I will touch on brakes quickly. I purchased this disc brake kit from E-Motorsports. https://type-emotorsports.com/products/ ... -brake-kit
I choose this kit because it fits stock 15” bus wheels and uses generic off the shelf GM parts.
The kit comes with soft brake lines, caliper brakets, bolt pattern adapters, bearings, all hardware, and a few spacers if needed. The metal parts are all beefy 1/2” thick zinc coated steel that look to be water jet cut. Nice looking stuff!
You, the buyer need to procure calipers and pads from a late 80’s Chevy Celebrity. Rotors/hubs from a late 80’s Chevy Camaro. Rockauto had a myriad of choices from cheap junk to nice OEM and performance options. I spent a little extra and got good quality parts.
I think I will hit the some of the disc brake parts with some black paint to match everything up to the rest of the suspension.
Because I want to go 70 mph on a budget and other changes...
Re: Because I want to go 70 mph on a budget and other changes...
Last edited by TRL on Fri Feb 11, 2022 10:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
The Rick Lang
Re: Because I want to go 70 mph on a budget and other changes...
Im actually on my second distributor. The first one after a month or so had a failure of the electric points trigger. But it still ran which lead me on a goose chase through my carbs before I realized that. CB informed me they discontinued that specific points trigger and changed suppliers for the whole dizzy with different internals and the new parts didnt cross over. I had to buy the updated dizzy. The dizzy was out of warranty (i had the kit for the winter before i installed it) CB helped me over the phone with a good discount and sent just a updated dizzy. After a little while their modern coil shorted out and shocked me pretty good. That fried the points trigger in dizzy #2. Had to get a replacement points trigger and coil. Then 2019 Kellys trip one of the advance springs that can be changed either broke or came off and jammed things up. So Im done with it…
The Rick Lang
Re: Because I want to go 70 mph on a budget and other changes...
Over the years I have slowly collected stock 15” Bus wheels. 7 of them to be exact. After a little checking, 1 seems to be questionable. So 6 wheels went out to the sandblaster to be cleaned up and double checked for any issues before painting. I called up Sherwin-Williams Automotive paints and they can mix up many of the old VW colors including L82 Silver White for bus wheels and bumpers. So I ordered L82 in a single stage paint and separate hardener.
Tires can be a fun subject but after a little digging around I settled on a 195R15. These are basically 195/75 series tires. They can be found in higher weight ratings and the Otani Mk1000’s I choose have a 8ply “D” weight rating at 2,200 lbs each. These have the tall and skinny look to them I wanted.
Currently removing engine and T1 transmission to begin the swap. Stay tuned for some amateur painting and maybe something else.
Tires can be a fun subject but after a little digging around I settled on a 195R15. These are basically 195/75 series tires. They can be found in higher weight ratings and the Otani Mk1000’s I choose have a 8ply “D” weight rating at 2,200 lbs each. These have the tall and skinny look to them I wanted.
Currently removing engine and T1 transmission to begin the swap. Stay tuned for some amateur painting and maybe something else.
The Rick Lang
Re: Because I want to go 70 mph on a budget and other changes...
Its been wheel week. I had 6 bus wheel sandblasted and they came out great! Its cool to see the little details hiding under years of crud and layers of paint. One of the Lemmerz made wheels has a date stamp of 1/1960 but the barrel of the wheel has it’s own date stamp of 12/1959.
I prepped the wheels for paint by using some Fast Etch metal prep from Eastwood and then getting the wheels set up on my makeshift painting rack which happens to be a old ladder.
Im not a great automotive painter but I do my best. Sprayed on a few coats of primer. 2 of the wheels had some heavier pitting compared to the rest so I used a rattle can of high build primer I had to layer up a few coats and then sand back down to help fill some of the pitting. That helped smooth things out a little.
Next post should have some color!The Rick Lang
Re: Because I want to go 70 mph on a budget and other changes...
You should paint your wheels Volvo Ice White.
1966 VW 13 Window Deluxe Bus
1974 VW Thing (2)
1977 VW Westfalia
1974 VW Thing (2)
1977 VW Westfalia
Re: Because I want to go 70 mph on a budget and other changes...
I put wheels on a turntable, lazy Susan or round stool and spin them while shooting to get a more even application. If you haven't mounted them on a front spindle and spun them to check for being bent, it's a good idea to do this first. I think I went through about 10 to get a set that ran true.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Bruce Amacker
'66 Deluxe Bus
'65 Standard Bus
'66 Deluxe Bus
'65 Standard Bus
Re: Because I want to go 70 mph on a budget and other changes...
I think the "crows feet" wheels have a slightly different backspacing from the standard bus wheel.
At least that's what the Samba guys say.
At least that's what the Samba guys say.
1961 Swivel Seat Kombi
Re: Because I want to go 70 mph on a budget and other changes...
Well they are correct, but not by much. At most a 1/4” of positive offset.
The Rick Lang
Re: Because I want to go 70 mph on a budget and other changes...
So, wheels have been painted. A couple
oops here and there but the most importantly, I had a good time painting! Color on the front and back of the wheels. Black on the outer barrels where the tires will hide to somewhat mimic the factory paint job and to save some paint for a upcoming bumper project. While paint was drying I got cracking on assembling the front suspension and brakes.
Stocks spindles cleaned up and link pins lubed up and installed with correct shims. Packed up new wheel bearings with grease and installed them along with inner grease seal into the brake hubs. Caliper brackets torqued down and rotors installed. I have always preferred the larger screw locking baywindow spindle nut over the two tiny split bus style ones. They just needed a little shaving to clear the dust caps. Finally installed calipers and the chevy to widefive wheel adapters. Cant wait to hit the brakes
oops here and there but the most importantly, I had a good time painting! Color on the front and back of the wheels. Black on the outer barrels where the tires will hide to somewhat mimic the factory paint job and to save some paint for a upcoming bumper project. While paint was drying I got cracking on assembling the front suspension and brakes.
Stocks spindles cleaned up and link pins lubed up and installed with correct shims. Packed up new wheel bearings with grease and installed them along with inner grease seal into the brake hubs. Caliper brackets torqued down and rotors installed. I have always preferred the larger screw locking baywindow spindle nut over the two tiny split bus style ones. They just needed a little shaving to clear the dust caps. Finally installed calipers and the chevy to widefive wheel adapters. Cant wait to hit the brakes
- Attachments
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- Baywindow spindle lock nut
- 7AA0EBE9-D488-45E3-8313-7F14041903B2.jpeg (44.75 KiB) Viewed 2319 times
The Rick Lang