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Holy nightmare Batman! What do folks buy when Beetle disc brakes wear out?

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kinggeorge13:
So my wife's little 1979 Super Beetle that has become a big part of my hobby-life this past couple months getting it fixed up/repaired has a new bit of fun.   Not only will I be replacing a severely leaking (read: Streaming) pushrod tube but I figured I'd do the front brakes at the same time.  During our little test drive this past weekend the Beetle was starting the telltale grinding from the front brakes that it's time to replace.   Actually by the time we got home I was pretty sure the whole neighbourhood could hear them. 

Remember, this is our first Beetle.  I've worked on and own several late bay buses but beetles, especially supers are quite a different animal in a lot of areas.   Apparently front brakes in a 1979 is one of them. 

I went to order what I figured would be a standard, straight-forward replacement kit of pads and rotors and possibly calipers if necessary.  Yikes.  So as I research and I'm sure that some of you are already nodding as you read this cuz you already knew.....the 1979 Beetle apparently still came with drums in the front and if I have discs up there then it's one of the many that have been upgraded by previous owners to get better/safer braking.   But man-o-man that seems to make a quagmire of unknowns on what exactly to buy to replace the rotor and pads/calipers.   Reading through the online catalogs of the more popular vintage VW supply places produces an absolutely multitudinous list of different parts that are all different in some special way.   Which ones will fit?  I don't know.  Is it even possible to just buy a rotor/caliper/pads or it seems like most of the ones out there are full conversion kits even including new inner/outter bearings.   What I figured would be a simple brake job is blowing up on the launch pad before I even get going.   

The disc brakes that are on there look to me to be pretty straight-forward 4 bolt.  Not lowered.  It's a super so its a different kit than regular bugs from what I've read.  And it does need to be replaced: even the surface of the rotors look like the equivalent of a bowl of metal oatmeal (i.e. the surface is a pitted/flakey ruin).   

Any suggestions from experience?   Here's a couple photos but I don't know if that helps much.

Thanks!

kinggeorge13:
A couple more photos:

Bruce:
Nothing odd or unusual about your disc setup.  It uses the standard Karmann Ghia/Type 3 rotor and Brazilian Varga 2 pin calipers.

Here are your brake pads:
https://www.cip1.ca/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=VWC%2D311%2D698%2D151%2DB

Rotor:
https://www.cip1.ca/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=VWC-113-407-075

kinggeorge13:

--- Quote from: Bruce on May 30, 2019, 03:47:15 PM ---Nothing odd or unusual about your disc setup.  It uses the standard Karmann Ghia/Type 3 rotor and Brazilian Varga 2 pin calipers.

Here are your brake pads:
https://www.cip1.ca/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=VWC%2D311%2D698%2D151%2DB

Rotor:
https://www.cip1.ca/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=VWC-113-407-075

--- End quote ---

Bruce, you are THE MAN!!!!    Ok and the best part is CIP May Daze pricing is up at midnight tonight so I ordered it all with a great discount!   

Thanks!
We may get this car out on the road lots this summer yet!!!!   

-George (and Soo-Jean)

pittwagen:
You might also want to check your calipers to ensure the pistons return freely and are not extra tight or stuck.  Further, if the brake hoses have not been changed for a long time they can collapse internally (no external cracks necessarily) and cause the brake fluid to not return properly when you lift up on the brake pedal, which can make the caliper pistons appear that they are stuck.  Been there and learned the hard way!!

Any time I get a vehicle with no brake history, I do a good check and most times I either rebuild the calipers or replace them.  Hoses too.  FYI.

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