[T3] Reconstruction begins

[Jim Adney]

On 6 Sep 2020 at 17:52, Max Welton wrote:

> The car is a 67. We're making a variety of updates while it's all apart.

Would you be making a steering knuckle upgrade, too? The inner wheel 
bearing ID increased by 2 mm in mid '68, making that stub axle significantly 
stronger and stiffer.

This upgrade takes the same pads, rotor, backing plate, outer wheel 
bearings, and calipers. It would require new outer tie rod ends and inner 
wheel bearings. Does anyone know if the threads in the tie rod itself remain 
the same? (Tie rod ends changed at the end of '67. The tapered end 
changed, but I don't know about the threaded end. I just measured a late tie 
rod end thread: 14 mm dia.)  

Or you could go for the latest knuckles, 71.8-73, and get the larger calipers. 
There's not much advantage to that, however, since the pistons are the 
same diameter. The advantage is a larger pad, which probably reduces fade, 
something you'll never notice on the street, but it should give you longer pad 
life. So not much of a big deal.

This upgrade requires new pads, rotor, backing plate, outer tie rod ends, 
inner wheel bearings, and calipers. (Same question about the tie rod ends 
applies.)

I think I have good used examples of both versions of steering knuckles and 
calipers, as well as a lot of the other parts, available.

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Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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