zero offset dropped spindles

[CHR!S/DVK]

i am planning to install vw disc brakes on the front of my 69 beetle. at this moment i am running dropped spindles on a 2.9" narrowed beam with spacers.

do zero offset dropped spindles exist? the cb performance website tells that theirs give 1/4" offset, and a set of Mid American Motorworks that i can buy has the same.
i did a quick search here and read that cb intended to make zero offset sets, but apparently they didn't.

is it possible to narrow a beam with 1/2" total? and do disc brakes give the same total width as drums?

[CHR!S/DVK]

i am planning to install vw disc brakes on the front of my 69 beetle. at this moment i am running dropped spindles on a 2.9" narrowed beam with spacers.

do zero offset dropped spindles exist? the cb performance website tells that theirs give 1/4" offset, and a set of Mid American Motorworks that i can buy has the same.
i did a quick search here and read that cb intended to make zero offset sets, but apparently they didn't.

is it possible to narrow a beam with 1/2" total? and do disc brakes give the same total width as drums?

any knowledge or advice around here..?

[bugnut68]

Seems I remember there was, indeed, a set of zero-offset drop spindles available... EMPI perhaps?  I don't recall who made them, but I know I recall seeing them out there.

[bugnut68]

My biggest beef with the CB spindles, and there's was absolutely NO warning at the time I bought them, is I'm VERY limited as to which rims I can run on my car with a stock-width beam.  Shy of redoing my entire front suspension, I'm stuck running either Empi 8's or stock steel or chromie rims.  Had issues with the inside bottom of a wheel hitting my bottom balljoints when I tried to run genuine 2.0 liter Porsche 914 alloys.

[volkskris]

Bugnut do you know the max et-size or offset on a 5.5x15 rim while using a stock beam and cb dropped spindels?

[bugnut68]

Bugnut do you know the max et-size or offset on a 5.5x15 rim while using a stock beam and cb dropped spindels?

That I don't know... all I do know is I ran Empi-style 8-spokes, which I believe are 5.5x15 inch rims, with my stock beam/CB spindle set up.  I had to space the rim out to clear the disc brake caliper, but aside from that, no issues.

[Zach Gomulka]

Grind the ball joint, clearance the caliper, no big deal!

[bugnut68]

Grind the ball joint, clearance the caliper, no big deal!

The wheels are long since sold, but the advice that wasn't available at the time I was asking was that I had the option of having the inside hub area machined so they'd fit in a little closer and thereby giving me clearance.  Lesson learned, though I don't know why nobody had this suggestion until after the wheels were gone! lol

[thehanz DVK]

i am planning to install vw disc brakes on the front of my 69 beetle. at this moment i am running dropped spindles on a 2.9" narrowed beam with spacers.

do zero offset dropped spindles exist? the cb performance website tells that theirs give 1/4" offset, and a set of Mid American Motorworks that i can buy has the same.
i did a quick search here and read that cb intended to make zero offset sets, but apparently they didn't.

is it possible to narrow a beam with 1/2" total? and do disc brakes give the same total width as drums?

You say you use spacers....how big are they ??  you can already loose the spacers or not ?

[CHR!S/DVK]

You say you use spacers....how big are they ??  you can already loose the spacers or not ?

i think my spacers now are 2cm thick, but i am already running dropped spindles that give a offset..

thanks for the replies, all other ideas are welcome. i'm going to think about your comment zach!

[Zach Gomulka]

You say you use spacers....how big are they ??  you can already loose the spacers or not ?

i think my spacers now are 2cm thick, but i am already running dropped spindles that give a offset..

thanks for the replies, all other ideas are welcome. i'm going to think about your comment zach!

It's really no big deal. I had to grind the caliper a little bit to clear the Sprintstars on my GTV, and I had to grind the ball joint a hair on AssHull's '67.
The advantages of drop spindles far outweigh the disadvantages.

[CHR!S/DVK]

You say you use spacers....how big are they ??  you can already loose the spacers or not ?

i think my spacers now are 2cm thick, but i am already running dropped spindles that give a offset..

thanks for the replies, all other ideas are welcome. i'm going to think about your comment zach!

that's good news! i don't know much about front beams, but if you're sure that it will work on my 69 beetle..
i heard that slightly narrowing a beam is easy on 66(or something) and earlier, but that it's more difficult on later beams.

It's really no big deal. I had to grind the caliper a little bit to clear the Sprintstars on my GTV, and I had to grind the ball joint a hair on AssHull's '67.
The advantages of drop spindles far outweigh the disadvantages.

[Zach Gomulka]

What wheels and brakes are you going to use?

[Jesse/DVK]

Just run normal dropped spindles. Your beam is already way to narrow 

[CHR!S/DVK]

What wheels and brakes are you going to use?

i'm going to run vw discs and 914 mahle wheels:

Just run normal dropped spindles. Your beam is already way to narrow 

i want to lose my narrow beam and come as close as possible to stock width with discs on front (without spacers)!
so that means a "new" front beam

[CHR!S/DVK]

It's really no big deal. I had to grind the caliper a little bit to clear the Sprintstars on my GTV, and I had to grind the ball joint a hair on AssHull's '67.
The advantages of drop spindles far outweigh the disadvantages.

that's good news! i don't know much about front beams, but if you're sure that it will work on my 69 beetle..
i heard that slightly narrowing a beam is easy on 66(or something) and earlier, but that it's more difficult on later beams.

[Zach Gomulka]

You *might* get away with a stock beam and drop spindles if your Mahle's are wrapped with skinny and/or short tires, and you have very little body roll (sway bars).

If it was my car, I'd run a 2" beam with drop spindles and something like a 175/65 on those Mahle's.