The original online guide to the Volkswagen Cabriolet & Rabbit Convertible!

Home

 

Applications PNG Icon  Garage

Airbag System

Audio

Body

Brakes & Wheels

Cooling

Electrical

Engine

Exhaust

Fuel System

Gauges

HVAC System

Ignition

Interior

Suspension & Steering

Top & Boot

Transmission

 

Library PNG Icon  Library

Brochures, Ads & Articles

Buyer's Guide

Cabriolet Models

Interior Styles

Facts & History

Fun Stuff!

M-Codes

Maintenance

Paint Colors

Recalls

Specifications

VIN Decoders

 

Find PNG Icon  Lounge

DIY Guides & Downloads

Links & Resources

Parts Suppliers

Shows & GTGs

About Me

 

Free My Documents icon  Store

Boot Storage Bag

 

Contact Me

Send email

 

Report a broken link

 Brakes & Wheels

 

 Anti-lock brakes (ABS)

The 1979-1993 Cabriolets do not have ABS brakes!

 

From 1984 onward, Cabriolets received vented front disc brakes as standard equipment.

 Swapping rear drum brakes for discs

A popular brake upgrade is replacing the rear drum brakes with discs.  Click here for a how-to.

 

 Hard brake pedal

If the brake pedal is extremely hard to push and the engine idles fast (or, dies at a stop), this is indicative of a leaking/broken brake booster vacuum hose.

 

 Tips on replacing rear drum brakes

Anytime you do work to the rear brakes, do only one side at a time!  This allows you to use the other side as a reference to ensure that everything is put back together properly.  In case you removed both sides, here are reference images:

 

(courtesy of "briano1234" of toplessrabbit.com)

(courtesy of Andrew B.)

 Silverstone ("teardrop") wheel lock key

If your original key has been lost, head to your local auto parts store and buy an 8mm triple-square bit.

 

 Tire pressure

Minimum psi/bar: what the factory recommends (should be on the driver's side door jamb sticker).

 

Maximum psi/bar: what the tire sidewall states.

 

 What wheel size is best?

Click here for The Highway Collective's take on what sizes look good on any A1 chassis Volkswagen, including the Cabriolets... while being rather amusing, it does speak the truth.

 

 Wheel/offset/tire sizes that can be used on Cabriolets

Wheel Sizes

Offsets (ET)

Tire Sizes

5J x 13

45

175/70/13

5½J x 13

38

175/70/13

175/80/13

6J x 13

 

185/60/13

205/60/13

6J x 14

35, 38

175/65/14

185/60/14

195/45/14

195/55/14

195/60/14

6½J x 13

0

195/60/13

6½J x 14

30

185/50/14

185/60/14

195/45/14

6J x 15

38

165/45/15

185/55/15

195/50/15

6½J x 15 33 205/50/15
7J x 14 25

185/55/14

185/60/14

195/45/14

195/55/14

195/60/14

225/40/14

7J x 15 15**, 20, 24, 25, 28*, 35*

165/45/15

195/45/15

195/50/15

205/50/15

7J x 16 20**, 35*, 40*

185/50/16

195/40/16

205/40/16

205/45/16

7½J x 16 35*

 

7J x 17 40*

 

__J x 17+ May cause rubbing, especially with lowered suspension; ride quality will be reduced.
8+J x __ May require fender rolling and/or spacers in order to fit, especially if lowering the suspension; depending on offset, may also result in "poke"**.

Blue = stock sizes

All Cabriolets have an OEM bolt pattern of 4x100.

* Spacers may be required for the rears; grinding down the calipers and/or fender rolling may also be required for the fronts.

** Without any modifications, wheels/tires may sit beyond the fender flares (aka "poke").

 

Notes:

  • Lowering the suspension plays a role in what wheel & tire sizes you choose.  Keep the aspect ratio close to stock to minimize rubbing. Examples:

    • 16" wheels + 205 tires + lowering 1.25" = rubbing.

    • 16" wheels + 195 tires + lowering 1.25" = no rubbing.

  • As you increase the wheel size from stock, decrease the tire sidewall size:

    • 6J x14: 185/60/14

    • 6J x 15: 195/50/15

    • 6J x 16: 195/40/16

 Wheel & Tire Size Conversion Calculators

Tire, wheel and offset calculator/comparer

 

Tire/wheel size options

 

Tire/wheel size options vs. speedometer accuracy

 Factory/Stock Cabriolet Wheel

Avus

 

16½ lbs.; 6Jx14

 ET38 offset

P/N 171601025H

BBS RA

15 lbs.; 6Jx15

ET35 offset

P/N 165601025

BBS RA

15 lbs.; 6Jx15

ET35 offset

P/N 165601025BFL

Estoril

16½ lbs.; 6Jx15

 ET38 offset

P/N 191601025Q

Le Castellet

 

14.5 lbs.; 6Jx14

 ET38 offset

P/N 191601025F

Le Castellet

15 lbs.; 6Jx15

 ET35 offset

P/N 357601025G

"Manhole Cover"

 

14 lbs.; 5Jx13

 ET45 offset

P/N 171601025C

Silverstone

 

19 lbs.; 6Jx14

 ET38 offset

P/N 321601025N

(Steel A)

 

16 lbs.; 5Jx13

 ET45 offset

P/N 321601025K

(Steel B)

 

16 lbs.; 5½Jx13

 ET38 offset

P/N 321601025G

(Steel C)

 

16 lbs.; 5½Jx13

 ET38 offset

P/N

(Steel D)

 

16 lbs.; 5½Jx13

 ET38 offset

P/N 191601025D

(Steel E)

 

17 lbs.; 6Jx14

 ET38 offset

P/N 191601025K

"Tarantula"

 

13½ lbs.; 5½Jx13

 ET38 offset

P/N 171601025J

"Turtleback"

 

14 lbs.; 5Jx13

 ET45 offset

P/N 531601025A

Zandvoort

 

15 lbs.; 5½Jx13

 ET38 offset

P/N 191601025J

Zandvoort

 

16 lbs.; 6Jx14

 ET38 offset

P/N 357601025C

Hockenheim

13½ lbs.; 5½Jx13

 ET38 offset

P/N 191601025H

Color code for the "chrome colored metallic" steel, Hockenheim, Le Castellet, "Tarantula", BBS RA, "Manhole Cover", "Turtleback" and Zandvoort wheels: L091.

All stock Cabriolet wheels have a bolt pattern of 4x100.

  = North America     = Europe

 Wheel names
Most folks are unaware that many Volkswagen alloy wheel names derive from the car racing world, including those used on Cabriolets.

Avus: Named after the AVUS racing circuit near Berlin, Germany.

Estoril: Autódromo do Estoril, a race course in Estoril, Portugal.

Hockenheim: Named after Hockenheimring, a race course near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Le Castellet: Circuit Paul Ricard, a racing circuit located near the southern France town of Le Castellet.

Silverstone: Named after the race track in Northampton in central England.

Zandvoort: Circuit Park Zandvoort, a racing circuit near the coastal city of Zandvoort in the northern part of the Netherlands.

The Fine Print


The information contained in this site is for entertainment and informational purposes only.  The site creator is not responsible for you, your car, your errors, or your economic losses resulting from your use of this information.  Additionally, this site and its content are not affiliated with Volkswagen of America nor Volkswagen AG.  "VW" and "Volkswagen" are registered trademarks of VAG and are used on this site for descriptive purposes only.

 Any and all information, including any and all images, on this site may not be copied to or used on other web sites without written permission of the site administrator (thanks to a copycat site not giving a damn about The Fine Print, most images on this site are now watermarked; too bad I can't do the same with the text since it was plagiarized as well).

 © 2002-2010 KamzKreationz