What is the Wilwood 22-6153-R disc brake kit?

The Wilwood 22-6153-R is a drop spindle disc brake kit for early VW link pin Beetle and Karmann Ghia with a 5-lug conversion and 2.5-inch drop. It features 2-piston calipers in red anodize and is designed for pre-1966 link pin front beams.

Does the Wilwood 22-6153-R include drop spindles?

Yes. The 22-6153-R kit includes Wilwood's 2.5-inch drop spindles, 2-piston red calipers, rotors, and all hardware for a complete 5-lug front disc brake installation on a link pin VW Beetle or Ghia.

Which VW models does the Wilwood 22-6153-R fit?

The Wilwood 22-6153-R fits early VW Beetle and Karmann Ghia with link pin front suspension, typically pre-1966 models. It converts the front axle to a 5-lug bolt pattern with a 2.5-inch lower ride height.

How does the Wilwood 22-6153-R ship?

Ships standard ground (freight eligible for large orders) from our Orange, California shop.

Wilwood

Wilwood Drop Spindle Disc Brake Kit | Early VW Link Pin 5-Lug, Beetle/Ghia | 2.5" Drop, Red (22-6153-R)

In stock

No reviews

Usually ships in 1–2 business days

$1,354.99

Product details

Vendor Wilwood
SKU 22-6153-R
Fits
- 1954-1965 VW Beetle
- 1956-1965 VW Karmann Ghia

Not sure it fits? Call the shop: (657) 438-7002.

Ask an expert

Wilwood Forged Drop Spindle Disc Brake Kit — Early Link Pin 5-Lug VW Beetle & Karmann Ghia, Red Caliper (22-6153-R)

The Wilwood Forged Drop Spindle Disc Brake Kit is a complete drum-to-disc conversion for Early Link Pin 5-Lug VW Beetle & Karmann Ghia, engineered around Wilwood billet aluminum calipers in a red finish with directional drilled and slotted rotors. The 2.5" forged drop spindles lower the front end while converting to discs in one package. Double-drilled rotors clear both 5×130mm (Porsche) and 5×4.75" (GM) wheel bolt patterns. It is a true bolt-on upgrade — no fabrication required.

Vehicle Fitment

VW Beetle (Type 1): Pre-1966, link pin front beam
VW Karmann Ghia: Pre-1966, link pin front beam

Important Fitment Notes

Wheels: Must use minimum 15" wheels. The Wilwood caliper and rotor package will not clear smaller wheel diameters.

Why Choose Wilwood?

Wilwood Engineering has been designing and manufacturing high-performance disc brake systems in California since 1977. Their billet aluminum calipers and forged components are the standard in motorsport and street-performance braking. EMPI has partnered with Wilwood to develop these VW-specific bolt-on conversion kits.

Key Features & Benefits

Complete drum-to-disc conversion: True bolt-on installation — no fabrication required.
Wilwood billet calipers: High-performance red-finish calipers machined from billet aluminum.
High-performance rotors: Zinc-plated, directional drilled and slotted, double-drilled to fit both 5×130mm (Porsche) and 5×4.75" (GM) wheel patterns (14×1.5mm threads).
2.5" forged drop spindles: Lower the front end 2.5" while converting to discs.
Complete kit: Includes Wilwood brake pads (replacement 16-2527-7), SKF wheel bearings and seals, mounting hardware, dust caps, and installation instructions.

Technical Specifications

EMPI Part #: 22-6153-R
Caliper: Wilwood billet aluminum calipers, Red finish
Rotors: Zinc-plated directional drilled & slotted, double-drilled (14×1.5mm threads)
Brake pads: Wilwood high-performance (replacement 16-2527-7)
Spindles: 2.5" forged drop spindles
Wheel bolt pattern: double-drilled 5×130mm and 5×4.75"
Minimum wheel diameter: 15"
UPC: 707924536140
Shipping weight: 54.05 lb

Also available: Same kit available in Natural finish caliper (22-6153-0) or Black caliper (22-6153-B) — same performance, different look.

Explore Related Categories

Building or restoring your front end? Browse Brakes, and shop parts for your platform: VW Beetle, VW Karmann Ghia.

The Tech Bench Everything we know about doing the work, in one place — written and filmed on our own bench in Orange, California, with the same parts we sell you.

Pick a bench below. Written install guides, free decoder tools, install videos, and the fitment lookup — each one lives on its own page so you're not scrolling past nine systems to find the one you're working on.

55Guides in the library

4Free decoder tools

9Install videos

1Beetle at a time

Four benches

Pick the one that matches the job in front of you

01

Install Guides

The full written library — procedures, torque specs, and the order of operations that keeps you from taking something apart twice. Organised by system.

55 guides8 systems5 published Open the library 02

Decoders & Lookup

Chassis number, Beetle M-code, Bus M-code. Free tools for pinning down exactly what you have before you spend money on a part that doesn't fit it.

Chassis No.M-PlateFree Open the decoders 03

Watch & Learn

Install videos and build footage from the shop floor. Watch the part go in — then grab the kit from the same page.

InstallsBuildsYouTube Watch the videos 04

Fitment Lookup

Year and model in, the parts that actually fit out. The fastest way from "I think it's a '67" to the right part number in your cart.

Year / ModelAll parts Open the lookup

Latest from the bench

5Most recently published

GEAR Free tool New

Gear Ratio Calculator

Type 1 and Bus transaxles. Ring and pinion, gear ratios, tire height and shift rpm in — road speed, rpm drop on every shift, and cruise rpm out.

Type 1 · BusOpen the calculator CH01 Guide 01 Best seller

Snap-Lock Delrin Shift Bushing

The 20-minute fix that turns a sloppy shifter crisp — and the whole shift-linkage explained.

#CH01Read the guide BY01 Guide 27

Big Washburn Windows

Large engine-bay access panels for dual-carb and big-engine builds — reach the carbs without pulling the motor.

#BY01Read the guide PMO Reference

PMO Carburetors: Triple-Throat Induction

The complete reference on PMO triple-throat carburetors for air-cooled Porsche — sizing, jetting, and setup.

PMORead the guide CH64 Chassis

Flat Out Custom Shortened Pan Halves

Building a shortened dune buggy or kit car? Engineered pan halves put a straight floor under it without sectioning a stock VW pan.

#CH64Read the guide

See all 55 guides

From the shop blog

3Shorter reads from the shop floor

Not every write-up needs a full install guide. The thinking behind a modification, the cars that come through the door, and the jobs we take photos of as we go get posted over on the shop blog.

Blog

Big Washburn Carb Windows: What They Are and Why We Cut Them

The reasoning behind cutting the rear inner fenders open, before you read the full install guide.

Read the post Blog

Tunnel Access Plates: Why We Cut a Hole in Your Pan on Purpose

Why the center tunnel gets an access plate, and what it saves you the next time the linkage needs attention.

Read the post Blog

Some Hot VWs That Came Through the Shop This Spring

A look at the cars on the lifts in Orange, California, and the work that went into them.

Read the post

Read the shop blog

Can't find your job here?

Call the shop. If the guide isn't written yet, we'll walk you through it on the phone — fitment, torque, sequence, what to buy and what to skip.

(657) 438-7002

Shop line — parts, fitment and technical questions. Orange, California.

Install Guides Browse Parts Contact Us

Free shipping on domestic (U.S.) orders over $250 — no code needed; oversize and freight items are excluded and ship at carrier rates. Otherwise, domestic shipping is calculated at checkout based on the size, weight, and destination of your order.

Orders are typically processed within 24–48 hours before they ship. Once your order ships, you'll get an email with tracking information.

Shipping outside the U.S.? Contact us at (657) 438-7002 before you order and we'll confirm rates and options for your destination.