The Trouble w/ Disc Brake Conversions

NOTE: This problem is associated with the 1967 swing arm - VW decided to use longer axles that year.  They stopped using them the following year - lucky me!!  This is why the standard brake cable was slightly too short.

There's a couple problems with installing disc brakes with these conversions kits.  The emergency brake lines for the rear brakes ended up being too short by about a 1/2 inch.  While trying to stretch the cables to fit over my emergency brake handle something went kablooey and my handle fell apart.  OK, I planned on buying a chrome one someday anyway. Now I get to wait for those parts to show up.  In the mean time, I carefully cut the rubber tube around the cable so I would get more cable into the tunnel. (this was not as easy as it seems, there's a spiral cable under the rubber that protects the other cable. This seemed to work but I won't be able to know for sure until the new handle gets here.  This seems to be a common problem.

In addition to the rear brakes quandry, I am working on trying to get new large washers made for the rear axles.  In the seal kit you get the thrust washer but you don't get the grease slinger washer which is much wider and goes in the bearing casing in front of the grease seal.  Why do this?  The side that didn't have it had grease all over the underside of the body.  After trying several auto parts stores, to include VW specialty stores and national chain types, I tried a couple salvage yards.  Still no luck.  Time to call a machinist, Charlie, the same guy that did my adaptor for my electric motor.  I sent him the part yesterday and hopefully, he'll be able to make me a couple pairs in case I need an extra set.  BTW this is unique to the 1967 VW.

Next I finally received my front disc brakes in the mail - yeah!! Guess what?  No instructions.  That's right, after some surfing the web I found that this was another common rage against EMPI.  Good thing I had that Bug Me Video disc on brakes.  I watched it and then found a site that had all the written instructions for the install.  By matching up the visual with the written I should be able to get'er done right away in no time flat, right?!  Step one - install the caliper mounting bracket.  Oops, wrong size.  Back to square one with Kustom1auto parts.

OK - my bad. I ordered the link pin set instead of the ball joint. Well, now I have to send back the brackets, the bearings and the racers.  Then put my old racers and bearings in the new discs.  Here's what the racers look like in case you didn't know.

The racers is the collar that inside the disc.  There are two in each disc. You can use a screwdriver or punch with a hammer to drive it out.  Also here's the order that things go back together.  Kinda like an exploded view.