914 front struts in a super?

[simon_C]

I've got a 3 bolt super and I've been researching front suspension options.

Spurred by the current cost of a disc brake kit and front coilover setups (diy or aftermarket kits), I have been looking into alternatives for my super's front suspension and brake setup.

I noticed, 914 front struts and spindles look like they may be able to fit if I switched to 2 bolt control arms.

This is what I was thinking:
914 front struts and spindles are already set up for discs.
914 struts are narrow and look like they would be easy to add coilover sleeves to, as well as upgrade to better shocks.

I can get 914 front struts, shocks, and coilover sleeves (real ones, not ebay crap) for less money than buying a disc conversion kit and coilovers for my super.

Would 914 struts ever have a chance of fitting my super? Is there a ball joint that fits the 914 spindles and the 2 bolt super control arms?
would the geometry work at all?
Are there tie rods/rod ends that would work in this situation?


Has this even been done? I've been googling and so far have found nothing.


914 struts:

[Joel]

The amount of work involved in making that setup work and no benefits gained is why you haven't seen it done.

The ball joint attachment to control arm is completely different layout to both 2 and 3 bolt supers and The geometry is all wrong with the spindle being so far up the strut, Porsche can do it because of the control arm design, with a super you won't get the wheel to clear the control arm.

It's just under $400 for a disc kit from Topline, buy once, cry once.
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Quick little bug, you got a Porsche motor in that?
1974 Germanlook 1303 2.5 Suba-Beetle

[RailBoy]

Here is a Topline Strut and with a Topline Disk on a 74 Super, Two Bolt Mount. 73 is a 3 bolt set-up and like Joel says, straight bolt together setup that you can do easily if you have been around tools.. Once done just take the car to be aligned...

Note, disk is Porsche lug pattern... RB

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[quote="smitty24"]"HELP, I ported my own heads and now have fire coming out my ass" .[/quote]

[simon_C]

[H2OSB]

I also read through the back and forth on STF, and those two guys are very knowledgeable , but I think, based upon your original premise of keeping things less expensive you'll begin this exercise then find you have to spend money in a cascading fashion as you have to fix a new problem created by the previous fix.

Another option you can look at...924 brakes. Particularly the early version. The spindles are a direct replacement for 1303 spindles. When I say direct replacement, I mean even the ball joints work.

If you use the 924 brakes, wholesale, you have 48mm pistons on 13mm wide rotors (257mm diameter). However, you get a 4x108 wheel bolt pattern.

If you decide you want larger rotors (and the 4x130 bolt pattern), both T3 and T1 (Karmann Ghia) rotors fit directly onto the spindle shaft as the 924, T3 and T1 use the same size bearings and arrangement. T3 Rotors are 11mm thick so would be pretty close to the stock 13mm, however, I do not know how the diameter of the rotor would jive with what the caliper would need.

In my own situation, I am using just what I describe with T3 rotors, but the caliper from a BMW 320i, though I only chose these calipers because I couldn't find any 924 calipers (for cheap), and I know the 914 crowd uses the same BMW calipers as a brake upgrade (the T3 rotors are also, essentially the same as 914 rotors).

The two calipers, 924 and 320i use a near identical rotors, 257x13 vs 255x13 respectively, and both have 3 inch caliper bolt spacing, so either caliper could likely be used, though I have no way to confirm this.

The cheapest way to go, IMO, would be use all 924 front brakes, then get 924 rear drums and have them turned down to a hubs. To these hubs fit the rear discs from some early Audi with solid rotors and use the same calipers from the source car for the rotors. The only custom made parts in the whole deal are the turned down rear hubs and the caliper brackets for the rear calipers. The only thing you'd need to figure out would be the parking brake attachment for the stock Beetle brake cable.

johnL (aka H2OSB)
www.superbeetlesonly.com

[simon_C]

[torsionbar]

ghia discs in front + type 3 drums in the rear = awesome beetle brake upgrade. all oem components too, no funky aftermarket stuff.
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[Bashr52]

[simon_C]

[Joel]

The discs and calipers will, you would just need to buy a set of mounts.
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Quick little bug, you got a Porsche motor in that?
1974 Germanlook 1303 2.5 Suba-Beetle

[torsionbar]