**FAQ** Braking System Component Install

[bajaherbie]

black tape? its ghetto but it would work.

[Leatherneck]

Hey Skid, did I read it right you are wanting to attach your brake lines to the tie rods?

[Skidmark]

With my set up it seems like the best place. Leave a service loop or bend at the spindles and at the R&P for steering and suspension movement. Is that a bad thing? If so, why? The line coming off the wheel cylinder is in the perfect direction to run parallel to the tie rod. Attach them on either the leading edge or trailing edge, not the top or botttom.

[takotruckin]

here you go. 10$ a peice, you sure pay for bling




http://billetengineering.netfirms.com/b ... 626972612f

with those clamps to keep it secure, i wouldnt have any problem doing it.

[Skidmark]

With the length of my tie rods, I don't want to spend $60 to hold my front brake lines... It would take three per tie rod.

But thanks anyway...

Zip ties are looking real good after seeing those. I could make something like that at work, but I am after something more low profile, that doesn't stick out too far. Yup, zip ties are looking real good...

[DesertGuy]

::Some random thoughts::

Attaching brakeline to a tie rod doesn't seem like an ideal set-up, but rather why not off the trailing edge of your beam? Granted mine will be an A-Arm install, but this is along the lines I was thinking for a beam front end:


If I was attaching hardline to a tube, and other than those billet brackets, seems zip ties would be a good option. I would just use alot to make sure the line is secured:


If I was attaching the hardline to a flat surface (pan), I would use the line clamps:


Then for the termination between hard and flex, this tab:


But with all lines I would keep them to the trailing edge to prevent unwanted damage:

[Skidmark]

My front lines are all braid. Attaching to the beam would help reduce movement of the line, but only near the R&P. I will crawl under there and see how well it would work going down the beam tube and trailing arm.

If you zip tie braided line to a tab, and there is enough tension to prevent the line moving along it's axis, would it still damage itself or the tab? I just can't see that much movement in that for it to be a bad thing. I could always cut some stock VW fuel line and wrap the area of contact.

[DesertGuy]

If you zip tie braided line to a tab, and there is enough tension to prevent the line moving along it's axis, would it still damage itself or the tab? I just can't see that much movement in that for it to be a bad thing. I could always cut some stock VW fuel line and wrap the area of contact.

Seems that there are plenty of "race cars" that think it works...

True it is not zipped to a tab... but wouldn't the principle be similar?

[Skidmark]

You seem to be pretty serious about your limit straps...

[DesertGuy]

I wish that was my car... but I am using a double limit strap also

[Leatherneck]

Skid I would zip it to the beam and let it float over the arms.

[david58]

The stock VW brake system works really good when everything is adjusted and working properly.... on the STREET! You may have noticed your Baja’s tendency to lock up its front tires while the rears seem to do nothing at all on surfaces with decreased traction. The large rear tires and smaller front tires also play an important roll in this tendency. The front wheels have difficulty steering the car when they aren't rolling! If you haven't noticed this then you probably don't drive on dirt/gravel roads very often this can be annoying and dangerous, because this happens in the rain too.

What needs to be done is to change the stock system so it provides more braking power to the rear wheels. The stock setup has larger slave cylinders at the front and smaller ones at the rear. The master cylinder is also valved differently between the front and rear outputs. The cheapest way to go (free!) is to change the slave cylinders front to rear and switch the outputs on the master.
I know that on I.R.S. cars the front and rear slaves can be swapped no problem; I am not sure about the earlier cars (which aren't worth bajaing anyway).
The problem comes in with the master. It has two separate outputs for the front and one for the rear. You have to connect the rear line to a front output and block the other front output. Then you have to get a "T" fitting to split the rear output into two separate outputs for the front lines. (Got all that?)

A *really* easy way around this is to get a pre-67 VW bus master cylinder; it has three outputs that are valved equally because it only has one piston. A friend of mine just did the conversion with the stock master but I am doing the conversion with a bus unit.

The rear wheel cylinders fit perfectly in the front and the front ones fit perfectly in the rear. When you do the modifying, it is also a good idea to take the wheel cylinders apart to clean and inspect the rubber parts, replacing anything that’s worn out. I noticed that one of the slots on the cylinder that the brake shoe fits into was missing one side so I replaced that whole cylinder with one off the '68, no problem.

The result of this is that now the brakes pretty much act like they used to when there were stock tires on. Everything is even; the fronts no longer lock up, now the rears lock up before the fronts do. This is good when fish tailing the rear out, the unlocked fronts can still steer. I'm really happy with they way they work now.

Another advantage is when backing down a steep hill. Before, I couldn't do it slowly, I would always end up locking up the front and sliding rather dangerously down the hill. With the brakes set-up this way I can back down slowly and safely.

The bigger piston in the bus master cylinder makes the pedal a little harder to push but it is also very powerful. The brakes will NOT lock up on pavement no matter how hard I tried. The stopping power is incredible.

I copied this info and edited the spelling from:
http://www.geocities.com/Baja/Dunes/409 ... htmlBrakes!

[Plam 1]

I could use some help along the same lines. Can someone tell me the metric thread sizes for the wheel cylinders and the brake hoses? Getting ready to do the stainless steel hoses and AN fittings and want to act like I know what I am talking about when I place my order.

[Skidmark]

Wheel cylinders are 10mm threads..., VW hard line is terminated in a "bubble flare". Braided line is usually -3 AN. You will need adapters to go from one to another.


I sure someone will chime in if I got something wrong here...

[Plam 1]

Thanks for the diameter. Looking fotr the thread pitch. 10mm x 1.0, 1.25, or 1.5. Have seen all three when trying to order the AN fittings.