924Board.org

ideola · Joined: 01 Oct 2004 Posts: 15550 Location: Spring Lake MI

One thing to point out with the 5-lug conversion...

I fully endorse doing this conversion, especially on a car that has no historical significance and will never be a concours or restoration candidate. It's such an easy thing to do to improve the enjoyment of the car, it's almost a no-brainer in my mind.

However. The price point mentioned above is just to get the necessary used components. I would strongly urge you to replace all of the bearings at all four corners, to replace all of the rubber flex lines (either with new OEM rubber or stainless braided), and of course, you'll almost certainly need to replace the rotors (in my experience, used rotors are almost never serviceable). So you will be looking at quite a bit more money than the initial $200 or so to acquire the bolt-on bits. And that assumes you get a decent set of calipers and a decent master cylinder where the seals haven't dried up (again, a real long shot with used stuff that's been removed from a parts car). There's no way it will be cheaper than refurbing your four lug. Not trying to dissuade you, but you should go in with your eyes open.
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erstwhile owner of just about every 924 variant ever made

ThomasJoseph315 · Guest

SlayerSST · Joined: 21 Sep 2010 Posts: 212

ThomasJoseph315 · Guest

SlayerSST · Joined: 21 Sep 2010 Posts: 212

Its your money, do whatever you want.

But remember, you have a 924 N/A not a 911.

ViktorTsoi · Joined: 31 Dec 2013 Posts: 80 Location: Idaho

!tom · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 4:57 pm Post subject:

Early master cylinder and brake booster combo works just fine with the 5-lug setup. You just have more pedal travel than the late master cylinder and brake booster combo. The front/rear brake bias remains the same, as both configurations have the X brake line routing and same bore in both channels.

The difference is the early master cylinder and booster requires more pedal travel for the same brake rate as the late master cylinder and booster. There is plenty of reserve travel. I assume pedal effort is similar, as the late booster increased in size to compensate for the increased bore of the late master cylinder.

I suspect the reason the master cylinder and booster was changed is that pad knock-back is more noticeable with the early setup than the late configuration, due to the fact the early bore moves less fluid for the same pedal travel as the late model. Indeed, 4-wheel disks have twice as many calipers that can knock back than the 4-lug configuration.

Both will work, late model is better in many ways (but not all; a booster failure is worse with the late setup), but the difference is small.

All just my opinion (as someone running this configuration) of course.
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78 924 NA
5-lug

!tom · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 5:05 pm Post subject:

MikesCoupeGT · Joined: 18 Oct 2006 Posts: 474 Location: Ontario Canada

I must say I am following this thread with interest.
This is something that I am considering and will do, seeing as I track my car and want the best braking I can get.
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Cheers;
MikesCoupeGT
'76 924
'83 944
''19 Elantra GT N-Line

nickthompson · Joined: 26 Mar 2013 Posts: 873 Location: Central Georgia

I got a complete suspension from an 86 944 for $150. It however will need new rotors and likely need rebuilt calipers. It also didn't come with the e-brake cable. 3:-

ThomasJoseph315 · Guest

!tom · Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 12:47 am Post subject:

Don't forget wheels, tires, lug nuts, etc. from your shopping list.

Lug nut availability might need consideration outside of a run to your FLAPS, as they're a ball seat rather than the domestic cone seat.
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78 924 NA
5-lug

Rasta Monsta · Joined: 12 Jul 2006 Posts: 11733 Location: PacNW

Not sure why you would buy hard parts new. . .PartsHeaven is right up I-5 from you.
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Toofah King Bad

WeiBe (1987 924S 2.5t) - 931 S3

gohim · Joined: 02 Nov 2002 Posts: 4459 Location: Rialto, CA

I'm getting into this late, but here's my 2 cents.

Back in 1998 when finished the 5-bolt conversion to my 81 924, it cost me about $900, (including $600 for a set of phone dials, having the phone dials powdercoated, and a new set of P600s.

I serviced the brake calipers and used a lot of new parts that I shopped for over time, which made the actual conversion go much smoother at the end. I think it took me about one hour per corner to install the parts when the time came. I got all new German wheel bearings ($5 each, $10 per wheel), new German rotors (about $20 each from the old Automotion Swapmeet), rebuilt all four calipers (rebuild kits cost me about $15 each corner at the time), and got new brake pads for all four corners ($5 per axle set from the Pomona Porsche Swapmeet).

The most of the used brake parts came off a 85 944, including the calipers that I rebuilt. If you go with used parts from a 87 924S, or 85 944, you get alloy parts that were iron, or stamped sheet steel on 931s and earlier 944s. This has the advantages of much lower weight with better rigidity, and strength, and the elimination of the rust problem.

Since then, 944s have become much more plentiful in the self-service salvage yards, so the price of used parts has come down significantly.

If you choose to go with used parts, I believe you could get everything in good used condition with the exception of wheels, unless you get lucky for less than $200 in a single trip to one of the local PickAPart yards.

I ended up selling the front suspension including the struts and the rear brakes for about $50 a corner, about $200 in all, and sold the four bolt Weissach Special Edition wheels and practically new Continental tires for another $300. Which reduced the final cost of my conversion by a big chunk.

I ended up with almost two sets of extra conversion parts (sold most parts after I was finished with the conversion) since I was gathering and evaluating parts from 931s and different model year 944s before I finalized my parts selection.