Author Topic: wheels for wabbits and frankenbunnys  (Read 5101 times)

April 29, 2005, 09:40:13 pm

moosiah

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wheels for wabbits and frankenbunnys
« on: April 29, 2005, 09:40:13 pm »
Hi all,,,,, I'm not sure if this is the right spot to post this topic,,,, any how..... So I've been working on my brake project , I'm putting 10"front brakes on the frankenbunny to go w the Quantum/ Jedda2 200x40 drums on the back. I went with the drums because I : #1, work in the entertainment/ exhibition bizz in San Fran and have to to park on some steeep hills in the hotel/ theater district  and I need a good parking brake. #2, I pull a 14ft sail boat and need a great parking brake to keep the bunnycar from imitating a german submarine............ so I needed 14" wheels for the clearance of the new front calipers........ On my last trip around the Pican'pul yards (3 in one day!!!!) I found some Audi 4000 GT wheels, same weight as the trantulas on it now, (6j14 insted of 5.5j13 stock),,,,,, and they clear all the suspension and steering, miss the tie rods by 1/4" !!!!!!!!  their off a 83/4 model  $15 ea !!! I bought 7 of them ......... Pics to follow ,I hope ........ :lol: My little box just showed up from Autotec today so this wkend will be a work wkend  for new brakes and bushings !!!  yahoo!!! car work not a set in some hotel ballroom after midnight........... :D


'81 Frankenbunny: part rabbit, sirroco, golf ,caddy cabrio ,jedda and ! ford teimpo! w a little more Audi and soon some Peogeot too!!!!

Reply #1April 30, 2005, 01:23:17 pm

racer_x

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wheels for wabbits and frankenbunnys
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2005, 01:23:17 pm »
The Audi 4000 "cookie cutter" wheels are pretty light if those are the ones you are referring to. I think they are ET45, which is a bit high on the offset. But they should fit a B platform car (the Aud 4000 was a B platform after all).

BMW "bottle cap" wheels in 4x100 are a good choice too. They weigh about the same as the tarantulas, maybe a half pound more, and they are ET33 for the offset.

Miata wheels are the best choice. Some of those are under 12 pounds each. Some were actually BBS wheels made for Mazda for the Miata special edition models. But the Miata hub bore is smaller than VW, so some modification is required. You have to bore out the wheel centers to fit them on a VW.

The bigger issue with 14" wheels is the weight of the tires, and the added inertia from the larger wheel diameter. You can get 175/70R13 tires under 14 pounds. But 185/60R14 tires typically weigh 16 to 19 pounds each. Shop carefully for lighter tires for those wheels.

As for the brakes, the 10.1" fronts and 200mmx40mm rear drums work well together. That's a good upgrade, especially for cars that go very fast. But I don't know that they are necessary on a diesel. In my experience, the 9.4" vented fronts with 180mm rear drums are excellent for vehicles up to about 2400 pounds total weight at speeds up to 125mph or so. You just have to choose good pads to avoid fade. I've got 10.1" fronts and big rear drums for a turbo Rabbit project I've been working on, but that one will see track time and will exceed 135mph, maybe over 140mph. At those speeds, the 9.4" fronts aren't adequate no matter what pads you use.

On the diesel I try to stick with the lightest possible brakes because the car won't go over 100mph, so thermal loads aren't really an issue.

 

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