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A Good option for installing drop spindles on your 1949 through
1965 Classic Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle and Karmann Ghia
for the link pin
application
is this set of Forged DRUM drop spindles. It will lower your
vehicle
2.5"
and add 3/8" of track width to each side. They work with either
stock drum brakes or our GEN 1 or GEN 2 BAD
Series Brakes
. These spindles will need to be pressed on and off the
vehicle. Early model 2 bolt wheel cylinder backing plates will need a
small
grind on the back of the spindle where it touches the backing plate. These spindles would replace the factory spindles with part numbers 111405301 and 111405302.
Good - Individually purchase these spindles, based on budget and skill set
- no tech support
Best - PRObuilt Drop Drum Spindles - Bolt-On - Tech Support Included
Made in China | Product updated 4/30/24 by Pete
Related: PRObuilt Drop Spindles | UN-assembled versus PRObuilt Drop Spindles | Ultimate Narrowed & Adjustable Beam
Typical time to install - 5 Hours | Install PDF Link | Install Video | Tools Needed
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What's included?
A set of Forged DRUM Drop Spindles comes with the following;
- Left drop spindle
- Right drop spindle
What's recommended?
- It is recommended you check the adjustments in your link pins ever 2500
miles or every year. There is a 14mm square end on the back of the link
pin that you can adjust to tighten up. It will require you to loosen the
clamp bolts to do this. If you don't have a #SlickSpanner with all the front end popular wrench sizes,
check this one out.
- It is recommended to grease the upper and lower zerks every 2500 miles or every year to keep the system lubricated.
- Having the right fasteners to do the job makes quick work of this process. Luckily, the PRO's have them here.
- If you don't have the right tools to measure control arm offset, the PRO's suggest this tool with the deluxe options.
- When
installing brakes on these spindles and it is time to adjust the
bearing thrust, you need to tighten the bearings until the drum or rotor
does not move by hand, then back off 1/4 turn and lock it down. This
will ensure that as long as you packed your bearings correctly, lubed
the seal correctly, this too will last forever* and failure will almost
be non-existent.
Kewl Features
- Made in China, quality controlled by the PRO's in the USA.
- 2.5 inches of drop
FAQ
- Why would I want to purchase these PRObuilt Drop Spindles over the UN-assembled spindles?
One word to answer this. Ease. UN-assembled
spindles require a list of tools to press apart, check thrust, ream to
OE specs and press them together. This takes expertise, precision and
skill. Many try, few get it right.
- What would the install-time difference between the PRObuilt Drop Spindles and the UN-assembled drop spindles?
The PRObuilt Drop Spindles would roughly take 1 hour to install with mechanical skills. The UN-assembled
drop spindles could take a weekend or more depending on the condition
of your king pins, bushings, carriers, link pins and the tools you need,
the trial and error you need to endure and the waiting time you need to
be patient with, should you find an issue along the way.
- It seems like everyone is selling a very similar UN-assembled drop
spindle, why would I want to invest in your set up compared to others?
QC.
Quality Control. Companies say they do it, but they do not. We QC every
set of spindles we get in to eliminate the possibility of down-time the
#AirkewldArmy has to endure when finishing their project. If the PRO's
sign off on the spindle, the carrier, the king pin, the fit, the feel
the finish, it is a guarantee, that you will have the BEST user
experience. Now it's up to you.
- Are you able to guarantee that the assembled spindles on your VW now are done correctly to keep YOU and YOUR family SAFE?
If you are, perfect. If you can't, the PRO's at Airkewld will give you that confidence as long as you install them correctly.
- Why would I choose a raw steel finish over a powder coated finish or vice versa?
Since
most spindles on the market are delivered raw, you would need to finish
them to match the look of your current drive-train, at least the OCD
TEAM over here would. But, if you want to sign off on this part of your
suspension lasting forever, then going the powder coated route makes
sense.
- What if I want less of a drop that 2 1/2 inches?
If you are
looking to get a precise drop on your current Volkswagen, it's going to
be difficult but attainable. Your VW should have original torsion
springs inside the beam, these hold the vehicle up. But they have sagged
or lost some amount of tension over the years. So trying to do that
math and give you exactly what you want visually, will be difficult.
Best decision would be to
install new torsion leaves to raise the vehicle up, then understand how much you want to drop it. If 2 1/2" gives you the right drop, the PRObuilt Drop Spindles are a perfect addition to your VW. If you need more, then investing in a set of PRObuilt Adjusters, should you have fabrication skills, or maybe an Ultimate Beam if you don't. These two options will give you a more precise adjustment to get the exact ride height you are after.
- I have slop in my king pins and link pins, does these PRObuilt Drop Spindles fix this problem?
They do indeed! With these PRObuilt Drop Spindles, we use a German brand, FEBI king pins and link pins
that come with new bushings. We install the new bushings are ream them
with Volkswagen tools to get the perfect fit and feel. Since these
spindles come with our
reusable link pin chart and install directions, say goodbye to slop with these PRObuilt Drop Spindles.
- I
have heard that early two bolt wheel cylinder drum brake equipped
vehicles have to do a little surfacing to the spindle face to get the
backing plate to fit. Is this accurate?
Indeed it is. The amount
of two-bolt wheel cylinder applications are small, when it comes to
years available. So when vendors decide to make spindles, which takes a
ton of money to make happen, they make them fit a majority of years
rather than the few it might take a mod or two. Using an angle grinder
or something similar to make a small indention in the face remedies this
quickly.
- I want to add disc brakes to my Volkswagen, will your Gen 1 or GEN 2 set of BAD Series Disc Brakes fit them?
Yes.
Our BAD Series Disc Brakes fit all DRUM Drop Spindles and do NOT fit
ANY drop DISC spindles. Sounds weird, but other vendors build spindles
that incorporate the caliper mounts in them. We build them so that the
caliper bracket bolts onto the spindle using the backing plate mounts.
It allows for versatility in your build. Drum Brakes, two piston brakes
or four piston brakes. You choose, not us.
Get them built correctly, install them correctly, maintain them correctly, they will last forever.
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