Boosted/Servo install in 1968 RHD Lowlight

[The God Bus]

Hi live just done a disc conversion to my 68 for under £100 by using mk3 caddy front disc set up 288mm disc's and using 5×112 stud patten. This set up is a really good set up and the disc's and pads are a lot cheaper to buy.

 

[naskeet]

Hi live just done a disc conversion to my 68 for under £100 by using mk3 caddy front disc set up 288mm disc's and using 5×112 stud patten. This set up is a really good set up and the disc's and pads are a lot cheaper to buy.

The important question that needs to be answered, is whether or not this will adversely change the front to rear balance re braking torque, and steering characteristics (under-steer & over-steer) under braking!?!

 

[naskeet]

I retro-fitted two remote servo units to my 1973 VW 1600 Type 2 during the winter of 1988/89, of which these are some pictures on The Samba forum

1968~79 VW Type 2, modified hydraulic circuit for remote-acting vacuum servos

25 mm square-section, tubular-steel, custom, home-made cradle, with 3 mm thick duralumin, brackets, supporting ATE Alfred Teves, remote-acting, hydraulic, vacuum-assisted, brake servo units (i.e. brake boosters in USA parlance), of the type which were factory-fitted, to right-hand drive, 1970s vintage BMW cars and possibly VW Golf GTI Mk. 1s.

This is fitted to my British specification, 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, which was NOT equipped with a factory-fitted, direct-acting brake servo, unlike the 1972 VW 17/18/2000 Type 2s, despite having front disc brakes.

I forgot to include the following annotated, illustrated fact sheet

Whilst I undertook the servo upgrade, I also upgraded from two-terminal brake-light switches to three-terminal brake-light switches, which gives the facility to have a brake-circuit failure warning light.

A = electric switch inside brake-circuit-failure warning-light unit

B = 3-terminal brake-light switch

C = Dual-circuit brake warning lamp

a = blue cable to brake-circuit-failure warning-light unit's
internal switch-terminal 61 (shared with ignition warning light)

b = black cable to fuse-box terminal 15

c = brown cable to Earth (i.e. Ground in USA parlance)

d = black/red cable to brake lights

 

[_666_]

Seems like fitting a late model unit to the beam is going to involve more work by needing to make cross linkages since mines a RHD 68, so I think I’ll go down the remote path.. although late model boosters are far cheaper

 

[mpelaz]

Hi live just done a disc conversion to my 68 for under £100 by using mk3 caddy front disc set up 288mm disc's and using 5×112 stud patten. This set up is a really good set up and the disc's and pads are a lot cheaper to buy.

Interesting...

May I ask what calipers did you use and how did you attach them to the original spindles?
Are you using original size wheels? Do these 288 disks fit inside?
I'm thinking about improving my front disk '71 T2ab (71-72 version) and this could be a way.

thanks!
Miguel

 

[NigelDenham]

Seems like fitting a late model unit to the beam is going to involve more work by needing to make cross linkages since mines a RHD 68, so I think I’ll go down the remote path.. although late model boosters are far cheaper

Mines a uk RHD, fitted a Brazilian (TRW I think) booster and M/Cyl no problem. Did you see the video link I put up?

https://www.practicalmotorhome.com/advice/how-to-fit-a-brake-servo-to-a-bay-window-vw-campervan

 

[_666_]

Mines a uk RHD, fitted a Brazilian (TRW I think) booster and M/Cyl no problem. Did you see the video link I put up?

https://www.practicalmotorhome.com/advice/how-to-fit-a-brake-servo-to-a-bay-window-vw-campervan

i have just had a look.. however because mine is a 68 or T2a it means the pedals are in a different location making it more complicated to install
so rather than make a bracket for the brake pedal i opted for the remote brake booster.. i will attempt to install it in December when im back near my Kombi

 

[NigelDenham]

i have just had a look.. however because mine is a 68 or T2a it means the pedals are in a different location making it more complicated to install
so rather than make a bracket for the brake pedal i opted for the remote brake booster.. i will attempt to install it in December when im back near my Kombi

Ah, there’s always something isn’t there. My friend had a remote system fitted to his ‘60 split screen. Still on the standard drums, it’s really sharp, so hopefully you’ll have a good result.

 

[ozziedog]

One of the guys on this forum that went to work and live in Oz, I believe Geelong down the road from Melbourne. Not a hundred percent sure of his actual job title but as far as I remember it was something to do with braking systems for a large motor manufacturer and research etc etc etc. Anyhow, he did some serious test stuff and was fairly convinced that adding a servo was perhaps the best brake improvement to be had. Discs over drums is an improvement on the basis that they are virtually identical in performance when the drums are well maintained and adjusted, however the discs stay adjusted and the drums don’t was I think the upshot of the whole thing. So any servo upgrade is a good upgrade.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,Hi to all in Oz.

 

[naskeet]

Retro-fitting a servo will NOT improve braking performance, but it will enable one to initiate hard braking with just one foot instead of needing both!

 

[_666_]

Retro-fitting a servo will NOT improve braking performance, but it will enable one to initiate hard braking with just one foot instead of needing both!

You are completely right, I will also be adding disc brakes and drop spindles to the front

 

[naskeet]

View attachment 3594

View attachment 3595

Did you use existing factory-standard holes in the longitudinal chassis members to mount the remote-acting servo and passage of the Kunifer-10 brake tubing.

It's generally preferable to avoid having any holes at all, as these create stress concentrations which reduce the chassis's strength and can lead to crack formation.

I completely avoided creating any new holes when I retro-fitted my twin remote-acting servos, using the holes that already existed.