# mk2 GTI rear disk on mk2 base Golf



## Bajabug72 (Mar 24, 2006)

my 85 base Golf daily beater has the rear mini drums that suck.... ive also got a rolling 85 GTI that has the rear disk setup on it and was curious as to what all would be involved in swapping it all over, besides the obvious rotors and calipers... i believe the bearings are bad on the disk setup because they sound horrible when you roll the car, and it looks to be all there. would it be easier for me to just swap the whole rear axle, or swap the little spindle dealies and everything else related. im going to be pulling my "hood-ish" 65 beetle to Bug Blast 08 @ Tannehill State Park in the birmingham alabama area which is roughly 80 miles away in a few weeks. i'll have 1 or 2 other people in the car with me and i'd like to be able to stop the whole contraption in a reasonable distance if God forbid I have to lock em down. i know the disk will help me with that a lot more than the mini drums would. 

any input is appreciated,
Jon


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## germancarnut51 (Mar 23, 2008)

*Re: mk2 GTI rear disk on mk2 base Golf (Bajabug72)*

The rear disc brake swap is simple.
You would need the rear calipers with carriers, rotors with bearings, spindles, splash plates, the hard fluid line that runs from the calipers to the intermediate hoses, and parking brake cables.
If the bearings are bad on your GTI rotors, consider simply buying new rotors to install new bearings in. You can buy the rotors for about $17 to $35 each, and bearing kits are about $13 to $26 per wheel. Order parts from europartsdirect.com or stopshopanddrive. Free shipping on purchases over $50 (rotors are heavy, don't buy from online suppliers that are going to charge you by the pound for shipping).
Now simply remove the old parts and bolt on the new.


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## Bajabug72 (Mar 24, 2006)

*Re: mk2 GTI rear disk on mk2 base Golf (germancarnut51)*

i appreciate the reply
what you said is exactly what i figured the best way to do it would be. i have never tore into the back of a mk2, so i had no idea if i would run into anything unexpected that somebody else might know about that would throw me a curve and me be out of a car for a few days until i got it straightened out. i appreciate the online places you referred me to, but i've got a VW Parts house here local and they have everything i would possibly need in stock as we speak. are the bearings pressed into the rotors?? 
thanks,
Jon


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## germancarnut51 (Mar 23, 2008)

The bearing races need to be installed on the rotors, but you don't need a press. Use a socket close to the size of the outside diameter of the race with a hammer to push it down evenly until it seats at the bottom of the space in the rotor.


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## spitpilot (Feb 14, 2000)

*Re: (germancarnut51)*

I believe you also need to swap out the brake proportioning valve as well..different calibration for disc vs drum brakes...you don't want those rears to lock up on you pullin your trailer!


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## Bajabug72 (Mar 24, 2006)

i tore apart the driver side of the GTI the other night. one of the lug bolt holes is stripped out so it'll get replaced. i'll probably end up replacing them both because the guy at the parts house said they were only like $15 a piece. i'll see waht i can do about the proportioning valve. i'll be pulling the 65 with a tow bar
tow bar = zero tongue weight = happy golf.
the only trailer i have access to that the 65 will fit on is so heavy, that i might as welljust set the 65 on the golf's roof. it would be alot easier on the rear suspension. lol. with it being on a tow bar, i'l probably have one of the guys coming with me jump in the 65 to help me get up some of the hills between here and there. heck, we may even part ways for a bit. it'll be easier on the both of them, even tho the 65 will probably have a 40 horse in it by then.


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## BassNotes (Mar 16, 2005)

I may be wrong, but I think he'll need to swap the stub axles, too.


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## germancarnut51 (Mar 23, 2008)

*Re: (BassNotes)*

Yeah, I forgot to mention the stub axles. But the proportioning valve does not need to be replaced. Only one proportioning valve listed for drum and disc rear brakes, and when I did conversions, we did not replace the proportioning valves, because there wasn't any other part number shown. MKIIs brake fine without changing the proportioning valve. MKIIIs do show a different valve, and I am planning on changing the valve on the MKIII that I am doing the conversion on.


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## Bajabug72 (Mar 24, 2006)

*Re: (germancarnut51)*

i appreciate the info, but i have run out of time to do the conversion before the show. ive got all four new bearings and both rotors. ive pulled everything but the e-brake cables. i got the spindles, a no-brainer, because they have the caliper brackets on them, as apposed to the drum ones, which are void of caliper bracket. will hopefully be doing the swap not this weekend, but the next. just depends if i have the time or somebody else's car in my garage. while im unemployed, customers cars come first unless im immobile. 
'preciate the help and info,
Jon


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