MK6 GTI 100,000km Suspension Refresh Project - VW RacingLine

[manol]

When I bought my GTI second hand with about 86,000km on it, it was in excellent condition, and it was clearly very well looked after. I wanted to continue the trend, so I decided to give my suspension a 100,000km complete refresh. The car still feels tight, it still handles well, but if I'm going to keep the car for another 100,000km, I thought I may as well keep on top of the suspension rather than letting it slowly deteriorate.

When deciding what I wanted, I wanted comfort primarily, but I also wanted to lower the car a bit whilst retaining that OEM ride quality feel. After hours upon hours of research it seemed like Drivers Gear springs and shocks from Volkswagen were the go, but unfortunately all Drivers Gear products are discontinued and are now unavailable. The Eibach Prokit setup seemed like the next best option, but something didn't sit right with me in regards to how firm the ride would be. H&R was completely out of the equation. So I started looking at the RacingLine range of gear and the main point that attracted me to them was the fact you could use the springs with the OEM struts and there would be no negative effects, which signals to me that everything about them should be OEM like and the 20mm drop they advertise wasn't too low for me either, as I value practicality and actually being able to go up and down driveways.

I looked into obtaining the RacingLine spring and strut set from Australia as I strongly believe in supporting local business but to my dismay I found the primary importer of RacingLine gear was Harding Performance. Knowing Guy Harding's previous history I was extremely weary about purchasing from him, so I didn't. I did enquire with them, but a few of their responses regarding what they had in stock didn't sit well with me in comparison to information I received directly from the manufacturer. I sourced these springs and shocks from Progressive Parts in the UK, who were absolutely fantastic, helpful and efficient. Highly recommended. I pick the combo up for around AU$960 shipped, which was a $500 saving from buying from Harding Performance. Looking at the kit, everything was packed extremely well, no shortage of bubble wrap and protective cardboard. The springs and shocks felt solid, looked solid and there were no obvious faults in the painting, welding or anything like that.

Seeing as I was replacing the suspension, through research I found that the front and rear strut tops, bearings and supporting bolts and nuts should also be replaced. I sourced some Audi TT strut tops, with a full set of replacement nuts and bolts for everything that gets touched on the front end from FCP Euro. Once again, I tried to buy these parts locally, but I called a few part shops, Audi dealers, no one was really happy to quote so many parts, or just never got back to me. The FCP Euro site is so easy to use, you put in any part number and they magically appear. I also tried getting a quote from VAGPARTS AustraliaRTS Australia but never received a response to my enquiry. As you can see from the parts list, it's a very comprehensive list of replacement parts, and perhaps not every single nut and bolt needed to be replaced, but I did not want to compromise at all. I didn't want bangs, noises, rubbing. I just wanted everything to work the first time. All this came to AUD$321.

As I was going this far, I decided it would be worth getting an anti-lift kit as well installed, Sparesboxox had a New Years special on and I managed to snag a SuperPro ALK for $219. The quality of this unit is absolutely beautiful and it's a shame that it's going under the car.

This is all getting installed on Monday at Volkwerkekwerke as well as 4 new Michelin Pilot Sport 4s ($220 each fitted and balanced) from Bob Jane T-Marts (Official). I refused to support the grey import scene, and I'm paying the extra for them to source and install the tyres rather than supporting companies that go through back doors like Tempe Tyre & Wheel Centre and other grey importers. The car will also be getting a front and rear alignment done at TruTrack Suspension in North Melbourne.

I'll post my feedback once I get the car back and go for a spin.

Images of all the gear below -

[Scratchyratface]

Wow, nice work Manol, will be interesting to see the difference when it is all fitted. You'll like the 4S tyres, they are excellent. Love the RacingLine gear, shame about Harding, I've used them recently and they've been very good.

[manol]

This is a continuation of my review and outlining the work I went through in upgrading and refreshing the suspension in my MK6 GTI that had done 105,000km.

I had installed and applied -

VW RacingLine Spring and Shock Set (VWR30G5GT) (Progressive Parts)
A complete set of OEM nuts and bolts, Audi TT front strut tops and OEM rear strut tops. (FCP Euro)
SuperPro Performance Lower Control Arms Anti Lift Kit (Sparesbox)
CTS Turbo - Billet Torque Arm Insert (Dubaddiction)
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 Tyres (Bon Jane Doncaster)
Kamikaze Zipang Ceramic Coating (The Detail Lab)

After receiving the car back, after all the parts were installed by Volkwerke. I was pleasantly surprised. I was surprised because the car wasn't anywhere near as drastically different as I thought it would be. I wasn't greeted with excessive vibration when starting the engine, when I was driving down the road the suspension wasn't anywhere near as firm as I thought it was going to be. I even had to check to make sure there were new shocks and springs installed, but the more I drove the car and the further I went I realised that it wasn't the big things that changed with these parts. It's the small things. It was almost too smooth, too comfortable. It didn't initially feel like an upgrade.

As pictured, the drop is subtle from stock, but tasteful and practical. There isn't a gutter, driveway or speedbump that I'm worried about taking or has given me a drama so far. The ride quality is EXTREMELY stock and OEM like, on some larger pot holes you can feel it's a bit firmer but the ride is so much more compliant it offsets the harder feel, when cruising on a highway, major or minor road that's good to excellent quality (Melbourne arterial roads) you would never know you're on suspension that is modified. Absolutely perfect for a commuter.

Over the last couple of days I took the car along highways, suburban streets, mountain passes to get a feel for each situation and not once did I feel uncomfortable or "hmm, this doesn't seem right". There are also absolutely NO rattles, no banging, no noises, nothing, complete silence. Volkwerke did an EXCEPTIONAL job on the install as per normal and no shortcuts were taken, and you can tell. Today I took the car through the Black Spur and Reefton spur. Through the Reefton spur and Lake Mountain it was ABSOLUTELY PISSING DOWN with rain, and not once did I have an issue with grip, absolute confidence at all times. You point the car, and the car will hold the direction. It's amazing. Body roll isn't as reduced as I thought it would be, but that's the compromise you make when you want a ride that's as OEM like in quality as possible. It feels refreshed, and it's limits are far beyond my abilities as a driver. I wish I could be more exact with my terms and references but unfortunately I'm not suspension expert and I'd just be pretending if I started to throw words around I didn't understand.

The Pilot Sport 4's are absolutely amazing in comparison to the Pirelli P Zero's I had previously. I'm not sure if it's due to them deterioriately quickly due to a poor alignment by the previous owner, but the new tyres just absolutely hold the road and grip much more going hard in a roundabout, or punching the throttle out of a corner.

In regards to the to anti-lift kit and the billet torque arm insert. This changed the car dramatically. The torque arm insert absolutely brought the gearbox and the engine together, before the insert they felt like 2 seperate items, they now feel as one. Shifting is easier, shifting is faster, the car feels more together. I wish I did it sooner, and for everyone talking about NVH, I'm not sure if it's because my car is manual and not DSG, but the only NVH I've noticed that the TAI has introduced is when you're laboring the engine or taking off from first and not quite using enough go pedal. Otherwise, you wouldn't know it's installed. The other upside is, the NVH that's introduced at those times isn't at all harsh or unpleasant, it's a nice feeling, it feels more like a car, rather than a glorified shopping trolley for 33 year old marketing executives. It gives it a slightly more 'unrefined' feel. I honestly can't comment on the effects from the anti-lift because I'm not sure at this stage after 2 days where it's advantages lie, and what improvments it's given that haven't been from the Torque Arm Insert or the new tyres. Wheel hop has been DRASTICALLY reduced.

Comestically, the car has been refreshed and renewed by Richie at The Detail Lab, he had the car for nearly a week. He washed, prepped, decontaminated and corrected the paint before applying the Kamikaze Zipang coating. Due to the age of the car, and how the previous owner looked after the car, not every single imperfection could be removed, but for the most part it's 90%. The car looks brand new, and you would not guess that it's a car with 107,000km on it. Give him a call if you're based in the suburbs of Melbourne.

To wrap it up, it's the small things that have all added up that has changed the dynamic and feel of the car for the better. It feels about 20-30% better than stock, it's definitely OEM+. Everything I have installed does NOT make it a track monster, does not make it a drag strip queen, does not make it a raw kidney destroying, teeth rattling Evo VIII. It's now a car where every single one of it's good points and what made the MK6 GTI such a great driver's car, even better. If your GTI MK5 or MK6 needs a suspension refresh and you don't want to lose the comfort of stock, I highly suggest the parts I've installed. If anyone wants to go for a spin, just to see how it feels, let me know.

[url=https://ibb.co/z7gXSTN]

[manol]

Wow, nice work Manol, will be interesting to see the difference when it is all fitted. You'll like the 4S tyres, they are excellent. Love the RacingLine gear, shame about Harding, I've used them recently and they've been very good.

It's like night and day.....they're not Pilot Sport 4S's unfortunately, just PS4. PS4S' are only available in 19">....