Sandrail front brake options

[Wsr3]

Starting work on an old sand rail with link pin front and spindle mount wheels. As I don’t live anywhere near sand I thought front brakes would be nice. What would my options be?
Thanks,
WSR

[Vanapplebomb]

Kip it simple. Stock drums/backing plates. Use the ‘69 and newer 17mm REAR wheel cylinders in the front.
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1800 Type 4 Berrien 295

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=487021

[liquidrush]

I replaced my drums with disc and I have complete drum set if your spindles will take them. These are 50s style.

[Wsr3]

Thanks! I’m still trying to identify what I have at this point. I’m not familiar with VWs so I’m doing a lot of research.

[oprn]

Post pictures, that helps!
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We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[Stinky123]

Depending on what size tires in rear....run the front Wheel Cylinders in the rear.

The extra size, in the rear WC, will give you more strength to slow down the heavy, big (w/lots of traction), rear tires.

Same reason, in reverse, why you go to the smaller ones in front. The small fronts are easy to lock up.

I used to stand on my pedal, like crazy, and not get any braking outa the rear.

[Wsr3]

Thanks to this forum I’ve found that it has type 3 4 lug rear drums. The rest, master, lines and wheel cylinders are missing. I’m assuming the larger brakes were used in the rear as there were no front brakes. I,m not sure what year the front king pin spindles are, but there are 3 threaded holes that held something, I’m assuming the backing plates. I would like to add an ebrake and a dual circuit master as I’ve experience failure of a single circuit before and that was enough excitement for a lifetime.

[Wsr3]

Spindle if that helps.

When I got it home.

[liquidrush]

Stand up that spindle so I can see the bolt pattern.

[jsturtlebuggy]

That is a link pin spindle used on 1965 and earlier VW Bugs.
Finding 1958 to 1965 brake parts are what you need to use.
To reduce the braking action on the front end, use the 17mm wheel cylinders from the rear of a 1968 and later Bug.
This will help with keeping the front tires from locking up under braking.
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Joseph
Fair Oaks/Orangevale, CA
Elrod Motorsports
Motion Tire Motorsports
Having fun with Dune Buggies since 1970
Into Volkswagens since 1960

[jsturtlebuggy]

With rear brakes being type 3 which are larger diameter then a Bug (9-3/4” vs 9” ) and the use of 1971 and later Super Beetle front wheel cylinders that are larger the the type 3 ( 23mm vs 22mm) will give you good braking action with the large rear tires you have.
Have setup several of my own buggies that way over the years.
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Joseph
Fair Oaks/Orangevale, CA
Elrod Motorsports
Motion Tire Motorsports
Having fun with Dune Buggies since 1970
Into Volkswagens since 1960

[BFB]

I see a lot of ppl talk about using different size wheel cylinders but last time i did any comparisons on what the parts stores sell, their all the same size nowadays whether its for front or rear. Maybe yall found something different? But i compared empi’s and the local parts store’s …
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Forced induction can overcome a lot of obsticles that gets in it's way
"You are the Engineer and the Mechanic.  
Build it your way not the way someone else does it. Their way might not work for you." - clonebug
An interesting thing happens in forums where everyone starts parroting the same thing and "common knowledge" takes over.
“ The monkey see monkey do mentality seems to run deep in VW people. "Gene Berg said it was so 30 years ago so thats the way it is" “ - bdkw1

[jsturtlebuggy]

I have no problems with finding correct size wheel cylinders. I even found the correct sizes on Rock Auto.
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Joseph
Fair Oaks/Orangevale, CA
Elrod Motorsports
Motion Tire Motorsports
Having fun with Dune Buggies since 1970
Into Volkswagens since 1960