Brake setup advice

What engine are you planning on running?  Makes a big difference.

I'm running a stout 2,110 with a freeway flyer (3:88 diff) tranny.  If you plan something larger displacement than that, your 4-wheel option looks more attractive.

I have the CB Performance front disks (4-bolt hub) and stock VW drums in the rear, with a 7 pound residual valve in-line to the rear drum brakes.

Everything seems to work just fine and the only panic stop I've had was for a dog.  EVERYTHING under the front seats ended up under my feet, whilst EVERYTHING on the rear seat either hit the seatbacks or landed up against the shift lever, but the car stopped 10 feet short of the animal.

Jack Crosby swears by 4-wheel disks on his VS Speedster (2 litre type 4) simply because they always stop straight (no swerving) but with an 80/20 front/rear effectivity, the rear disks don't buy you much stopping power.

See if you can find Simon Hambly (simon at hambly dot org dot uk or simon.hambly at virgin dot net - he has a Chesil with 4-wheel disks AND a vacuum power booster and loves it.

gn

Front disk/rear drum is certainly adequate. My preference is all 4 disks if nothing else to reduce the extra maintenance that drums have.

If CSP's done their engineering, they'll have chosen the caliper piston sizes to match the master cylinder to give the proper brake balance out of the box. But since they use single piston calipers front and rear, I'd guess the brake balance might be more to the rear than other brake kits. Hard to say since they don't give any specs.

Vented rotors would generally be overkill unless you were wanting to autocross/race.

I drove Jack's car last fall and there was NO comparison to my Beck with discs on the front and drums on the back.  That's why, this winter, Carey is installing rear discs for me.  Jack's car stopped straight, quick, and smooth.  I was made a believer in CSP shifters and rear disc brakes after that drive.  Thanks again Jack...and you to Carey :-)

Tom, I am so looking forward to seeing your gorgeous Beck at Carlisle.  I believe that you are going to be sooo happy with it---isn't Carey the best?

I have heard several people as well as some manufacturers over the years say that you don't need disc brakes in the rear and maybe you don't but I sure apapreciate the extra insurance.

Maybe Dr. Brobow doesn't NEED a 911 Porsche engine or the IM it pushes down the road but who among us would turn down such a piece if he could swing it!

I have four wheel disc brakes on my IM and I'm very happy with my setup.  My front discs are from Airkewld, with a two piston solid rotor with Wilwood calipers, and my rear discs are an old set of CB rotohubs that I bought years ago.

Even though I'm running generic pads I'm very happy with the car's braking ability. 

I really like the CSP kit, but I also like Airkewld's four wheel brake kit, mainly because I really like Wilwood products.

For me, the vented rotors are a big plus, and if I had to option to go with vented rotors when I bought my front disc brake kit I would have gone that route.

There is a reason most modern cars come with vented rotors.

I have CSP solid discs. As far as I know, the CSP wide5 kits come in solid or vented rotor. They use single piston GM calipers for either vented or solid rotors. I think the add a half inch of track per side or less. I need to replace my pads someday soon, have 27,000 miles on the first set!

FYI, on a Spyder you run out of tire long before you run out of brakes. You can lock them if not careful, and on the street, with some very agressive driving, I haven't had any fade. On the track would be different, as you would use them harder, way more often, and have sticky rubber.

I have stock drums on the rear with type3 shoes, which are a little bit wider than type1 shoes.

Also, I change brake and clutch fluid every two years. Everyone should do this.

The extra 1000 to 2000 pounds they're lugging around doesn't help.

You got that right Justin. My Spyder with me and a full tank of gas weighs less than most empty Speedsters, under 1700 pounds.

Thanks for the input guys.

Ron - I've seen the Airkewld kit, it looks very impressive and I think is another option for me to consider.

Based on what everyone's said I guess 4 discs is the best option and I may upgrade the front to vented afterall.

My main concern is that in the UK each car has to pass an IVA test and the brakes are tested, I want to ensure that the balance is okay so the car passes - and also that the car stops effectively and safely on the road!

Just to add my 2 cents to the mix: I've found that the combination of ghia discs on the front and type 3 drums on the rear (shoes are bigger) would stop any time on the street or parking lot slalom. I can't see vented front discs or rear discs being needed (remember the meaning of the previous word) until you're trying to haul the car to a stop from substantially higher than normal highway speeds or road racing. Someone I know has overtaxed the ghia disc/type 3 rear drum set up in a bug, but that was a panic stop on a highway in Mexico when the car was loaded with 1,000 lbs of transaxle parts (he weighed the car at a truck scale; 3,000lbs with him in it). He came upon an accident just over the crest of a hill and managed to not hit anything, but said the brakes just "went away like straight drums" at about 40 or 45mph. That's about the same as a 70mph panic stop with drums; I know this from experience. We didn't hit anything, but it was a scary few moments.

That said, I like to think some vented fronts and rear discs will find their place on my tub sometime in the future (I have to get it out of the garage first!). Vented discs and some big Wilwood or 944 Porsche calipers on the front and discs on the back would be the ultimate cool addition....  

All good input, Lads. Al, could you please advise the difference in the Ghia discs...are they aftermarket or what? Thanks....

David- ghia discs were factory parts off of a ball joint Karmann Ghia. The spindle assembly has a caliper mount, is drilled 4x130mm, there's a solid disc and a caliper and they didn't add any width to the front track. A lot of front disc kits use Ghia replacement parts, even if they have dropped spindles. You can also fit type 3 discs (thicker) and calipers (bigger piston bore I think).  

I'm getting a pair of ghia disk spindles with no rotors or calipers.  Read article years ago about using a pre-82 Talbot Horizon-Omni caliper and brake pads.  It gives a larger pad surface on the stock VW rotors (48 mm vs 40 piston).  Same bolt patern so easy bolt on replacement.  Assume the rotors are same price as Varga VW ones.  Also assume that the Talbot UK brakes are same as US Chrysler Horizon brakes and available here (might be iffy assumption).

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/for...ewtopic.php?t=329706

http://www.shoptalkforums.com/...light=talbot+horizon

This place has a number of "kits" to put non-VW brakes on VWs as upgrades.  I would imagine any decent machine shop could do the same but this place has experience doing them.

http://vdubengineering.com/brake-parts-kits/

As far as front versus rear you could always install an adjustable brake bias control and be able to fine tune your selected set up.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WILWOO...27c889bc&vxp=mtr