suspension question....

[aisekulic]

hi all, I'm looking at getting coil overs, ( FK Sport Edition Plus Coil over Suspension Kit) and so dropping the gti about 50 - 55mm. would i need to also get drop links? or a new rear sway bar? I'm running 17 by 8 BBS with et35 ( 12mm spacers on rear) with 225 45 tires

any advice would be helpful as I'm looking at ordering soon and would like to get all that would be required for these coil overs.

thanks

[audi-tone]

should work fine. when i lowered mine about the same amount i got the drop links but i didnt really need them (used them anyway) - no rubbing or anything lowering that much. not sure if you'd be able to use the spacers still on the rear when lowered. might need to stretch tyres if you do at that height.
this thread may help. go through there and see if you can find something similar to the setup you'll run!

VWVortex.com - The Spacers Picture Thread

[dylan8]

lowering a mk4 40mm or more you are ment to change end links or front sway bar, or if your low enough, remove it. some people have a problem (meee), others dont seem to have the problem. but either way it is a known fact on the mk4 that the sway bar will rub on your drive shafts at a certain drop

[gavs]

Will also turn your handling up the preverbial creek with no paddle. You will no longer have proper down travel in your front control arms, you will be flogging out your bushes too....

[aisekulic]

Will also turn your handling up the preverbial creek with no paddle. You will no longer have proper down travel in your front control arms, you will be flogging out your bushes too....

so then if im reading right, def change end links. but also the front sway bar?

[TazzyVR6]

You either use new drop links on the stock swaybar OR buy a new swaybar (ie Eibach, H&R, Neuspeed etc) which have extra clearance built in to clear the driveshafts on lowered cars.

[dylan8]

You either use new drop links on the stock swaybar OR buy a new swaybar (ie Eibach, H&R, Neuspeed etc) which have extra clearance built in to clear the driveshafts on lowered cars.

pretty much it.
Be careful with how much certain brand bars let you lower (all are different). I purchased one that cleared the drive shafts, but then it fouled on the control arms all day long. read the fine print on if they have a maximum height drop

[madglf3]

I have the very coilovers you've mentioned and have a similar wheel setup (17x8 +32 but with 215/45/17) and so far I've liked them; not too harsh and when you dial up the firmness to around 4 out of 6 all round you get rid of the bouncyness (I hated them on the 2nd setting) and get a much more compliant and nicer ride.

I'm not too sure how much I've lowered mine, but I have run into swaybar issues (only on the righ hand drive shaft) even after having bought aftermarket and adjustable swaybar endlinks. I just raised it around 10mm and it seemed to remove that problem. I would like to be lower but I am unsure about where to go next after reading about Dylan's issues. My adjustable endlinks are FKs by the way and were around $100 from ECS last year.

Good luck with the build up and be sure to post some more pictures!

[aisekulic]

thanks heaps for the info, thats really helpful. ill be sure to post pics re build as its also going to be full refresh of front suspension and a big brake upgrade 312 vented and slotted discs up front. and am hoping to do it all myself over a weekend. stay tuned !

[madglf3]

Good stuff mate, brakes sounds like a good plan.

[gavs]

and a big brake upgrade 312 vented and slotted discs up front

Have one for sale off a Bora 4Motion....

In regards to your handling, the LCA is engineered to sit at an acute angle to the road surface so that as it reaches the upwards travel limit, it approaches horizontal. By going lower than around the 20-30mm mark, you will change this so that the LCA is at horizontal, maybe slightly acute. Any further like you are proposing, you will have an obtuse angle to the road surface so not only is your LCA in the wrong position, your whole suspension geometry is now adversley altered.

See here for a further in depth article....
VWVortex.com - McPherson Suspension Geometry on our MkIV ....... shall we one more time?

[Speed]

Have one for sale off a Bora 4Motion....

In regards to your handling, the LCA is engineered to sit at an acute angle to the road surface so that as it reaches the upwards travel limit, it approaches horizontal. By going lower than around the 20-30mm mark, you will change this so that the LCA is at horizontal, maybe slightly acute. Any further like you are proposing, you will have an obtuse angle to the road surface so not only is your LCA in the wrong position, your whole suspension geometry is now adversley altered.

See here for a further in depth article....
VWVortex.com - McPherson Suspension Geometry on our MkIV ....... shall we one more time?

So don't lower more than 30mm as there's no way to fix this???

[dylan8]

So don't lower more than 30mm as there's no way to fix this???

if you want to be 'correct' and be safe... maybe

[aisekulic]

... i a little confused, there are so many people here that dump their dubs, with the proper suspension, sway bars and droplinks... and they report have improved handling. but like speed said "no more than 30mm ?" is that the limit?

[dylan8]

no its not the limit, but the cars suspension really starts to change belew that apparntly
mine was low enough that the driveshalf was starting to rub on the frame over bigger bumps
all i have is a front sway bar. Sure everything works, but i believe all the bushes etc are stuffed, i dont think the car handles better, its just stiffer and has less body roll due to the coilovers and front bar