Using CB Performance wide 5 hubs with 944 rotors

[EvilOval]

Ok don't laugh....this is only a thought. Here is the thinking behind this question. Instead of using 944 hubs for the Porsche brake conversion, I was thinking about getting a CB Performance wide 5 disc brake hub. These brakes are 2 piece units with a custom aluminum hub...the rotor then bolts to the back of the hub (pretty much the same way as an early 944 setup). If I purchase the ball joint version of the hub (this would work for a Super Beetle spindle) I'd have to machine off some of the perimeter of the hub along with the studs for the original 5x205 pattern (in effect making the hub smaller in diameter)...then redrill and stud them for the Porsche 5x130 pattern. After that it would be a matter of either drilling and tapping new holes to accomodate the early 944 rotors (assuming the holes were different)....and of course a custom caliper bracket. I could also use the 944 t rotors since they sit on the outside of the hub.

Now....before wasting money on this and finding out that I'm completely out of my mind....does anyone have any information on the wide 5 front hub/rotors (i.e. what are the rotors from....is the face of the hub flat....how it bolts in the back, etc.....). Pictures would be nice....since the CB Performance website only shows the fronts of them.

[rip]

I know its been a while but did you go through with it?

Any one else think about it? Cause the cool thing here is have you guys seen the CB wide five spindles that come in the kit? the mount for the caliper is bigger than any of the other spindles may mean you don't have to make a caliper braket just drill a new hole or two and use some spacers.

rip

[EvilOval]

Well.....its been awhile and I figured I might as well try making a custom hub out of a CB Performance Wide-5 hub. I managed to get a set from them....after looking at them for a little while I realized I had more than 1 option in regards to the rotor. The CB hub uses a rotor inboard....as it turns out this is 5x115 rotor...in CB's kit this rotor is a solid rotor....more likely taken from the rear of a (Pontiac Grand Prix/AM, Monte Carlo, Aurora, Impala, malibu....you get the idea). Grand Prix's come from the factory come with 10.9" Dia. vented front rotors and you could upgrade those to a 12"Dia. set, I didn't have my calipers with me...but they appear to have the same width as a 944 turbo rotor. To top that off you can pick up the rotors for $35 a piece. Anyways, to get everything started you need to turn down the face of the hub to the size needed to either fit the 944 turbo rotor (hat type) or to the same size as the N/A hub. On the back side the CB hub has a step (this is a hair smaller than the 944 N/A rotor step). To get the wheel studs to fit....you have to counter-bore into this step so you can mount the stud. Anyways, I've taken a few pics of the hubs (I've also got a few with the 944 N/A and 86 944T rotors dry fitted....these pics are without the modifications...just to give you an idea). Right now they are at the machinist (thank god for friends in other trades). I will take more pics when they are done (I'm using a 944t rotor on the outside). If someone could tell me where I can send the pics I'll download them to there. Also, by using these hubs you can use standard beetle bearings....now the hard part will be to fabricate the caliper mounting bracket (I'll update this post when that happens).

[EvilOval]

I have a few pics of the initial testing of the CB Wide 5 hubs. These pics are prior to the machining that has been done. I will have pics of the finished hubs tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest.

https://home.comcast.net/~eviloval/F...s/IM000544.JPG
-This pic is a dry fit (no grease on the bearings) of the Wide 5 hub on a late super beetle 73' and up spindle

https://home.comcast.net/~eviloval/F...s/IM000545.JPG
-This pic is a rear shot of the hub...you can see the step that I mentioned above....don't mind the caliper bracket....this was just thrown on to get an idea

https://home.comcast.net/~eviloval/F...s/IM000547.JPG
-This pic is a shot using an 86 944 turbo front rotor on the back of the hub...as you can see its the mating surface is a bit larger than the one on the hub

https://home.comcast.net/~eviloval/F...s/IM000548.JPG
-This is a shot of the back side of the hub with the 944T rotor as a comparison of the mounting hole locations

https://home.comcast.net/~eviloval/F...s/IM000549.JPG
-This is a shot using an old 944 N/A front rotor on the back of the wide 5 hub....its just a hair shy of a perfect fit.


I hope this helps anyone interested in this....if you have questions on any of this please don't hesitate to email me and I'll be more than glad to try and answer them. I'm also working on the rear set up (I've been snapping my ebrake cable) So I'm using a 944 rotor/hub....but I've switched the caliper to a 2004 Ford Cobra caliper and the caliper mounting bracket/ebrake cable to parts sold in standard A/C VW rear disc brake kits. The Cobra units have an integrated ebrake (pretty much identical to the ones sold in rear disc brake kits from CB Performance or So Cal Imports) but the Cobra caliper is meant for vented rotors. I modified the caliper bracket by adding 1/2" spacers and by counter-sinking one of the holes to mount the caliper (this was due to the mounting bolt being in the way of the ebrake cable) this is only temporary...since I will upgrade the bracket to a billet one. I've tested the ebrake with the car in motion (at the most 10mph and its stops with authority....this is also slamming it straight up...not slowly moving it). I will have pics of this setup later after I've setup the billet bracket.

[EvilOval]

Here are the pics of the machined hub.

https://home.comcast.net/~eviloval/F...s/IM000550.JPG
-This is the top view of the finished hub. It fits pretty damn good inside the 944t rotor.

https://home.comcast.net/~eviloval/F...s/IM000551.JPG
-Back side of the hub....because I wanted to use a 944T hub you have to machine this thing pretty close.

https://home.comcast.net/~eviloval/F...s/IM000553.JPG
-Pic of it together...not bad looking

https://home.comcast.net/~eviloval/F...s/IM000557.JPG
-Back side of the the whole thing....next up the caliper bracket

https://home.comcast.net/~eviloval/F...s/IM000555.JPG
-Here is a pic of the rear setup....The rotor is a vented unit from a 944 N/A caliper is from a 2004 Mustang (Cobra) the ebrake and caliper mounting bracket are standard pieces from an A/C disc brake kit.

Overall I'm quite pleased....now don't get me wrong I wouldn't even think about using the front setup for racing or autocross. This is just for street....and I'm going to be testing the living hell out of these (not on public roads) before I'm comfortable with them on the freeway.