DISC BRAKE CONVERSION FOR THE TYPE2

There are many reasons to convert your type2, bus or ghia to a disc brake setup.  Lets face it, disc brakes can increase the stopping distance by as much as 20-30% depending on what kind of VW you have. 

On a type2, I recently converted my 21 window to a disc brake setup.  I previously had a ’66 Westfalia a year before I started digging into my 21 window, and I was scared driving it through town.  The bus had the stock drum brakes, and I was always having problems stopping the bus, especially since there is more weight in a westy.

I decided to consult the guys at Wolfgang International, out of Redding California to start the conversion of the bus.  It ran about $100 dollars for the rotors and calipers, which I found at a wrecking yard.  I then had to purchase a kit from wolfgang, the hub/disc kit which runs around $450 dollars.  This kit comes with all necessary hardware and brackets to bolt the 71-76 disc rotors and calipers to your bus.

Pictured left is a picture of Wolfgang Internationa's disc brake conversion kit.  You still need the rotors and calipers when buying this kit.

The cost of my project with misc parts
$40 - adapter
$40 master cylinder
$5 reservoir - ( 82-83 rabbit )

Other than this, the only remaining parts you will need is the parts that come from your existing drum brakes. Make sure you do not throw the drums away ! The parts you will need from your drums are the spacers, and the inner and outer races that you will need to pound out of your drums with a flathead screwdriver and hammer.

TOTAL COST OF PROJECT:
$100 - rotors and calipers
$450 - disc conversion kit
$40 - master cylinder
$40 master cylinder adapter
$5 - reservoir
TOTAL: $635

This concludes part 1 of the disc brake conversion.