Recommended mild suspension upgrades for Mk6 GTI

[Tobes_WIR35]

Guys & girls,

After last weekend's squirt around Lakeside, I think the GTI needs some tighter arse muscles. It felt a little wafty ducking through the bends. Bearing in mind I do about 600km a week, city and highway driving, I want to retain comparable comfort levels of the standard suspension as much as reasonably possible, but just want a bit less body roll for the odd occasion when it gets thrown around corners. It's a little bit frustrating when the car has enough power to get around the corner fast, but the back end is throwing it's weight around and slowing things down.

I'm also not looking to spend too much more money on the car, as I only have it on a 3 year lease.

I am thinking of throwing on either front and rear sway bars, or just a rear sway bar, if that is going to do a good enough job. With the XDL the front end feels okay, it's just the back that throws it's weight around a bit too much. Corner under braking or neutral acceleration is probably the worst, corner under acceleration seems to make the rear end sit down and shut up, and the XDL seems to pull the car around the corner quite well.

If anyone has similar experience with their GTI and has improved the handling for options under about $1000 or so, would love to hear about it.

Cheers,
Tobes

[nat225]

this could be a good option:

Volkswagen OE Driver Gear Springs by Eibach

WHITE JAMES: Suspension & Wheel Reviews - Page 20 - VW GTI Forum / VW Rabbit Forum / VW R32 Forum / VW Golf Forum - Golfmkv.com

[Tobes_WIR35]

Has anyone done just the springs? I'm thinking maybe the H&R sport springs. They lower it by about 40mm which is fine. Should cost about $800 or so fitted. Maybe I'd do the rear sway bar at the same time.....

[Buller_Scott]

if you're really after cornering performance the springs probably arent going to help - mismatched springs and dampers are never a good thing.

i'd try the sway bar first, and perhaps rear axle bushes or something like that - either solid/stiffer rubber, or polyurethane (not as good as rubber) to tighten things up?

naturally, cornering under braking/ lifting off, is going to unsettle the back, and cornering under power is going to transfer some weight to the rear and thus help the car feel more stable.

you didnt take the rear seats out for the track day, did you?

[bugsalanko]

I know this could go in the but seeing as it relates to this, if any of the gti owners are swapping out there stock springs for an upgrade, I would be interested in buying a set of springs in good condition

[Brendan_A]

I had Eibach pro kit springs on my Golf for 10 months and found the ride terrible at high speeds. The car felt very unsettled and sometimes dangerous on uneven road surface and at speeds above 100km/h. Even driving between Toowoomba and Brisbane on that crappy Warrego Hwy and hit a bump I would almost get thrown out of my seat.

Two weeks ago I purchased Bilstein B8 struts and shocks to match the springs. Had them installed last Friday and what a difference the car rides now! It soaks up the bumps now and when I drive it hard in the corners now it is awesome! I also have whiteline F&R sway bars too.

My Brother had a whiteline rear sway bar installed on his GTI and it made a huge difference to his handling and it was a cheap mod.

I just feel if your going to change springs it will be better to put in matching shocks to and save yourself on labour. I learnt the hard way.

[walbjj]

i have a set of eibach pro kit springs but they are a custom set researched and put together by derek at EA and rob van oz from eibach australia. it is completely different to the off the shelf pro kit that they sell. it actually feels exactly like stock but is lower, and it doestn have the raked forward stance that the pro kit has.
it isnt unsettled, it feels like the oem springs. cant really fault it, plus no scrubbing issues with my 19" rims and tyres

[nat225]

should wait for the suspension Guru to give his thoughts on his newly installed springs:

VW GTI Forum / VW Rabbit Forum / VW R32 Forum / VW Golf Forum - Golfmkv.com - View Single Post - WHITE JAMES: Suspension & Wheel Reviews

IMO, the above set of springs, Whiteline Anti Lift Kit and rear H&R 22mm sway bar should improve the handling of a Mk6 GTI well.

My own set up is PSS10, Whiteline Anti Lift Kit and rear H&R 22mm sway bar. This has helped my GTI corner fast on track, including last month's relaxing happy laps at the Lakeside. Front 26mm sway is yet to be installed..

[kaanage]

should wait for the suspension Guru to give his thoughts on his newly installed springs:

VW GTI Forum / VW Rabbit Forum / VW R32 Forum / VW Golf Forum - Golfmkv.com - View Single Post - WHITE JAMES: Suspension & Wheel Reviews

He has DCC on his car which will adjust to the altered spring rate to some extent.

What Buller_Scott and Brendan_A have posted is good advice. In fact, I would recommend upgrading the dampers BEFORE changing springs except that springs alone are pretty cheap so you may as well avoid the extra labour of separate fitting.

To the OP, the easiest and cheapest alteration would be the rear anti-roll bar. Being so cheap and easy to install, I would normally do this first, although given your description of your car's behavior, it may make it worse.

[T Go]

Timely thread.
I've been thinking about this too, and was looking into H&R 22 or 24 rear sways, but was unsure of which to go for.
Does anyone with some experience know if there's much a difference with the 22 and 24s? Especially since they have the 3 settings, would the changes felt perhaps overlap?


Thanks in advance guys.

[Buller_Scott]

Timely thread.
I've been thinking about this too, and was looking into H&R 22 or 24 rear sways, but was unsure of which to go for.
Does anyone with some experience know if there's much a difference with the 22 and 24s? Especially since they have the 3 settings, would the changes felt perhaps overlap?


Thanks in advance guys.

hi mate... i think that yourself and the OP might be in different boats at the moment, to be honest - the OP has a very particular ailment under cornering - be it whilst braking, or under lift off, which is causing him dissatisfaction in the rear end's behavior... i've been there, and i still have it, but i treat it as "im getting to the limit but i can still adjust the car whilst on edge, between the brake, throttle and steering".

what are your aims? a rear antil roll bar is awesome bang for buck, but if it's your only suspension mod i'd really say go the 22mm first - a 24mm is a thick bar, and you might find that the car's behavior during directional changes becomes unpredictable.

i'd say 22mm, set on weakest, then go for a good drive. get used to it, then progress to medium.

are you yourself experiencing the squiggly tail end whilst cornering?

[T Go]

hi mate... i think that yourself and the OP might be in different boats at the moment, to be honest - the OP has a very particular ailment under cornering - be it whilst braking, or under lift off, which is causing him dissatisfaction in the rear end's behavior... i've been there, and i still have it, but i treat it as "im getting to the limit but i can still adjust the car whilst on edge, between the brake, throttle and steering".

what are your aims? a rear antil roll bar is awesome bang for buck, but if it's your only suspension mod i'd really say go the 22mm first - a 24mm is a thick bar, and you might find that the car's behavior during directional changes becomes unpredictable.

i'd say 22mm, set on weakest, then go for a good drive. get used to it, then progress to medium.

are you yourself experiencing the squiggly tail end whilst cornering?

Good point.
I'm really just looking to kill some body roll and tighten things up.
I was leaning towards the 22 anyways, so I'll take your advice on board and probably do just that one.
I've just had a huge info overload with WhiteJames suspension reviews, hahaha.

[nat225]

i think the F28/R24mm sways combo is more suitable for those running on semi slicks or sticky Advan AD08 / Kumho KU36 / Potenza RE-11.

Front stock and rear 24mm may not be a good idea....

[pologti18t]

After last weekend's squirt around Lakeside, I think the GTI needs some tighter arse muscles. It felt a little wafty ducking through the bends. Bearing in mind I do about 600km a week, city and highway driving, I want to retain comparable comfort levels of the standard suspension as much as reasonably possible, but just want a bit less body roll for the odd occasion when it gets thrown around corners.

I think maybe a set off adjustable dampers may do the trick. Especially if you give a few extra clicks of rebound at the rear for when you do track days. It wont decrease the overall lean angles but it will tighten up the initial transition into the bend. It will "feel" like understeer has been reduced.

A beefed up rear anti roll bar ONLY can cause you grief if you give the car lots of steering input (emergency swerve). The tail can whip round rather quickly if the ESP is off. When I had my Astra SRI i fitted a rear anti roll bar after having Koni SPorts shocks on the car for a couple of years. It did make a noticeable difference BUT I swerved to miss something in the highway one day and the rear end lost traction in a rather scarey manner that it wouldn't have done without the rear ARB.

[kaanage]

A beefed up rear anti roll bar ONLY can cause you grief if you give the car lots of steering input (emergency swerve).

Add braking to turning (ie braking mid corner when something unexpected pops up in your path) and the rear anti roll bar can get you into grief as well and if the car is already close its cornering grip limit, then the ESP isn't going to save you.

This is why car manufacturers almost universally make their cars understeer under brakes. It's not as fun but there are too many people who lack the skill and experience to control a car in lift off oversteer situations.

You may well be right about the OP needing more damping control at the rear but improving the damping all around will keep the car balanced as well. Plus I'd get all the suspension bushes checked too (maybe first).