long axle question

if i put long axles onto my 61 will i need 67 backing plates drums and shoes

or can i use my existing ones?

buggin70 wrote:if i put long axles onto my 61 will i need 67 backing plates drums and shoes

or can i use my existing ones?

I don't know- because I'm running Type 3 rear brakes on mine- and you can get Type 3 drums in either wide 5 or 4 lug patterns

I would update to later brakes and it will get you a little more stopping power.

type4revolution wrote:I would update to later brakes and it will get you a little more stopping power.

Yeah, with all the weight of the engine and transaxle in the rear of the car, big brakes on the back can make a big difference in stopping distance- it might save your front end one day!

hay, how are you running type 3 brakes, what parts are you running.drum, shoes ,hardware,backing plates

Kyle, that's how my '59 ran for a year until I switched to short axles last year. I still ran the early baking plates, shoes, hardware, WC and of course the early drum with no problems. You will need to use an axle space between the brake drum and the castle axle nut to help take up the extra axle length. Your front brakes do about 85% of the stopping and the rears handle the rest, so a Disc setup up front would make a world of difference. Keep it simple and Merry Christmas.

Which long axles are you using, 67 or 68? 67 are long axle with short splines. 68 are long axle with long splines.

See my question above.
Long axles are on the right in this pic. The left most long axle is a 67 with short splines, the others have long splines.

If you are running a 67 axle (long axle/short spline) I believe your original brake gear will bolt right up fine. If you want extra braking power by running 68up or wide 5 type 3 brakes, you would have to get 68 up backing plates, wheel cylinders and brake shoes. You would also have to machine some material off the snout of the drum.

If you are running a 68 axle (long axle/long spline), I think you could still run your original brake gear, but you would need the spacer Danny mentioned above.

Do you already have the axles? If not, I'd try to find 68 (long/long) axles and use 68up drums. Not necessarily for the ability to run wider drums and better brakes, but more for the fact that they have longer splines which means a greater mating surface and MAY possibly help avoid stripped drums (since I'm assuming this car is gonna be low).

i allready got the 67 axles
ill just have to stock up on axles lol

thanks everyone for the answers and merry christmas to all

Yes, I forgot to mention that I was using the '68 long axle setup on the '59 Bug.

Here's some links to OEM VW axles and parts to do the conversion:
Axle Tubes:
http://www.cbperformance.comProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=113-501-101

Complete OEM Axle Tube:
http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=C24-113-501-065-E

Axles
http://www.cbperformance.comProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=311-501-201d

Boots: (Very Easy to Install)
http://www.cbperformance.comProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=113-501-151.1

All Three mounts in HD Version: (Running These on my Car)
http://www.cbperformance.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=6161

I've got '68 long axles, I kept the type 1 retainer but used type 3 backing plates, wheel cylinders, shoes, springs, and drums without machining or spacers. The type 1 emergency brake cables were re-used, and the 4 lug drums are 2 piece- you can pull the drum without taking off the big castle nut. If you use the '67 long axles, you have to machine the snout on the drum- the measurement is on the Samba

9/16 of a inch