mk3 jetta drum to disc

[steve89]

Recently thinking about converting my rear brakes from drum to disc. I can get the rear beam and rotors,calipers and all the included things but was seeing if the brake line on the car now mount up to the new setup or will new brake lines be needed and what else has to get swaped over. Thanks.

[germancarnut51]

You don't need the whole rear axle beam to switch from drum brakes to disc brakes (but it is a good way to get all the parts and be able to see how they go together).

What you need is: the disc brake proportioning valve, the short hard lines on the trailing arms, the hoses that run from the short hard lines to the calipers, the brake calipers with carriers and brake pads, backing plates, parking brake cables for rear disc brakes, rear brake rotors, and the rear stub axles.

It's preferable to install the rear disc brake parts on your rear axle beam, and leave the rear wheel alignment alone. Then, you can keep the axle beam (that the rear disc brakes were installed on) as a spare for the day you bend the axle beam on the car going over a curb, or sell it to help recover part of the rear disc brake conversion cost.

[vectracide]

I have a 95 Golf that was totalled. I would like to take the rear disk setup and put it on my 96 Jetta. Will the donor Golf provide the right parts for this conversion?

Thanks.

[germancarnut51]

All MKIII ABA Golfs and Jettas use the same rear disc brakes. Just take the necessary parts from the wrecked car, and install them on the running car.

Just be aware that change-over time is actually overhaul time. Replace any heavily worn or damaged disc brake parts from the disc brake part set, before installing on the running car.

Make sure that you change the rear proportioning valve, the valves are caliberated differently for disc brake cars and drum brake cars.

[vectracide]

Ok, sounds good.... So you're sayin that the spindle just bolts right on then...perfect. I will give it a fresh set of bearings, pads and a rotor turn for good measure. Might even put a new set of rubber lines on there, as from what I hear, they turn to crap after a while. Is there any point in putting some of those green pads on the back? I've read alot of good reviews about front pads...but is it really necessary for performance pads in the rear?

Brad

[germancarnut51]

If the rotors have a wear ridge, throw them out. You say you're going to buy new bearings, why pound out the old ones, and press the new bearings into old, thin rotors? Rotors are probably too thin to turn anyway, if they have a ridge.

[vectracide]

Well, if the rotors don't mic out, or are even close to the min. thickness, I will replace them. But I have to say, it is quite uncommon to have to replace rear rotors, due to the lack of wear they get as compared to the fronts. All rotors will have a ridge height of some kind due to wear, but just because they do does not mean they are garbage. Unless they are on a Ford F-150, which in that case, you would be better off replacing them the day you buy the truck. Putting in bearings and races is quite fast and easy when you have the right tools.

Brad

[germancarnut51]

You only have about 1.5mm of wear thickness when new (depending on how thick the rotors are when you started).

By the time that a definite wear ridge on the outer edge develops, the wear thickness is gone, and there isn't any thickness left to machine above minimum.

New rear rotors can be purchased for as low as $5.41, plus shipping from RockAuto (BeckArnley standard grade closeouts). I paid a little more ($12.21 per rotor) for the premium grade closeout rear rotors.

At that price it's not worth it to turn rotors. Just keep replacing brake pads when necessary, BEFORE they wear down far enough to damage the rotors, and replace the rotors when you get a wear ridge of two thumbnails or more.

Check the used parts when you get them and replace or recondition as necessary. I always replace the caliper seals, and usually the brake pads, and the rotors. Parking brake cables are so cheap right now that you might as well install new ones (about $13-17 each). Used brake systems almost always come with heavily worn rotors and pads, and for some reason MKIII brake cable sheaths are almost always cracked, leading to seized parking brakes. I prefer to start all new, so I know exactly homw much runtime is on the parts, and can schedule inspection, and replacement.


Modified by germancarnut51 at 4:42 PM 11-24-2009

[vectracide]

Well, I gotta say...if the price for the rears are that cheap, cause a turn in my area is 12 per rotor, I would get new ones. But, my big question here is, are they quality at that price? That seems to be priced like a Chinese tin can. Are they worn down F-150 rotors resold as VW's?

And taking a quick look at a couple sites, I have found that rears are around 99-150 each. The difference in prices doesn't seem to add up if you ask me.


Modified by vectracide at 4:45 PM 11-24-2009

[germancarnut51]

The BeckArnleys I got from RockAuto were Italian made, and very will made. Been on the car for about two months and they are wearing very evenly.

By contrast, the Rueville Brand rear wheel bearing kits I got from GAP were trash. The grease seals fell apart (springs fell out and the lips were bad), the grease caps were way oversized, and dented/crushed too easily, and the bearings were Korean (bearing were the only parts I keep).

I had some spare grease seals I ordered from NAPA when I stopped at the store, and order some closeout parts from RockAuto for $.99 each (which were better than the NAPA and GAP/Rueville parts).

I also got my new brake pads from RockAuto as closeouts. PBR/Axxis/Repco Deluxe (white pads). $11.37 for the fronts and $18 for the rears.

RockAuto buys parts being closeout out by other Sellers dirt cheap, as well as manufacturer closeouts, and overstocks. When you go to their website, and go to your car, in the parts catalog you can see what they have available for your car. Most of the parts appear to be quality replacement parts, the manufacturer's name and other information is listed. And I have been told that most closeout parts are shipped from a single warehouse in Texas. Other parts ship from warehouses located all over the U.S., and RockAuto charges per warehouse to determine the cost of shipping. Meaning that you might order brake pads coming from one warehouse, belts from another location, and sparkplugs from a third location. RockAuto's basic shipping fee looks to be around $7.50. For the example I outlined about, you would be paying about $23 for shipping. If you order the same parts (if available) as a closeout, you would pay one shipping charge of about $9.

So when you go to the RockAuto Website, try clicking on all the items don't have a price listed, you will see multiple options for purchasing the item, a new product price, and a closeout product price.

Recently I ordered: a Edelmann power steering pressure hose $10, Genuine Bosch distributor cap $5.90, front Axxis/PBR Corrado G60 White brake pads $11.37, rear Axxis/PBR brake pads $18.79. My cost with $17 shipping was about $63. Other online sellers would charge between $35-$55, plus shipping for each set of brake pads.


Modified by germancarnut51 at 5:18 PM 11-24-2009

[KiiNgLiiNdO]

man this sounds expensive