Recommended mild suspension upgrades for Mk6 GTI

[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).

[bwen]

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....

I'm also doing a bit of research at the moment as well, any reasons why? Would stock up front and mild/soft 24mm rear be okay for a street car?

[Buller_Scott]

I'm also doing a bit of research at the moment as well, any reasons why? Would stock up front and mild/soft 24mm rear be okay for a street car?

for a street car with no other suspension mods, i'd err on the side of caution, and get the thinner bar and set on medium MAX.

there was a similar thread in the polo section not too long ago, where someone was (not to have a dig at him) telling us that he'd love the ''go kart'' feel, and as such was going to put 18 inch wheels with super low profile rubber, and a sway bar set on max (with stock shocks and springs) to assist with turn in and general go-kartiness.

that doesnt actually work in the real world. with stock suspension, and having put a smaller-diameter (20mm iirc) sway on the rear of my car, and having set it to max tightness, it snapped oversteered on me like a motherfcker, and i've got two bent rims to aid with the nostalgia - anyone who's running stock suspension and thinking that they'll try to get away with a fat rear sway bar on minimum setting, with the tighter settings there "just in case i want to improve the car's cornering ability once i get used to it", i would strongly urge you to rethink your approach - if not for your own sake, at least for your car's.

yes, a rear sway/ anti roll bar is going to help things like turn in and mid corner roll etc, but getting a fatter rear sway bar and popping it on max is NOT any sort of substitute for things like bushes, shock absorbers, shock/spring kits etc...

i would implore people to NOT trust a 24mm rear sway bar on any sort of setting, on an otherwise unfettled-suspension car. get the 22mm, set it on minimum, THEN go to autobarn and get yourself a digital memory tyre pressure gauge - they're like $30. play with your pressures (i.e. dont trust the pathetic, inaccurate machine at the local fuel stop when adjusting tyre pressures).

tyre pressures were something that, for the longest time, i had taken for granted, but with careful calibration, you might find:
- you can reduce the squirm in the rear by increasing pressure
- you can increase grip in the front by having pressures higher relative to the back
- you can increase turn in response by increasing pressure in the front - for those who run the servo-machine 32psi on their cars, try upping your fronts to 38/39 and your rears to 34/35 (hot), you might be pleasantly surprised.

no point having a huge rear anti roll/ sway bar if your tyre pressures are inadequate AND uneven, to boot.

my 2c.

[T Go]

for a street car with no other suspension mods, i'd err on the side of caution, and get the thinner bar and set on medium MAX.

there was a similar thread in the polo section not too long ago, where someone was (not to have a dig at him) telling us that he'd love the ''go kart'' feel, and as such was going to put 18 inch wheels with super low profile rubber, and a sway bar set on max (with stock shocks and springs) to assist with turn in and general go-kartiness.

that doesnt actually work in the real world. with stock suspension, and having put a smaller-diameter (20mm iirc) sway on the rear of my car, and having set it to max tightness, it snapped oversteered on me like a motherfcker, and i've got two bent rims to aid with the nostalgia - anyone who's running stock suspension and thinking that they'll try to get away with a fat rear sway bar on minimum setting, with the tighter settings there "just in case i want to improve the car's cornering ability once i get used to it", i would strongly urge you to rethink your approach - if not for your own sake, at least for your car's.

yes, a rear sway/ anti roll bar is going to help things like turn in and mid corner roll etc, but getting a fatter rear sway bar and popping it on max is NOT any sort of substitute for things like bushes, shock absorbers, shock/spring kits etc...

i would implore people to NOT trust a 24mm rear sway bar on any sort of setting, on an otherwise unfettled-suspension car. get the 22mm, set it on minimum, THEN go to autobarn and get yourself a digital memory tyre pressure gauge - they're like $30. play with your pressures (i.e. dont trust the pathetic, inaccurate machine at the local fuel stop when adjusting tyre pressures).

tyre pressures were something that, for the longest time, i had taken for granted, but with careful calibration, you might find:
- you can reduce the squirm in the rear by increasing pressure
- you can increase grip in the front by having pressures higher relative to the back
- you can increase turn in response by increasing pressure in the front - for those who run the servo-machine 32psi on their cars, try upping your fronts to 38/39 and your rears to 34/35 (hot), you might be pleasantly surprised.

no point having a huge rear anti roll/ sway bar if your tyre pressures are inadequate AND uneven, to boot.

my 2c.

Good advice.

I went for the VWR Sports Springs and 22mm H&R rear sway, which I will be running on the soft setting.
Should have them in about a month or so.