16v Rear disks on a 8V

[Rabbit16v@attbi.com (Rabbit16v)]

Just curious but what is the drill and die grinder for?  Everything is plug
and play unless you replace the prop. valves and those don't take a drill or
die grinder and don't even have to be installed usually.  Plus, you don't
need the whole beam, but you do need the things you listed which can easily
be taken off of the rear beam without taking the rear beam.  I would
reccomend just the brakes and not the beam unless you want to replace the
bushings while your there and add the 16v rear sway bar then have an extra
beam (from your car) laying in your yard.  Might make a good planter?

Also, as far as cons go, I have never had a caliper seize and rarely have
seen them on any VWs at the shop I worked at.  It does happen but probably
not as much as most people think.  Plus, the calipers are not that expensive
compared to some of the newer ones they use now.  I think maybe $40 to $60
is a decent estimate.

Dave

> William,
>
> Haven't done it (as I already have a 16v) but the primary pro would be
> easier maintainance.. braking won't improve much if at all.
>
> You need a 16v rear axle (or a drill, die grinder and 8v axle, and rear
> rotors, wheel bearings, wheel bearing seals, stub axles from your old
> axle, axle nuts, axle nut locks, cotter pins, grease caps, proportioning
> valves, pad carriers, calipers, brake lines, parking brake cables, guide
> pins, dust boots, brake pads, etc). You can probably guess by now why most
> people just get the whole axle out of a junkyard or parts car.
>
> IMO don't bother. The rear brakes don't do diddly anyway - all the weight
> of the car shifts up to the front wheels during braking. Just make sure
> you have good rear shoes, fresh brake fluid (change every 12 months) and
> properly bled brakes and your brakes should be great.
>
> If you want to improve braking, spend your money on a good set of
> street/race pads like Ferodos (highly recommended). I put these on my 16v
> (they're $50 a set) and it now stops on a dime, hot or cold. The downside
> of Ferodos is more brake dust. but I can absolutely live with that for
> such a significant improvement in braking. Try Mintex if you want less
> dust and similar braking performance.
>
> BTW one disadvantage of disc brakes (since you asked about cons) in the
> rear is that the parking brake mechanism integral to the calipers tends to
> sieze up, causing your rear brake(s) to stick and overheat (also making it
> dangerous to drive because of unpredictable handling). This is a very
> common problem and the only cure is a new or rebuilt caliper on the
> affected side(s). Even rebuilt ones are expensive, and some people report
> them freezing up again in a matter of weeks.
>
> Good luck,
>
> -Toby
>
> On Wed, 7 Jan 2004, William wrote:
>
> > Hay i'm thinking of puting on a set of 16v rear disk breaks on my 85 8v.
Now the questions are:  is it worth it, what are the pors and cons, and what
all is involved/needed to do this mod.
> >
> >
> >
> > Thank you
> >
> >
> > William F.
> >
>
>
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