Disc brake conversion kits. AC Industries VS Empi

[daveblank]

I'm at work & I don't have time to search. I figured that I would ask real quick in hopes of getting opinions so I could make a quick decision.

disc brake conversion kits. AC Industries or Empi & why. I'll be 100% honest, I was looking at the Empi but was just offered a new AC Industries rear kit for a good price. I'm the type of person that would also order the matching ACI for the front(my OCD wouldn't let me mix brands).

Car is a 63 Beetle. I already have the dual circuit master cylinder installed.

[slayer61]

I have a reputation for empi bashing..... so here goes. I had no troubles with the empi "brakes" on my buggy. I did replace the pads with EBC before I hit the road,though. By the time I had 1700 miles on the buggy, (including towing it from California to Texas) the rear splines were shot. So bad the wheels visibly wobbled. Empi did replace them, eventually. They have all since been replaced. As they say..... YMMV.
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[matthew henricks]

I have EMPI on my 64 bug. The kit for stock wide-5 rims. Admittedly not alot of mileage on them but the install was easy. My gripe would be that the flex hoses hit the link arms significantly. I added some hose wrap to them for protection.

FWIW, I have AC on my bus with many miles and no troubles.
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1964 Original Owner build Thread. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=702135&highlight=

Ambulance Fan's. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=627707&highlight=

Parts i am looking for:
64 bug nice used front/rear Black LHD floor mat.

[pastellgreen]

A third solution for those with money and time are the kits from CSP Germany. This is TÜV aproved, certified high quality and offers much different solutions, those for all kinds of axles (beeetle, bus, Karmann, Type 3, Porsche, standard, narrowed, different kinds of hole circles...)
https://www.csp-shop.com/en/wheels-brakes/brake-sy...U2JGwwJGgw
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1961 pearl white beauty from Portugal
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=759951

[slave1pilot]

I put the Empi disc brake kit on the front Ol' Herb
I cannot speak on the rear kit

As stated, the install is a breeze. instructions were straightforward , and price was fair
I did not have the same issues with the flex hoses
it was a few years back, so I have to rely on build pics

I'm not sure if Matthew Hendricks got the same kit or if we did something different.

They do make some brake dust with the stock pads, but Ol' Herb stops on a dime
Overall, I'm happy with them
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Currently:
1959 pan with a 64 body and a 63 ragtop grafted in Herbie replica
Previously:
1967 Beetle
1968 Beetle
1970 Beetle

[VW_Jimbo]

I have installed the EMPI disc brake kits on all of the Bugs I have had through the years. Living in Orange County with the crazies slamming on their brakes, leaves one no choice but to get something BETTER than drum brakes!

I have had no install issues, at all. That is with the dropped spindles on the last, last 70, and moving forwards the stock spindles on the next 70, and 77. Hoses cleared just fine.

Highly recommend the kits they offer!

Get new brake hoses, bearings and new seals.
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Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[67rustavenger]

A little different here.
I installed the CB drop spindle disc brake kit in my Blue 67 a few years back.
The kit fit like a dream and the following day on the way home from work, it paid off when, some dickhead ran a right hand turn with out stopping for the light in front of me.
I was impressed at the braking action to avoid the above car.
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I have learned over the years.
Cheap parts are gonna disappoint you.
Buy Once, Cry Once!

There's never enough time to do it right the first time. But there's always enough time to do it thrice.
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo!
2003 Astrovan? GFYS again, Xevin!
Don't let your bad ideas remain, ideas!

[Danny604]

I have the EMPI conversion on all 4 corners.

Some comments:
-The front rotors have L and R cast into them, but they should be reversed, installing as labeled put the bleeder at the bottom.
-The little flex hose to adapt to the caliper on the rear is really short and is a tighter radius than I prefer
-Left rear caliper leaked after 10,000kms (summer only car)

[smitty24]

I’m currently running AC Industries front and rear. I chose it due to something I saw about ZERO offset. I’ve ran multiple Empi kits in the past on various cars. This AC Industries kit had the most issues upon install. I wouldn’t ever use an AC kit again. I would use CSP, CB, or keep it stock drum. I had to replace most of the supplied parts with better ones before I even got it on the road.

AC Industries issues I dealt with:

My drop spindles were machined uneven so the calipers sat at an angle, not allowing the pads to fully contact the rotor and also not evenly. I had to machine them at work to fix this.

One of the front caliper driver side pads started separating from the metal backing on its second week of occasional driving.

The supplied bearings and seals are CRAP quality. They use the same generic cheap calipers and pads everyone else uses in low budget kits. Same cheap master cylinder...but it works ok. E brake has a tendency to slip and not hold due to the bracket on the caliper bending after a few drives.

The rear heavy duty brackets also were too thick and didn’t allow the bearings to seat properly. And the damn snouts of the rear rotors had to be milled! Castle nuts wouldn’t go far enough to get cotter pin holes visible.

Never had the same issues with an Empi kit, strange as it sounds. I wouldn’t do it again. All SoCal Imports did was try to sell me more parts or treat me as if I was a rookie.

[slave1pilot]

[Danny604]