Peloquin LSD Question

[DaveMack]

The problem is... Eddy has swaybars etc so it's difficult to tell what the benefits of it are without the rest.

Get a grip ... you think I'm not an experienced driver? Sheesh. He has a front sway bar and mine has a rear swaybar. I'm talking about accelerating into sweeping curves and just KNOWING you're not going to run out of grip or get axle tramp on rough spots.

Dave

[VW GTI]

Yeah, but have you driven a Polo with just suspension (coilovers) and an LSD? Or does it work best after doing the bar upgrades etc.

I'm not saying it's not a good mod, I want one, just wondering if it's better when done in conjunction with the other mods as well. And Eddy's car has them so is it AS awesome without them?

[GT3]

IMO I don’t see the point in spending thousands trying to make the Polo GTI something it’s not, eg LSD. Its FWD set up, chassis, tyre limitations, weight distribution etc will always limit in terms of being a super performer. For the money, you could pick up a used track-ready Porsche 944 for not much $$ at all, and it’ll out-handle many cars bc it was designed to handle well.

[DaveMack]

IMO I don’t see the point in spending thousands trying to make the Polo GTI something it’s not, eg LSD. Its FWD set up, chassis, tyre limitations, weight distribution etc will always limit in terms of being a super performer. For the money, you could pick up a used track-ready Porsche 944 for not much $$ at all, and it’ll out-handle many cars bc it was designed to handle well.

Neil's right ... personally ... it's more of an expense than I could justify and it would still be a FWD vehicle with the traits that come with that. But if you are trying to get the nth-degree of performance out of a Pogo and cash is no object, I would say you'd fall short without one.

Dave

[Timbo]

If the Pog came in two models -- say, stock at $27k OTR, and with an LSD at, say, $29k, I'd buy the LSD model in a heartbeat...and you'd see a nice little club racing scene built around the car (in fact, I'd probably pay $30k+)

The LSD is not that expensive, especially if it was available from the factory and you didn't have to stuff around with shims etc. And an LSD transforms a FWD car on the track, and in the twisties, generally.

[Flaps]

The feeling of getting pulled out of corners rather then spinning the inside tyre gives me a chubbie.

[Eddy]

Hoyhoy.
Just AIM & plant her, but make sure you aim, believe me, especially in tight ones when coming out of them.
P.S. I'm an old rear wheel man but me is changing. The more I drive this little girl, the more me is forgetting about rear or all wheelers.

[PoloGTi]

IMO I don’t see the point in spending thousands trying to make the Polo GTI something it’s not, eg LSD. Its FWD set up, chassis, tyre limitations, weight distribution etc will always limit in terms of being a super performer. For the money, you could pick up a used track-ready Porsche 944 for not much $$ at all, and it’ll out-handle many cars bc it was designed to handle well.

Yes this is all true but i feel the point to modifing a car is to overcome the faults or personal choice of the car from new.
There is no dout in my mind an LSD is def needed when wanting to track or race the car.
After driving several FWD cars with LSDs i can say they do make a big improvment.

My passion for the polo sets goals that i see and want to reach, one thing that can be greatly improved over standered is the handeling.
This includes many componets from bushes to LSDs.
I am slowly working away at getting coils, LSD and bushes.
Swaybars already done aswell as strut braces.

[jamesatfish]

For the money, you could pick up a used track-ready Porsche 944 for not much $$ at all, and it’ll out-handle many cars bc it was designed to handle well.

Very true words, but for me it's not just what you spend upfront or on mods, but what it costs to keep the car on the track as well.

For instance, the other day I needed to repair some minor damage on the Polo when Skippy decided that it was a good idea to cross the road right in front of the car. Thankfully no dented panels, but a new headlight cluster and a heap of plastic components for behind the front bar needed replacing. Probably the sort of damage you'd get if you ran too wide understeering on the final turn at Oran Park and lightly clipped the concrete wall.

One quick trip to the VW dealer, an evening's work and about $230 later, I had the car back to as-new condition with a minimum of fuss.

On the other hand, I've got a car very similar to the 944 that about 7 years ago had a small on-road encounter resulting in similar minor front-end damage. Thankfully Mr Insurance picked up that repair tab, which was good as the bill had 5 figures before the decimal place. It also took nearly 8 weeks to source the parts (some new from Germany, some reconditioned as-new from who-knows-where as the new parts are no longer made) and complete the relatively minor repairs.

Moral of the story - for about $45K the Polo GTI plus mods makes a superb track-ready car that's both quick around the track and relatively cheap to keep there should anything go wrong. I looked at a 944 Challenge car but I just couldn't ignore the costs of maintenance & repairs in the longer term for something that I'd really like to start competing in more seriously in the future.

Back on-topic - I'm actually considering the LSD path myself at the moment so it is very interesting to hear from others who have been down this path already. It sounds like it might be quite a good option.

[PeterHBne]

but a new headlight cluster and a heap of plastic components for behind the front bar needed replacing. One quick trip to the VW dealer, an evening's work and about $230 later, I had the car back to as-new condition with a minimum of fuss.

That sounds awfully cheap.

I would have thought a light cluster alone would be $500 or $600 - and a few plastic bits would be $230 let alone a heap.

[jamesatfish]

That sounds awfully cheap.

I would have thought a light cluster alone would be $500 or $600 - and a few plastic bits would be $230 let alone a heap.

I was amazed too - the light cluster was actually $237.60 which included the cluster itself (complete with bulbs for all the lights) as well as a number of plastic mounting brackets which had broken in the impact. I also needed 6 little plastic 'lugs' (for want of a better term) of various sizes that help join the headlamp cluster to the chassis, and the front bar to the chassis - those may have just come from a pile out the back of the workshop (they weren't supplied in pristine VAG bags & boxes like the headlight cluster) and as such they didn't charge for those.

I've purchased a few cars from that dealership so hopefully they helped out with a nice discount, but I actually think that the parts themselves really weren't that expensive.

[Eddy]

Hoyhoy.
Another consideration of the LSD, in which everyone has overlooked is the minimal torque steer. (big "diff" erence)

[GT3]

Don't get me wrong - I'd love an LSD in my pog. But if fitting one (including labour) costs approximately 12% of the purchase price of the car, dunno

[Flaps]

Hoyhoy.
Another consideration of the LSD, in which everyone has overlooked is the minimal torque steer. (big "diff" erence)

Not for me. I get more torque steer with the LSD. 2nd gear is fun

[DubSteve]

Not for me. I get more torque steer with the LSD. 2nd gear is fun

So is also changing lanes for you