356 alumn drum kit for bug, any interest?

[onebad65]

if someone manufacture 356 alumn drum replicas that fit stock beetle drum hardware, would anyone buy them?

[hlwimmer]

i wouldn't. the physical difference b/w the stock VW and porsche brakes is size. they are much larger in diameter giving you superior stopping power. the aesthetic difference is that the drums will show through the slots in slotted wheels (which is made possible by the drums being larger). so, you're talking about making a modification/kit that will not help performance and that no one will see... there is, however, a 356 drum skin that's available through porsche shops that gives the "drum look" to disc brake setups. i see no reason you couldnt skin your VW drums. kind of like a "dickie" for brakes, but if that floats your boat... would be a simpler solution that would at least meet the aesthetic want. or you can find a porsche setup that will give you the look and the performance. or just buy a porsche which is what i probably should've done... after a pan-off resto, i still have a lowly VW

[onebad65]

does anyone make a reproduction of the alumn drums and requierd hardware?

[DaveM]

the brakes and parts are not hard to find... if you want porsche A or B brakes, just go out and buy them.
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Sounding like a broken record as to why You should be measuring protein during harvest in order to better your agronomic practices.

[hlwimmer]

good drums that are "within spec" are sometimes hard to find and they're expensive to reline. but NLA now sells repro cylinders which makes that part easier. but in the end, the real-deal a good setup...

[onebad65]

hey dave, where would i look to buy them?

[hlwimmer]

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=336074

[onebad65]

is that a good deal?

[Tom N.]

I run the 356 brakes on my 62 rag. The aluminum finish looks bad ass, people always mention it. Brakes stop great, however, I have to mention that if you use stock smoothies... the drums don't show thru. Another point.... The drums allow the use of Stock VW rims, centerlines and maybe one or two other wheels. This sucks. I tried a pair of Randars last week, woudn't fit because of the hub. If you want performance, get these brakes, if you want cosmetics... stay stock. Advice, get disc brakes, prob. same price and you can use almost any wheel you want.

[hlwimmer]

i like mine...

[spongeworthy]

need to fill that tire a wee bit....i want a set of those brakes myself.

[hlwimmer]

it's the angle. i got like 28 or 30 psi in there... a bit more than recoed.

[Tom N.]

Little too much air if you ask me, but thats another thread.

Those drums look kick ass thru the slots!!! I didn't think that the drums would fill that much of the wheel. I really like the look of the wheel/ drum/ lugs. Any chance you could throw a pic of your car, I would like to see what the whole concept looks like.

An issue that I hear of is the replacement of the shoes when they go bad. I think that the shoes need to be refitted with the brake material, rather than buying new shoes.

[onebad65]

what if someone manufactured drums that fit the stock beetle shoes and backing plates but where the same size on the out side to show through the holes in the rims, but also would alow most other wheels to mount up also, obviously the wouldbe a cosmetic ypgrade, not a performance one. would people be interested in buying them?

[KantDriveFast]

[bill may]

[KantDriveFast]

[hlwimmer]

my wheels are mangels. i shaved the clips and had them powdercoated "porsche silver" to give them a similar look. old rims scare me (bent, non-matching, etc.) and a really good set of porsche rims cost a bit too much for my tastes. i'm happy with the mangels, but regret 1/2 the time that i didn't get 5.5in rims (these are 4.5in) as i'd like to run 185's up front and 195s in the back. currently 165s all around (nankangs). for those that care, you can click on the "gallery" link below to see some pix. i need to snap some new ones. and the tires have closer to 25psi in them currently (closer to 20 in the front). ::hunter

p.s.: onebad. look for the porsche drum skins. they do what you're looking to do without f*ing with the original brakes -- they just it over them. i think they only come in the "a" pattern which is not laterally finned like the "b" ones -- so the look through the drum is not as characteristic. if you want a market, make some "b" skins and you'll have a rabid porsche crowd... and those guys have deep pockets.

[bill may]

[RareAir]

If you want just the aluminum drum look without the added performance or cost, check out the aluminum drum skinz offered by www.fibersteel.com Fits right over oem VW drums or discs and you'll get the look

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1947 Typ 11a
1954 Typ 117
1956 Typ 151
1959 Typ 117
1959 Typ 265
1961 356B
1966 Typ 151
1966 Typ 241