CB brakes on 944 arms?

[iltis74]

I have just picked up a single pot 944 brake setup that I intend to install on a '66 bus. So far so good. However they came with alloy trailing arms. What I would like to do is put these arms on the beetle, narrow the arms from the beetle and put them on the bus. The beetle is a '70 with a CB Performance rear disc kit, and I need to know if it will be any big deal putting these brakes on the 944 arms. The bus needs narrowed arms and I've never welded aluminum. Not to mention I have no idea where to begin narrowing the alloy arms. Thanks.

[boygenius]

From what I have seen the aluminum trailing arms have completely different spline pattern on the stub axles so the CD kit wouldn't fit. Why not just use the complete 944 setup on the bug???

[iltis74]

Well the original plan was to find another set of trailing arms and narrow them or to buy them already narrowed. But if I do that then I now have a set of alloy arms collecting dust in the garage, so I figured swapping them out with the ones in the beetle would be both cheap and convenient. If they will accept the brakes already on the beetle, because the Porsche brakes are going on the bus. It seems the porsche stub-axle will slip right into the beetle arm, so I am assuming the beetle stub-axle will slip right into the porsche arm, but then I am also assuming that the backing plates are interchangable. I just don't want to rip the beetle apart to find out my assumptions are wrong if someone here could simply say why it won't work. Thanks.

[boygenius]

I think the stub axles from the aluminum trailing arms are NOT interchangable with the early steel arms stub axles. Plus the aluminum trailing arms don't use a backing plate, the caliper mounts are cast right into the trailing arm. I have a set of stock VW trailing arms with new bearings if you are intrested.

[iltis74]

Well can't speak for your genius but you're right in this case. With the alloy arms now in my garage it is obvious they won't swap, and I can't narrow them. So maybe next summer I will pick up some fronts and some wheels and swap the beetle over, and right now I still need to hook up with a rear set for my bus and arms. Thanks for the offer but I figure if I am going to buy a set of arms and pay for shipping, (I am in AK,) I'll just order aircooleds narrowed arms and save me the work. Thanks.

[boygenius]

Cool. Shipping is getting rather expensive since the price of fuel went up...