Stock struts vs gti struts

[jamie88]

I currently have eibach sportlines fitted with standard tdi struts. I'm
More than happy with the ride quality, very little scrubbing, not too harsh etc. The front height is perfect but I wouldn't mind the rear being a little lower. I'm just wondering if fitting gti struts which are 15mm lower to the rear would bring the rear down at all ? Or is ride height mainly based on springs ?

[brad]

springs 1234

[jamie88]

as cool as count dracula is, i dont get it

[brad]

The Count! minimum character limit.

Ride height is based on springs. Brand new gas struts might lift it a bit but will settle in time.

You might look for a difference in the position of the spring mounts on the struts (tdi to gti).
On the rear, the spring is mounted between the trailing arm & the body isn't it? The damper is seperate? Sometimes you can remove part of the rubber in the mount to get some drop but with a trade-off in NVH.

[jamie88]

look like im stuck with a 5mm gap between guard and tire

thanks for your help

[kaanage]

If you're desperate to go low and broke, then you can always take an angle grinder to the springs...........

[jamie88]

im not that desperate to go low, i mean theres only a 5mm gap between the guard the the tyre.

[brad]

take that "no fat chicks" sticker off the back window - problem solved.

[T Go]

take that "no fat chicks" sticker off the back window - problem solved.

Hahahahahahahahahaha. Gold Jerry. GOLD.

[SMOK3Y]

If you're desperate to go low and broke, then you can always take an angle grinder to the springs...........

worst way you can do it would not recommend

[kaanage]

worst way you can do it would not recommend

hence the "desperate"

[SMOK3Y]

hence the smiley

[kaanage]

Jokes aside, if racing on a budget, you can use this technique to work out what spring rate is needed if they're too soft (on a test day) provided you have adjustable damping and ride height.

But for street lowering, yeah....

[SMOK3Y]

ya the main problem i have with 'cutting' springs is they lose their actual 'spring rate' of the original spring. and most people seem to cut too much out lol

[gldgti]

As a basic explanation, spring rate of a coil spring works like this:

directly propotional to:

> elastic modulus of the steel used
> wire diameter

inversely proportonal to:

> coil diameter
> number of coils

so, if you reduce the number of coils, the spring rate increases (spring gets harder).

Another way to think of it is that if the spring had only 1 coil, you can imagine you would have a LOT of trouble compressing it (exactly analogous to trying to bend a very short bar). If you have a very long bar of the same diameter, you can bend it very easily.