Converting to WIDE 5 from 4 lug

How much trouble is it? How much will it cost? Where is the best place to buy the parts? I also want the Wide 5 nipple style porsche emblem hub caps. Plan B: or should I just buy 5 1/2 wide /4 lug wheel and find the Nipple style replica cap to fit? I want the 1958 original speedster look. Looking for advice, wisdom and direction! thanks, Mike

The 4-lugs are a dead giveaway as they only have eight holes; wide fives have ten. CB Performance has wide-five disk brake kits for rear and front with dropped or stock front spindles.

George, Thanks for the advice, I checked out CB Performance. They make a nice looking conversion pkg. Is there anyone else out there selling these Drop spindle WIDE 5 conversion pkg that I should compare them with? It's a little Pricy...HUH!! Mike

Greetings Mike, you can check with socalimports.com I upgraded to wide 5 disks with their kit and I'm very satisfied...

If you can't fit the $$$ price of disc brakes into your budget, you can easily stay with drums. The front drums would be a simple swap. The rears will require you to purchase additional spacers ($10/ea)that will fit between the drum & the axle nut to accommodate the longer-length axle on IRS transmissions. You may also have to swap to earlier brake shoes (1958-67) as the drums are slightly narrower

The SoCal kits I looked at were very heavy and did not have replaceable rotors; the CB Performance kits are lighter, use pressed-in studs (necessary for competition use), and have replaceable rotors. Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer cherce...

Gee, I didnt know that! what about the price? At least I don't think Ill be competing in anything, also taking the car for a spin every sunday, Ill be an old man by the time I need to replace the rotors! Its your call Michael...

what about the drop spendles? Should I Do that to get the right stance? It'll be really low!!! Any body got any pictures of their speedster with drop spendles so I can see how it looks? mike

Hey Glen , Did you do the Wide 5 brake drum conversion on your car? If so, could you tell me where you located the parts? Also who did you buy your wheels and hub caps from?

Michael, you can get the parts at any VW shop; they're very commonplace (drums are the same as for a '66-'67 w/ball joints for the front). Check VW Trends or Hot VW's if you don't have a VW shop nearby. CB Performance is one of the top shops too so you might want to check their website.

Mike....call russ at fibersteel 818-681-8440. He will get you hooked up!!! Located in SoCal.

Michael- My car is built on a 67 VW Beetle pan, therefore it always had the wide-5 brakes on it. I just installed the So CAl Imports disc setup ($499) along with s/s lines on all 4 corners.
As for the wheels, they are original Lemmertz/Kronprinz wheels taken from a wrecked 356. They can usually be found on eBay for about $50-$80/ea unrestored.

Glen, What size and brand of tires are you running on your car with the Wide 5s? thanks, Mike

Michael- I'm running vintage Michelin 165s on all 4 corners.

Glenn,
You mentioned the extra spacer when using '66-'67 rear drums on a IRS rear. Any idea who sells the spacers?
Jim

Jim- Most aftermarket aircooled VW shops should have them. Kymco, SoCal Imports & Kustom 1 (all advertise in Hot VWs magazine) carry them for about $2-3/ea The spacer is basically a 3/4" pipe that fits between the drum & the nut to take up the space left on the longer-length axles used on 1967-on Beetles.

As an aside you can buy wide 5 drums designed for 4 stud cars. These don't need a spacer and allow you to keep your original (wider) rear shoes. I got mine from Custom and Speed Parts (CSP) in Germany.