however....we seldom recommend the 944 rear disc brake kits on a swing axle rear bus due to the increased track width. in my opinion it is better to use a type 1 rear disc brake kit porsche pattern that allows you to fit deep six fuchs and a 205/65/15 rear tire. the 944 brake kit is good if you need the extra offset to fit 17 x 7 boxsters. hand bake is easy either way. the type 1 rear kit for bus with 5 x 130 pattern and handbrake is $400.

Old Speed

Revised my opinion of the 944 rear brakes. Worth the extra work to get the wheels and tires off. Extra 7/8 inch track width not detrimental enough to warrant using a type 1 kit if your budget allows the 944.
I still feel that type 1 stops fine. In fact many busses we have done have 944 front and bug drum rear with bug front wheel cylinders. They stop fine but of course not as well as 4 wheel 944

562 531 4190
Russell

Thu Feb 25, 2010 11:38 pm

Russ-
Can you list what all is needed from the 944 (parts wise) and a list of what needs to be modified, along with what you charge?

Thanks

Thu Feb 25, 2010 11:43 pm

todd Hallien wrote: Russ-
Can you list what all is needed from the 944 (parts wise) and a list of what needs to be modified, along with what you charge?

Thanks would appreciate that as well Russ

And did you get my email a couple weeks ago?

Brian

Fri Feb 26, 2010 7:07 am

You will need the E-brakes, the hub, the caliper, the rotor, and the aluminum caliper bracket. The alum. caliper bracket doubles also as the bearing cap. this will need machined, and the depth of the hubs need machined as well. Going into this russ will need to know what axle setup you are going to run. IE, IRS, long axle/ long spline, short axle/ long spline... etc. this a pic of the needed caliper bracket.

Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:01 pm

Tue Mar 02, 2010 12:18 am

bwatts wrote: todd Hallien wrote: Russ-
Can you list what all is needed from the 944 (parts wise) and a list of what needs to be modified, along with what you charge?

Thanks would appreciate that as well Russ

And did you get my email a couple weeks ago?

Brian

Non-turbo rear brakes that came on the steel rear control arms that are almost identical to the bug IRS. You need the hubs, rotors, calipers, aluminum backing plate that holds the hand brake shoes and the caliper. Also get the tube that goes into the rear brake backing plate for the hand brake cable. For 1968 long axle trans with matching IRS bearing cap depth there is no machine work necessary to fit. However, fitting a Porsche wheel center cap may require you to grind the axle down to the pin hole. For short axle trans and 1967 long axle casting it requires machine work to the back side of the aluminum plate and also to the back of the five bolt wheel hub. The machine work is necessary to get the proper seal of the aluminum backing plate to the axle casting for it not to leak gear oil. We charge $125 labor to machine the back of all four pieces and cut teh front of the five bolt hubs for short spline axles. Also included is the labor necessary to ream and fit shorter wheel studs. the wheel studs are $20. Depending upon which wheels you use , it may be necessary to keep the long wheel studs to be able to add spacers. Installation of the aluminum backing plate is done with silicone sealer, or threebond 1211, and the large o-ring, but no paper gasket. The surfaces need to be ultra clean and do not add gear oil for a day. If you are installing onto a used trans, pack the bearing with grease to prevent the gear oil from flowing out while you are sealing it up.

Fri Mar 05, 2010 1:37 am

Thanks Russ.

It's been so long I have no idea what I have in there.
Now how does one determine a 1967 long axle casting from a 1968 long axle casting?

Wed Mar 10, 2010 7:33 pm

oldspeed@flash.net wrote: bwatts wrote: Any machining needed to do this conversion on a 1968 baywindow?

List of parts needed from donor 944?

Can't wait to make this happen on my bus!

we make a bay window 944 rear kit. it's pretty complex as the hand brake shoe/caliper mount has to mount to the bay window rear bearing hub. we eliminate the aluminum 944 backing plate and make a three piece steel backing plate, then we drill the large nut 71 and later rear hub for 5 x 130 pattern and machine the o.d. of the hub to fit inside the 944 rotor, and switch the stub axle to the 1971 and later also. one problem is fitting the wheel center caps on the large nut hub. to fit the cap on a 15 inch fuchs we space the backside of the stub axle prior to installing into the bearing housing and then remove some from the top of the hub so that effectively the stub axle is shorter, then grind it all the way to the pin hole. check this link below. FYI. for the front we build 2 inch dropped and 3/16 narrowed bay window spindles and make a bracket kit to fit the 944 front brakes. your master cylinder will have to be modified as well. minor.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=569898

Is it possible to just take the whole trailing arm and brakes off the 944 (mine is off a 1983 944) and bolt straight into 1968 bus?

I was told this is a bolt in swap is that true?

Thu Mar 18, 2010 12:03 am

bwatts wrote: oldspeed@flash.net wrote: bwatts wrote: Any machining needed to do this conversion on a 1968 baywindow?

List of parts needed from donor 944?

Can't wait to make this happen on my bus!

we make a bay window 944 rear kit. it's pretty complex as the hand brake shoe/caliper mount has to mount to the bay window rear bearing hub. we eliminate the aluminum 944 backing plate and make a three piece steel backing plate, then we drill the large nut 71 and later rear hub for 5 x 130 pattern and machine the o.d. of the hub to fit inside the 944 rotor, and switch the stub axle to the 1971 and later also. one problem is fitting the wheel center caps on the large nut hub. to fit the cap on a 15 inch fuchs we space the backside of the stub axle prior to installing into the bearing housing and then remove some from the top of the hub so that effectively the stub axle is shorter, then grind it all the way to the pin hole. check this link below. FYI. for the front we build 2 inch dropped and 3/16 narrowed bay window spindles and make a bracket kit to fit the 944 front brakes. your master cylinder will have to be modified as well. minor.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=569898

Is it possible to just take the whole trailing arm and brakes off the 944 (mine is off a 1983 944) and bolt straight into 1968 bus?

I was told this is a bolt in swap is that true?

no way do they just bolt in.
Russ

Thu Mar 18, 2010 12:13 am

oldspeed@flash.net wrote: bwatts wrote: oldspeed@flash.net wrote: bwatts wrote: Any machining needed to do this conversion on a 1968 baywindow?

List of parts needed from donor 944?

Can't wait to make this happen on my bus!

we make a bay window 944 rear kit. it's pretty complex as the hand brake shoe/caliper mount has to mount to the bay window rear bearing hub. we eliminate the aluminum 944 backing plate and make a three piece steel backing plate, then we drill the large nut 71 and later rear hub for 5 x 130 pattern and machine the o.d. of the hub to fit inside the 944 rotor, and switch the stub axle to the 1971 and later also. one problem is fitting the wheel center caps on the large nut hub. to fit the cap on a 15 inch fuchs we space the backside of the stub axle prior to installing into the bearing housing and then remove some from the top of the hub so that effectively the stub axle is shorter, then grind it all the way to the pin hole. check this link below. FYI. for the front we build 2 inch dropped and 3/16 narrowed bay window spindles and make a bracket kit to fit the 944 front brakes. your master cylinder will have to be modified as well. minor.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=569898

Is it possible to just take the whole trailing arm and brakes off the 944 (mine is off a 1983 944) and bolt straight into 1968 bus?

I was told this is a bolt in swap is that true?

no way do they just bolt in.
Russ

Thanks Russ

Is the 944 master cylinder needed for the swap or can we just stick with the bus 68 ?

I doubted it was that easy LOL

Need to talk with you Russ (got your number from Randy M) whats the best time to call and not interrupt you?

Thu Mar 18, 2010 10:44 am

bwatts wrote: oldspeed@flash.net wrote: bwatts wrote: oldspeed@flash.net wrote: bwatts wrote: Any machining needed to do this conversion on a 1968 baywindow?

List of parts needed from donor 944?

Can't wait to make this happen on my bus!

we make a bay window 944 rear kit. it's pretty complex as the hand brake shoe/caliper mount has to mount to the bay window rear bearing hub. we eliminate the aluminum 944 backing plate and make a three piece steel backing plate, then we drill the large nut 71 and later rear hub for 5 x 130 pattern and machine the o.d. of the hub to fit inside the 944 rotor, and switch the stub axle to the 1971 and later also. one problem is fitting the wheel center caps on the large nut hub. to fit the cap on a 15 inch fuchs we space the backside of the stub axle prior to installing into the bearing housing and then remove some from the top of the hub so that effectively the stub axle is shorter, then grind it all the way to the pin hole. check this link below. FYI. for the front we build 2 inch dropped and 3/16 narrowed bay window spindles and make a bracket kit to fit the 944 front brakes. your master cylinder will have to be modified as well. minor.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=569898

Is it possible to just take the whole trailing arm and brakes off the 944 (mine is off a 1983 944) and bolt straight into 1968 bus?

I was told this is a bolt in swap is that true?

no way do they just bolt in.
Russ

Thanks Russ

Is the 944 master cylinder needed for the swap or can we just stick with the bus 68 ?

I doubted it was that easy LOL

Need to talk with you Russ (got your number from Randy M) whats the best time to call and not interrupt you?

you have a 1968 master cylinder? if so that is fine. If it has pressure check valves they need to be disabled. it looks line an adaptor between the master cylinder and the brake hard lines. remove them and see if they have a spring and check ball. If so file the enfd until the spring and check ball can fall out. clean and reinstall as a straight through adaptor.
call whenever.

Russ

Fri Apr 29, 2011 10:28 am

thanks everyone!
This is a very helpful thread... Im jumping back and forth between a couple of mc and 944 threads... good to read a little from all of them.
Question.... Russ said, "If so file the end off until the spring and check ball can fall out. clean and reinstall as a straight through adapter."
I have mine off and upon inspection, I see a spring and a small,hallow tube,in there but no check ball. It appears that I should file it down and remove the spring to make a "straight through adapter".
I just want to be clear that the piece will serve no other purpose other than an adapter. Is that true? Why not remove it altogether? Will the brake line thread size be the wrong size for the mc thread size?
Thanks

Tue Sep 20, 2011 4:33 pm

I picked these up at a show. I'm hoping to fit them to my bus (1971 bay)

I'd like to use boxster callipers, i think I have found some adapters for the front

Thu Sep 22, 2011 3:01 pm

I have done the 944 rears on my split recently. I have a stock long axle, swing axle bug box with stepped spring plates.
I used all the parts from a donor '82 944. With the long axle set up you can bolt the 944 backing plate straight on without a spacer for the wheel bearing. then used the beetle hub spacer to push the hub out to the correct position. The beetle one is bigger than the porsche one. I had to fit a 0.5mm spacer between the caliper and mount ( the original porsche spring washer was perfect), that sat the disc perfectly central in the caliper.

Works really well, and no maching required. For the handbrake i had new cables made up with porsche ends on them so they work exactly as porsche set up should.

Hope that helps anyone who has that swing axle set up.

Thu Sep 22, 2011 9:45 pm

Who made the cables?

Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:40 am

rcrjacob wrote: Who made the cables?

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=806944

Lanner, at vee dub engineering has the conversion bracket for the stock bus ebrake cables.

Sat Sep 24, 2011 11:06 am

rcrjacob wrote: Who made the cables?

A local cable making company here in the UK, could be easier to use the conversion brackets as above tho.

Sun Jan 29, 2012 10:47 pm

Anyone have a close up/detailed picture of the brake setup complete?
I can't seem to find one.

Here's some pics of my "mock-up". Luckily I did not have to machine the backing plate or hub. I used the original porsche bolts (4) to bolt the backing plate to the axle tube, the stock VW ones were not long enough.

I wanted to confirm that one should use the VW "wheel seal" instead of the 944 unit and also confirm which way it goes (tapered side toward the wheel bearing? Lastly, are most people running an Earls style brake line from the caliper to the stock rubber hose or eliminating the stock rubber hose and running an Earls line from the caliper to the stock hard line?

Wed Feb 01, 2012 9:59 pm

Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:42 pm

Is it possible to run 944 brakes on a RGB trans. Just picked up a full set of 944 brakes, but not sure I want to change out the 2 year old RGB trans for the type 1 trans yet. Thanks Rich