Mod of the Month: 93 EV weekender rear disc brake conversion

Back in the saddle with lots of pics and info to post--long over due.  To ease my way back here's a quick diversion to a mod I did on my 93 EV weekender last week.  Overall conversion process was fairly involved, but not too demoralizing.  Having all the parts on hand and all the prep work done was key and having a lift, good lighting, and a sweet aluminum jack made it doable in a few hours time.  I had thought about having the new trailing arms all built up with the rotors/brake calipers all installed before I installed the trailing arms, but all that extra weight made me think twice about that.  So instead I installed the bare trailing arms and built them up with the brakes after install.


Rear disc brake conversion--93 Eurovan Weekender

Call from wife on cell phone:
W:  Hey the van won't move, E-brake is stuck on.
J:  OK, where are you at, and are you in a safe location? ;-)
W: Around the corner, it wouldn't let go so I just gave it more juice and now it's free but the brakes feel funny....

That's my girl.  Well the L side shoes separated from the metal carriers which certainly will make the brakes feel funny.  That prompted this little disc brake diversion that was waiting in the wings for 6-mths....

Those are the shoe linings sitting in the brake drum on the ground.

To accomplish this mod the rear trailing arms from an EV with disc brakes must be must be installed.  I saved the set from the 98 T4 syncro front clip and gave them a serious POR-15 treatment, as they apparently salt the roads in Germany....

Yikes.  Pre- POR-15 treatment.  Rotors were scrapped as was what remained of the debris shield, calipers, and wheel bearings.  Disassembly was oh so fun...

Drum brake trailing arm on L, disc trailing arm on R.

Disc trailing arms were hot tanked, sanded, three stages of the POR-15 process for curing rust.  Then new bearings and hubs were pressed in.

Old drum brake trailing arms are removed from vehicle, brake lines disconnected, shocks/springs removed, etc.

 Disc on L, drum on R.

New trailing arm installed.

 After all the prep work due to the rusty arms, the disc brake conversion went  rather quickly.  Install new trailing arms, install brake lines, install new flexible brake hoses inner/outer, install sweet drilled German Zimmerman rotors, new debris shield and new Ate calipers.








Zimmerman rotor, new hub, and new brake caliper and pads.

 Yes these are ready for ABS but not sure I'll get to that mod any time soon ;-).

 L side finished rear brake conversion.  And yes those are air pillows in my rear shocks for stiffing up the rear suspension when towing.

 R side finished rear brake conversion.

 Wide angle from below from front.

 Stainless brake hose, inner.

  Stainless brake hose, outer.

 Wide angle from rear.

















***All pics and conversion work done by Grease Works and TDIpowered.