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Thu Apr 19, 2012 6:06 am

I have read a few threads about this, but really I wanted to start one to figure out exactly what I need to convert my car to wide 5 bolt pattern. I have correct rear drums and wheels and spacers...so that part is done.

I am more focused on the front now. I had a pair of good servicable drums from an unknown year and the bearing races are totally different size. I have since started looking for '67 front drums and found em at Carquest. Is that what I need to get....'67 front drums...or do I need something completely different? What bearings do I use?

Any advice is appreciated.

Thu Apr 19, 2012 8:19 am

i want to do this too so i can use escra wheels

Fri Apr 20, 2012 1:19 am

I would think the 67 drums would be just the ticket,, cents its also A ball-joint front end,, the best thing you can do to know for sure is grab your favorite VW catalogue, and look up the bearings for both your year and 67, and see if both use the same ones :wink:
Also I believe the Thing drums well also fit, and thy are larger(the same size as super beetles) so that would be A upgrade.. As for the rears, I know you said you had all the parts, But if you git the chance to git A set of 5-lug Type-III rears thy well bolt straight on with no spacers, and give you larger drums :wink:

Fri Apr 20, 2012 5:02 am

The '67 was my thought too Hank. Now with the Thing drums...dont you need to change the backing plates and the whole brake setup as well to allow for the larger diameter drums? If I am thinkin correct (which I often don't), the '67 front and rear will fit right on with the rears needing that spacer.

The reason I ask this on here is my shop had a pair of good German fronts from an unknown year. The bearings are a totally different size. Do they make conversion bearings to use older type 1 drums on late model spindles? It would really open up the window as far as availability for servicable used drums if that were the case. I am not against buying new front drums but if I can save that money for the interior I will.

Fri Apr 20, 2012 5:31 am

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=378211

I suppose it has been covered here. I'm a dumbass.

Fri Apr 20, 2012 11:41 am

VW Thing

Fri Apr 20, 2012 1:52 pm

I went the way of getting '67 drums front and rear, and kept all my brakes stock late model stuff since I just went through and replaced everything. It seemed more economical than getting Thing drums and having to replace the backing plates, wheel cyls, shoes, and hardware.

The nice part, the rear '67 drums I got were Brembo drums. The fronts will be as well...and I got em for a pretty decent price.

Fri Apr 20, 2012 6:23 pm

What?

I thought the rear brakes where widened to 40mm in '68. My understanding is the rear brakes from '58 through '67 where 30mm wide but there are 2 different styles of shoes and hardware, the strait slot '58 - '64 parts, and the angled adjuster '65 - '67 parts. That would mean that Thing rear drums (or swapping to skinnier brakes) would be needed to put wide-5 on '68 up rear brakes.

Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:15 pm

OK, here goes....

66-67 or thing front drums. Direct bolt on.

For the rear I got the adaptor drums from CIP1. Same drum as stock but with the wide 5 bolt pattern.
You can use thing rear drums, but they widen the rear track some

Sat Apr 21, 2012 1:25 am

cfvwtuner wrote: OK, here goes....

66-67 or thing front drums. Direct bolt on.

For the rear I got the adaptor drums from CIP1. Same drum as stock but with the wide 5 bolt pattern.
You can use thing rear drums, but they widen the rear track some

looks good!
Nothing bad about A wider track in the rear :wink: unless your dropping it on its nuts!!

Also the shipping would probably be nuts :shock: but "I believe?" in some countries thy still had wide-5 drums after 67, so you might be able to git German 5-lug drums to fit long axles

Tue Apr 24, 2012 7:13 am

Thing drums also cost more, and are less likely to be had locally.

Carquest sells Brembo drums at about the same cost as most of the cheapie drums for late models (~30-40 each)...and Brembo makes good stuff. I have the rears already, and aside from bearing differences they are spot on. I have to make a little extra on the side to afford the fronts, but I intend to get the fronts as well from Carquest.