Information Rear axle conversion to discs on a 75.

Hi Steve,
I have read your Tread with interest.
Just wondered if you still have the old 'axle' ?
I just bought my A2 1.4 SE Petrol 2001 and noticed that the rear axle/breaks etc (and front also) is rusted to hell, I think maybe from spending its life outside in the damp countryside.
It was in my mind maybe to replace my rusted 'undercarriage' with refurbed/painted parts, especially as the rest of the A2 is aluminium!
Cheers,
Peter
 
Hi Steve,
I have read your Tread with interest.
Just wondered if you still have the old 'axle' ?
I just bought my A2 1.4 SE Petrol 2001 and noticed that the rear axle/breaks etc (and front also) is rusted to hell, I think maybe from spending its life outside in the damp countryside.
It was in my mind maybe to replace my rusted 'undercarriage' with refurbed/painted parts, especially as the rest of the A2 is aluminium!
Cheers,
Peter


Hi Peter,

Sorry for the delay in responding (been working away from home)

I gave the old axle to another member as soon as it came off.

Sorry

Steve B
 
Hi Steve,

Thanks for the reply.

If I manage to eventually pick up a back axle and do the refurb, I would be interested to know if your 'new' axle was sand-blasted back to base metal and what paint/build-up spec was used?

Many thanks,

Peter
 
Hi Steve

Did your mechanic ever give you the photos of the conversion?

As you know I have bought an Fsi as a breaker with the primary aim of fitting the rear axle to my TDI. Photos would be a great help.
 
Hi Steve

Did your mechanic ever give you the photos of the conversion?

As you know I have bought an Fsi as a breaker with the primary aim of fitting the rear axle to my TDI. Photos would be a great help.

Yes but he is a much better mechanic than he is a photographer I will add a few but they are not very informative unfortunately.

I may have to wait until I get home. I will see what I have here.

Steve B
 
Yes but he is a much better mechanic than he is a photographer I will add a few but they are not very informative unfortunately.

I may have to wait until I get home. I will see what I have here.

Steve B

Thanks Steve. I'm of the mindset that if you need photos then perhaps you shouldn't be doing it, but it's nice to see what I'm letting myself in for before deciding to do it :)
 
Hi Steve

Did your mechanic ever give you the photos of the conversion?

As you know I have bought an Fsi as a breaker with the primary aim of fitting the rear axle to my TDI. Photos would be a great help.

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As I say possibly not much help. But it is pretty straightforward.

Ideally with the FSI / 90 handbrake lever mechanism and cables.

It is a basic off with one and on with the other.

Steve B
 
Please can someone who has done this conversion advise which parts are required from the donar vehicle. I will probably be doing the work myself but it will be after the donar car has gone. The last thing I want is to have got rid of the donar car and then realise that I need some vital part that I no longer require.

Many thanks in advance for any help.
 
The short answer is

you need the complete axle of course,
but retaining the handbrake mechanism will be advisable.
If the handbrake cables are very good then you can reuse them but it might be an idea to get new ones (make sure you get the FSI or TDI 90 ones.

The brake pipes shiul ideally be renewed (the ones from the axle to body) but they are very exlensive. So if yours are almost perfect and if costs are an issue then you might be able to reuse them but the recommendation is to fit new ones (safety first)
i would recommend new front bushes, if there is any doubt about their condition.
The springs and shocks can be reused if they are good enough.

I would recommend mend keeping every possible but bolt and clip that you take off, sometimes it is missing bolts and clips that cause the biggest pain.

So effectively the complete axle plus handbrake mechanism and brake pipes.

The rest friends on how much time / money you have available.
New brake back plates are cheap enough from Audi but you need to strip the brakes down to fit them.

Miss with big jobs like this try to get as many people to review and recommend on this. Just one person's view is not ideal.

Steve B
 
Thanks for that Steve. It was as I expected but was worth asking incase any small part was a 'vital'. I will probably fit the complete rear axle as it it is at present and look to change the discs and pads at a later date. I'll plan that handbrake cables will be needed as 10 year old+ ones will probably be in a sorry state.

Spike thanks for the link, good to see some photos but it appears to be of a drum to disc conversion using the existing rear axle. Wasn't aware this was possible?
 
Spike thanks for the link, good to see some photos but it appears to be of a drum to disc conversion using the existing rear axle. Wasn't aware this was possible?

Yes, it is worth asking someone who has taken that approach to see the cost involved. (You would need callipers, discs and pads (probably new) so it MIGHT not be a cheaper option if you have a donor FSI / Tdi 90 axle already.

But worth checking all options and costs.

Possibly less hasle doing doing the conversion rather than the swap. But take advice from someone who has done, or is thinking of doing the drum to disc conversion plates etc.

Steve B
 
Ive got a brake pipe flaring tool which you can borrow and you can make up a full set of brake pipes for silly money id imagine as just need to buy the copper pipe and correct ends

-Gary
 
Ive got a brake pipe flaring tool which you can borrow and you can make up a full set of brake pipes for silly money id imagine as just need to buy the copper pipe and correct ends

-Gary


Thanks Gary, generous as always, but I wouldn't trust my workmanship enough to make my own. My wife occasionaly drives the car so couldn't risk a leak.
 
Spike thanks for the link, good to see some photos but it appears to be of a drum to disc conversion using the existing rear axle. Wasn't aware this was possible?

Hi Steve

There was some speculation a while ago that Audi standardised on axle beams for disc and drum brake variants but it was never confirmed - http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthrea...-FSi-rear-axle-with-disks&p=164705#post164705

I guess the German solution was to profile cut beam end plates to match the caliper mounting brackets of a 90 tdi. I did not check the detail but assume spacers were used on the calipers to compensate for the offset of the plate.

Cheers Spike
 
Thanks Gary, generous as always, but I wouldn't trust my workmanship enough to make my own. My wife occasionaly drives the car so couldn't risk a leak.

flaring the ends is the easy bit , its tweaking them and getting all the right bends that takes the time ;)
 
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