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Reply to "Front drum to disc conversion."

@edsnova posted:

Ghia discs are 4 x 130 wheel bolt pattern, no? They'd work perfect but you'd still need an adaptor if you wanted wide-5 wheels.

Oh snap, that's right. I forgot that part. 

@DannyP posted:

What are the differences in bearings? If they use the same bearings, or even if they don't, adapters could be made. We need a wide5 pattern hub with the same track width as stock. There has to be a way.

Ed, how thick are wheel adapters? They have to add at least 3/8", probably 1/2".

In my old Spyder, which had the same body as Beck and TR, I had wheel rub on the fender tops. It got really bad when I went from the CSP brakes to Airkewld. I moved the wheel centers myself about 3/8" and had no more wheel rub. It's amazing to me that 3/8" matters(3/4" total track).

I believe the CSP brakes add 3/8", and the AIrkewld ANOTHER 3/8", so 3/4" per side, 1.5" total. That's huge for track width/fender clearance. If you have drums or KG discs, you're good. And I believe with EMPI/SOCAL barbells, you're OK clearance-wise, but OMG the unsprung weight.........

On my new car I had Greg build it with a 2" narrowed beam, and solved my problem WITHOUT custom wheels.

You know what occured to me today during Spyder Therapy?  When I first got the car, and wondered why the brakes sucked, it dawned on me that 4 wheel drums stopped 2500# VW Bugs just dandy. Alfins stopped original 550's just dandy. 

Theres no way that proper drums won't stop this car on a dime. I think the drums/shoes are glazed, coated in grease, something. I've never bothered because I've been planning on upgrading for years.  When I put the Super Beetle M/C on it last year, they got significantly better. I've driven RVs, 26,000# trucks, and BMW /5s enough to know how to think 1/2 mild ahead. 

Bottom line, I'm just going to put new drums/shoes on all fours, along with the SS lines I bought for the upgrade. And try to sell these discs on the Samba. Hell, they're balanced to <1g now. Should sell quickly.

FWIW, I have the usual 4.5" wheels w/195/65-R15s (?) up front (whatever size Carey recommends on the website) and looking straight down at the top of my fender, the edge of the tread/top of the sidewall is exactly at the edge of my fender. (I checked, hoping against hope that I could actually make 7/8th" extra track work. I can't)

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