EMPI 1954-1965 VW Beetle & Karmann Ghia Disc Brake Conversion Kit - Front - Bolt-On - 5x205 Wide 5

Wide 5, Front Disc Brake Kit for 1954-1965 VW Beetle & Karmann Ghia

EMPI's 5x205 zero offset, link pin disc brake kit fits early link pin front-end VW Beetles and Karmann Ghias from 1954 through 1965. This kit bolts directly to your stock, drum brake spindles and greatly improves the stopping power on an early Beetle or Karmann Ghia. This kit uses a floating caliper design, which uses a single piston and the caliper is designed to move and/or slide in order to establish contact with both sides of the rotor.

This kit includes the following:

• 5x205 Lug Pattern Brake Rotors with 12x1.5 Threaded Studs
• Brake Calipers & Pads
• Caliper Mounting Brackets
• Master Cylinder
• Brake Hoses
• Uses (and includes) Stock Replacement Wheel Bearings & Grease Seals
• Mounting Hardware & Instructions

Please Note - This disc brake kit requires two bearing caps which are sold separately (or you can add them via the Options Tab above)

• 22-2941
• 22-2942

What does zero offset mean?

The zero offset means that the track width of your vehicle will not increase. So, there are no tire and wheel clearance issues compared to stock.

Pro Tip

We recommend adding quick bleeder valves which make bleeding your brakes much easier. After you install the brakes, you are going to have to bleed the lines. Save yourself some time and a headache and get the quick bleeders. You can add them to your cart using the drop down options above the Add to Cart button.

• Wide 5 1954-1965 VW Beetle and Karmann Ghia Bolt-On Disc Brake Conversion Kit with Drop Spindles
• Wide 5 VW Beetle and Karmann Ghia Bolt-On Disc Brake Conversion Kit for Ball Joint Front Ends
• Replacement Rotor for This Disc Brake Kit
• Replacement Rotor for Wide 5 Disc Brake Kits with Drop Spindles

All brake parts must be thoroughly cleaned and disc brake grease must be used on all brake pad contact surfaces or brake squeak and vibration may occur.

If You Are Installing 4 Wheel Disc Brakes

The master cylinder included in this kit designed to work with front disc brakes. However, if you are converting to 4 wheel disc brakes, it will not be sufficient. If you are installing disc brakes on all four corners, you must install a large bore master cylinder which is sold separately. There is no credit value for the included master cylinder as it comes as part of this kit.

Our Expert's Take:

If you are going to upgrade any part of your classic VW, a disc brake kit is the first place to start. If you don't have brakes, you don't have a car. Unless you are doing a bone-stock restoration and trying to keep every as original as possible, I'd recommend upgrading to a disc brake kit. Virtually no modern cars use drum brakes, least of all on the front of the car where most of the braking power is. Updating the brakes on your VW should be considered mandatory for any car that is driven regularly.

Sam

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Sam Mebane joined the Jbugs team way back in the mid 90's. A Class 11 racing enthusiast, Sam has amassed in-depth knowledge on VW electrical systems and Beetle suspension. He has restored a plethora of VW's including a VW Thing, Squareback, several Beetles, and (currently) a Super Beetle. Customer service, tech support, product testing & development, and youtube spokesperson, Sam has done it all here at JBugs.