HyKlas

Tried to search but it's not working, sorry.

What would be needed to convert an early NA 944 to the later 4 piston turbo brakes? Basically just the spindles, hubs, struts, and brakes right? What I'm asking really is if this stuff swaps right over or not... Thanks.

Airflite40

i'm sure it would, but why?? are you tracking the car? if so then look at Rennbay's big brake ugrade kit....much easier

http://www.rennbay.com/944-big-brake-kit-p-83.html

PorscheDoc

You do not need the struts. Spindles, hubs, calipers, and rotors. Also plan on doing the wheel bearings since you will be in there.

V2Rocket

The stock brakes are more than strong enough...IMO it wouldn't make sense spending the money to do the conversion. It's like the turbo-ing idea; might as well just buy the 951.

knfeparty

Yeah man, I would definitely go with wilwoods from rennbay before I would every do a conversion to turbo brakes. Especially since they would be, you know, new. Taking just the calipers on and off is SO easy, but even replacing the wheel bearings is a pain (it was for me at least; the races were totally stuck!)

Funn944

++++ on the Rennbay big brakes. I put them on and really like them. The toughest part of the job is putting in new wheel bearings (while you're in there) and bleeding the brake lines, (use a Motive bleeder and pump all the old dirty crap outta the lines). Everything else is a bolt on. Check your ball joints too. Rennbay has the kit, although they're a little harder to change out than the wheel bearings.

Mongo

I did the 951 brake conversion for less than the price of the Willwood calipers. This included the spindles, the hardware and all 4 calipers with pads. I have no complaints about it. These brakes work great at the track and if you have to do a sudden stop in traffic.

I agree that the stock single piston brakes are great since these are the same calipers derived from the 924 Carrera GT, but 4-piston Brembo monoblocks are stronger, easier to service and great to retrofit on cars that don't have this setup.

If you can source out a good place for spindles that include wheel bearings in good shape (or new), I would go for it.

Mongo

A thread I did from a while back may help you if you choose to do the 951 conversion:

https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ake+conversion

RMills944

With the Wildwood calipers, what pads do you use? Stock?

tifosiman

To answer your question directly, without going off on the mandatory (for some) Wilwood tangent or telling you that you don't need them for some reason:

Here’s what you will need to upgrade your early car to 951 brakes, a total list:

1 pair front 951 calipers and pads
1 pair 951 rear calipers and pads
1 pair front 1986 951 rotors
1 pair rear 1986 951 rotors
4 factory washers and bolts for the rear calipers (necessary to space them to fit inline with the rotor)
4 factory bolts for the front calipers
1 pair (left and right)of front hubs and spindles from a 1986 951 (complete with bearings on each)
1 pair of 1986 951 front struts. (yes you need these unless you want to cobble it together, unsafe in my opinion, BTDT)
1 pair of front brake hoses from any year 951 and the metal noodles that go with them.

Things that are nice to have, but not necessary:

Bias valve from any year 951, this bolts inline on the master cylinder
Stainless brake lines front and rear
New alignment eccentric bolts for the front strut/spindle interface. Sometimes they are re-usable, sometimes they are so chewed up it is worth replacing them.

Hope that helps.

joseph mitro

is the master cylinder different? that might make the pedal feel different. it did on my BMW racecar anyway

PorscheDoc

Tifo, why do you say you need the front struts? I use 83 strut housings on 951's all the time (so you can use bilstein inserts).

Legoland951

Tifo is absolutely right. You do need the 951 front struts since the spindle bolt holds DON NOT LINE UP with the 84 struts. Also you have to machine down the thickness (equally on both side) the part of the spindle where it attaches to the strut (the thick metal with 2 machine flat surfaces) since the early spindle is thicker by at least 2 millimeter.

tifosiman

You have to use shims to make the early strut fit the thinner 951 spindle, and drill/elongate the holes in the strut to make the holes line up. It ends up being a cobbled mess that is prone to failure. It's better to just do it right and use the 951 struts (or late N/A struts).

PorscheDoc

Interesting, I have never seen one fail.