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Sun Sep 27, 2009 7:28 pm

Is there any where to purchase rebuild kits for pre 58 beetle wheel cylinders(front/rear)? Also who out there in the internet rebuilds these?

And last is there any way to upgrade these to later bigger bore wheel cylinders?

All 4 of the 55 wheel cylinders on the beetle are bad and need to be replaced/rebuilt.

Thanks for any info.
ccp

Sun Sep 27, 2009 8:22 pm

You can put later '58-64 backing plates and brakes on your '55.
I put a full set of Porsche "A" drum brakes on my '55...wonderful!
Here is a web site of a place that I know of that bores and resleeves your wheel cylinders and can supply the rubber cups
http://www.whitepost.com/brake.html
Just search "Brake cylinder sleeving"
White post has been around as long as I can remember.
I put DOT5 Silicone fluid in my '55's system 23 years ago and have never had a wheel cylinder issue...BUT...I COMPLETELY rebuilt AND cleaned out any traces of the glycol based fluids. This is a MUST!

Mon Sep 28, 2009 4:45 am

I rebuilt the 19mm 4-bolt wheel cylinders on the front of my '51 by buying 1-bolt 19mm 58-67 rear wheel cylinders very cheaply (113-611-055), and using all the rubbers from these. I re-honed my wheel cylinders using a honing tool.

Fortunately, the bore on my cylinders was not too pitted, and a re-hone and new rubbers did the trick.

Wed Sep 30, 2009 6:18 am

Rhodrich wrote: I rebuilt the 19mm 4-bolt wheel cylinders on the front of my '51 by buying 1-bolt 19mm 58-67 rear wheel cylinders very cheaply (113-611-055), and using all the rubbers from these. I re-honed my wheel cylinders using a honing tool.

Fortunately, the bore on my cylinders was not too pitted, and a re-hone and new rubbers did the trick.

Ok lost me here, were 51 wheel cylinders 4 bolts instead of two? I know the two bolt cylinders for the 55 brakes are 19mm bore to start out with. Not sure if i can oversize them to 22mm bore like the 58+ wheel cylinders.

Thanks for the info guys.

Wed Sep 30, 2009 9:21 am

Boonies wrote: Rhodrich wrote: I rebuilt the 19mm 4-bolt wheel cylinders on the front of my '51 by buying 1-bolt 19mm 58-67 rear wheel cylinders very cheaply (113-611-055), and using all the rubbers from these. I re-honed my wheel cylinders using a honing tool.

Fortunately, the bore on my cylinders was not too pitted, and a re-hone and new rubbers did the trick.

Ok lost me here, were 51 wheel cylinders 4 bolts instead of two? I know the two bolt cylinders for the 55 brakes are 19mm bore to start out with. Not sure if i can oversize them to 22mm bore like the 58+ wheel cylinders.

Thanks for the info guys.

'51 wheel cylinders are indeed 4 bolt, and even more expensive/ difficult to get hold of than oval era 2 bolt ones.

The rubbers are exactly the same for the same bore though, whether your cylinders are 1 bolt, 2 bolt or 4 bolt, which is why you can use a late 1 bolt 19mm bore wheel cylinder to rebuild your early 2 bolt 19mm ones.

Oversizing is inadvisible, unless you change the master cylinder as well, as it can lead to excess pedal travel and/or excess pedal pressure.

Wed Sep 30, 2009 9:37 am

Thanks for give me that bit of information. I now under stand why you were using the 19mm rubber. Now the MC on the car have been upgraded to a dual circuit , so it can handle a bigger bore if needed.

Wed Sep 30, 2009 11:00 am

Here is exactly what you need!

http://www.whitepost.com/brake.html

But what do you need brakes for when the engine isn't even in yet?

Wed Sep 30, 2009 11:17 am

Hard to keep the wheels on with out em' and she need to go into storage soon. :lol:

Thanks doc.

Wed Sep 30, 2009 4:54 pm

Why not just buy new cylinders. I bouth some I think it was from the guys in Long beach they sent me the wrong ones I called them and they sent me the right ones the next day awesome guys and great price. I want to say they were 14.00 a piece. I know I know you get what you pay for right, Well they have been going strong for the past year and a half.

Dave

Fri May 05, 2023 7:35 pm

Bringing up an old post, the recommendation for rebuilds has closed its door
Any update on suppliers for rebuild kits? Or any future recommendations ?
Thanks

.

Sun May 07, 2023 2:18 am

Rebuild kits show up in the classifieds:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2279326
I've seen them at swap meets. They don't sell well, so they're cheap.

You can get rebuild kits out of new wheel cylinders for later cars. Just buy a wheel cylinder that's the same diameter as what you need.

Wheel cylinder trivia: Even though our cars are metric, for some unknown reason, wheel cylinder diameters are measured by the fraction of an inch. Then VW quotes the metric equivalent.

May 1950 to zwitter rear: 5/8"
Zwitter and 68 & up Beetle rear: 11/16"
Split and oval front: 3/4" also 67 & earlier Beetle rear
Early Type 3 front: 13/16"
Beetle front: 7/8"
Super beetle front: 15/16"

Sun May 07, 2023 6:30 am

Thanks for that useful info. I only wish that seller had more than 1 …. :D
Thomas