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Tightening up a Golf TSI

ReadTheBook

Autocross Newbie
Location
Bay Area Smoke Hell
Car(s)
DVP Spektrm, MK4 R32
Have searched around but not finding much on guys who've done much with the TSI. I know there's a few of you out there...

My wife has a 2015 Golf SE Sport (has the factory body kit and 17" Madrid wheels). She's driven my 2017 GTI enough to realize the differences in handling and would like to "tighten up" her car as she puts it.

Through some probing questions, I've found that she wants to have a better more connected/heavier steering feel, and wouldn't mind being a little lower (I'll come back to this). Those are the goals and they are in that order.

So what would be the best way to attain these in the collective opinions of the group?

A few notes:
- I am planning to upgrade her tires as a first step, so please don't recommend tires.
- We want to stay with the wheels she has currently.
- I had a 16 Golf before having my GTI, and had DriverGear springs on that with the stock shocks. I didn't like the feel of those springs at all. I found them to be bouncy/have uncontrolled rebound.
 

-Dutch-

Drag Race Newbie
Location
RI
Honestly, I'd wait until you've done the tires and then see how she feels. If that's not a big enough difference then reevaluate at that point. As for lowering, since the GTI is lower than the Golf I wonder if a set of OEM GTI struts and springs would be compatible. Someone who actually knows the difference should pipe in here. If so, I'm sure there would be some available from users who bought coilovers.
 

TJN

Ready to race!
Location
Palm Coast, FL
Car(s)
2017 Alltrack S
I've never driven a GTI so can't compare the two but I own '17 Wolfsburg which has been lowered since 300 miles on the odometer. One thing to note, Golf doesn't have driving modes like GTI so if your wife has driven your GTI in one of the driving mode settings that would explain that she noticed the difference. Once you put new tires and lower it, maybe replace the rear sway bar with bigger one even with one from PP GTI to keep things OEM like.

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TJN

Ready to race!
Location
Palm Coast, FL
Car(s)
2017 Alltrack S
There are also some OBDII tweaks you can do to make it feel more connected like ESC/ASR settings and starting vibrations, etc.

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MeltedSolid

Autocross Newbie
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
Car(s)
'15 Golf, e36 328i
GTI struts won't fit as they are 55mm diameter vs the base golf's 50mm diameter. Keep this in mind for aftermarket suspension as well, you need to get struts specifically for the base golf.

OP, I also agree about just springs not working with the base golf. Our stock dampers aren't nearly as stiff as the GTI's and become bouncy with stiffer springs much easier. After tires, I recommend going all the way with a good set of coilovers. I'm very glad I did that personally, and haven't looked back. Once you get past that the whole setup can basically be treated as identical to the GTI. The sway bars are a bit smaller (22,19), so you'll at least want to upgrade the rear just like the GTI. You'll also want to change the steering with OBD eleven to whatever the most aggressive is (I think it was dynamic or adaptive or something). You could go farther with bushings, etc which are all identical to the GTI to my knowledge, but the above is as far as I've gone, and my dad has compared the feel of my car to his Porsche Boxster. At the moment I am pretty happy with my setup, but I do want to get engine and transmission mounts to reduce wheel hop and I didn't get one of the golden standards of tires on this forum so those will be my next mods.
 

Elwood

3-7-77
Location
Long Beach, CA
I did this with my Golf (have owned GTI).
- You cannot swap in a GTI suspension. The base of the shocks (that fit into the swivels) are 50mm on a Golf and 55mm on a GTI.
- All springs are "bouncy". The problem is the shocks. If they aren't up to the job, the car will bounce.

I put on good tires first. Big difference (especially cornering), but it wasn't enough.

Next I put on VWR springs (about an inch lower). I encountered the "bouncy" problem and added Bilstein Sports (B8s). Huge difference. I would whole heartedly recommend this approach. Just do it all at once so you don't have to pay for installation twice.

I also put GTI (non-PP) brakes on the car. Its only about $500 and is well worth it.
 

-Dutch-

Drag Race Newbie
Location
RI
GTI struts won't fit as they are 55mm diameter vs the base golf's 50mm diameter. Keep this in mind for aftermarket suspension as well, you need to get struts specifically for the base golf.

Good to know, thanks.
 

Gawernator

Go Kart Champion
Location
Fremont, CA
You’ll have to come see how mine rides with the Koni yellow. Tires struts and springs will transform her car. And sway bars. Do front and rear not just rear.
 

big residual

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
US
You could try sways before springs, but if I were guessing you’ll need both for something that feels more planted. I don’t know the GSW dynamics, but you also could start with a RSB and wait to see if you want to do FSB. Opinions if FSB is incrementally better on GTI/R are mixed.
 

coachfraley

Ready to race!
Location
Southern CA
You’ll have to come see how mine rides with the Koni yellow. Tires struts and springs will transform her car. And sway bars. Do front and rear not just rear.

Did you get a chance to drive your car with springs and stock shocks before you went with the koni's? Just wondering if you were able to observe the difference.

I am running on DG's and stock shocks currently. Considering the jump to koni yellows.

Sorry for the hijack.
 

ReadTheBook

Autocross Newbie
Location
Bay Area Smoke Hell
Car(s)
DVP Spektrm, MK4 R32
GTI struts won't fit as they are 55mm diameter vs the base golf's 50mm diameter. Keep this in mind for aftermarket suspension as well, you need to get struts specifically for the base golf.

OP, I also agree about just springs not working with the base golf. Our stock dampers aren't nearly as stiff as the GTI's and become bouncy with stiffer springs much easier. After tires, I recommend going all the way with a good set of coilovers. I'm very glad I did that personally, and haven't looked back. Once you get past that the whole setup can basically be treated as identical to the GTI. The sway bars are a bit smaller (22,19), so you'll at least want to upgrade the rear just like the GTI. You'll also want to change the steering with OBD eleven to whatever the most aggressive is (I think it was dynamic or adaptive or something). You could go farther with bushings, etc which are all identical to the GTI to my knowledge, but the above is as far as I've gone, and my dad has compared the feel of my car to his Porsche Boxster. At the moment I am pretty happy with my setup, but I do want to get engine and transmission mounts to reduce wheel hop and I didn't get one of the golden standards of tires on this forum so those will be my next mods.

This is sort of what I was looking for. Works well because I have a front and rear sway from my ‘17 Sport with PP. I’ll start with the tires and see what she thinks.

What coils did you get? Thanks!
 

ReadTheBook

Autocross Newbie
Location
Bay Area Smoke Hell
Car(s)
DVP Spektrm, MK4 R32
You could try sways before springs, but if I were guessing you’ll need both for something that feels more planted. I don’t know the GSW dynamics, but you also could start with a RSB and wait to see if you want to do FSB. Opinions if FSB is incrementally better on GTI/R are mixed.

It’s not a GSW, just a golf, but thanks. I’m gonna get the bars from my GTI into her car.
 

ReadTheBook

Autocross Newbie
Location
Bay Area Smoke Hell
Car(s)
DVP Spektrm, MK4 R32
I did this with my Golf (have owned GTI).
- You cannot swap in a GTI suspension. The base of the shocks (that fit into the swivels) are 50mm on a Golf and 55mm on a GTI.
- All springs are "bouncy". The problem is the shocks. If they aren't up to the job, the car will bounce.

I put on good tires first. Big difference (especially cornering), but it wasn't enough.

Next I put on VWR springs (about an inch lower). I encountered the "bouncy" problem and added Bilstein Sports (B8s). Huge difference. I would whole heartedly recommend this approach. Just do it all at once so you don't have to pay for installation twice.

I also put GTI (non-PP) brakes on the car. Its only about $500 and is well worth it.

I had the B8 and VWR combo on my GTI, didn’t care for it as much as I like the H&R OE Sport Springs with the B8, but they don’t make the OE Sport for Golf, they’re GTI only. The H&R Sport Springs available for the golf will drop the golf 1.3” and I think that will be too much for her because she has the Golf Sport and it has the factory body kit...
 
Last edited:

Gawernator

Go Kart Champion
Location
Fremont, CA
Did you get a chance to drive your car with springs and stock shocks before you went with the koni's? Just wondering if you were able to observe the difference.



I am running on DG's and stock shocks currently. Considering the jump to koni yellows.



Sorry for the hijack.



I have 27.6k miles on stock suspension so far


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