Rear Sway Bar + Endlinks Inquiry

[sloopercat]

I am still feeling a touch of understeer going into a corner hard. Have not tried a power off to see how the car reacts, need to understand how it reacts before it becomes a must do. So few miles so far, but the Eibach bar does not feel too big. Not feeling a difference in ride quality. I think the stock tires are now the limiting factor in corner speeds, but in a progressive way that gives enough warning to keep me out of trouble. I made quite a few changes in a short time, only 1100 miles behind the wheel so far. The pavement is still cold.

 

[GTIfan99]

I am still feeling a touch of understeer going into a corner hard. Have not tried a power off to see how the car reacts, need to understand how it reacts before it becomes a must do. So few miles so far, but the Eibach bar does not feel too big. Not feeling a difference in ride quality. I think the stock tires are now the limiting factor in corner speeds, but in a progressive way that gives enough warning to keep me out of trouble. I made quite a few changes in a short time, only 1100 miles behind the wheel so far. The pavement is still cold.

Try zeroing front toe as next step.

 

[RacingManiac]

I did have a friend with lowering springs and RSB brake stock endlinks though. I replaced the stock ones when I lowered the car as a precaution.

I don't think most people understand that a big rear bar on these cars doesn't make them tail happy, the closer you get to zero toe in the rear makes the car more tail happy. Big bar + zero rear toe is tail happy. Big rear bar and even a little toe in is not tail happy.

In the wet on cold autoX tires is a different story. Thats the only reason I wish the H&R has a "soft" setting. The ESC Sport intervention makes it very hard to drive the car in that kind of condition...

 

[NopeR]

Turn off esc completely, profit?

 

[GTIfan99]

Turn off esc completely, profit?

Can't do that in Street classes, which is where the GTI is most competitive, though if you care about that primarily, the SI is the right answer in GS. Dear lord is it fast out of the box no real work needed.

 

[Roadhog]

Can't do that in Street classes, which is where the GTI is most competitive, though if you care about that primarily, the SI is the right answer in GS. Dear lord is it fast out of the box no real work needed.

Eh. Local level? Who cares. National would probably get contested.

 

[draza74]

Slightly off topic but.
One of my friends says that installing a rear sway bar without installing a new front one can cause issues..
Any truth to this?

 

[Clem604]

Slightly off topic but.
One of my friends says that installing a rear sway bar without installing a new front one can cause issues..
Any truth to this?

No

 

[GTI Jake]

Based on the OP’s wish list my vote is for H&R 24mm and Moog endlinks.

Can’t beat the quality on either piece. Here’s a diy video I did for my 26mm H&R, but it’s the exact same process for 24mm

 

[EricsVdub]

An anti sway bar is just a torsion spring. They mount to the chassis at two points on different sides of the car, and have bends at each side to produce lever arms. The ends of each lever arm connect through end links to a point on the suspension, control arms usually. By design, any anti sway bar will not impact the ride on any surface that's even between the left and right sides. It will impact the ride somewhat over uneven surfaces by effectively increasing the spring rate by twisting the anti sway (torsion) bar as each side of the suspension is at a different level. The much more noticeable impact will be the reduced body roll using the same torsion effect when cornering. Weight transfers away from the inside suspension towards the outside during cornering, causing the inside suspension to lift, or lengthen, and the outside suspension to squat, or shorten. The anti sway bar resists that change by twisting the anti sway (torsion) bar as one arm tries to move up while the other side tries to move down.
Those of you old enough to remember Ralph Nader and the Chevrolet Corvair (yes, I'm old) understand why all vehicle manufacturers engineer understeer into their suspensions. Although with the prevalence of anti lock braking systems they no longer need to. Prior to anti lock brakes being widely available, manufacturers wanted to ensure that in an emergency when a driver panic braked, every vehicle had a decent amount of understeer so the car would continue in a straight line with the wheels locked up. With oversteer, that situation would cause the car to fishtail and potentially head in a direction the driver didn't intend. That opens the manufacturer up to litigation from consumers involved in accidents. That being said, front wheel drive cars tend to understeer an excessive amount due to their inherent weight distribution issues, as well as the steering wheels also being the drive wheels (power understeer).
Stock end links should be fine with just about any aftermarket spring/anti sway bar combination. Adjustable length end links are useful/necessary with adjustable height coilovers to prevent preload on the anti sway bar due to suspension heights being adjusted individually at each corner (i.e. corner weighting).

 

[uberdot]

Thanks for the install vid Jake

 

[sloopercat]

For the OEM exhaust, unbolt the rear driver’s side hanger from the car, leave the rubber hanger on, and the exhaust drops out of the way.

 

[PlaidDad]

Trying do decide how stiff a rear bar to buy. My stock 17 DSG R is a DD, MAYBE 1-2 track days per year In non Covid times, no auto-x. It splits duty between MA and VT, both with plenty of windy roads for spirited but not crazy driving. The road quality in both states can be pretty bad, lots of choppy pavement, and frost heaves in the spring.

lLeaning towards either 034 Motorsports adjustable or H&R 25 mm fixed. I like the bushing design and the adjustability of the 034, but am concerned that it’s not enough of a change to have significant impact. OTOH, is the H&R going to be too stiff for the poor roads?

Not keen on spending huge $ for end links, like the 034s, and Moogs are out of stock, thinking I’ll run the stock ones until they fail, they have 55k on the now.

Input welcomed!

 

[IanCH]

Neither, get the 24mm superpro adjustable bar.

You dont want too much RSB, and everyone seems to overdo it. The stock rear R bar is both small and hollow. All you need is the 2 adjustment points to get what you are looking for. Felt like I was comparing a childs toy imitation to the real deal having the 24mm SP next to the stock R bar on my 15 R

034 bushings are trash, dont buy that.

 

[bfury5]

Neither, get the 24mm superpro adjustable bar.

You dont want too much RSB, and everyone seems to overdo it. The stock rear R bar is both small and hollow. All you need is the 2 adjustment points to get what you are looking for. Felt like I was comparing a childs toy imitation to the real deal having the 24mm SP next to the stock R bar on my 15 R

034 bushings are trash, dont buy that.

I've had the 034 bar for 2 years of autox now, and it seems to be holding up fine *so far*. I grease the bushings once a year just to push the dirt out

Not keen on spending huge $ for end links, like the 034s, and Moogs are out of stock, thinking I’ll run the stock ones until they fail, they have 55k on the now.

Input welcomed!

I had stock endlinks for 2 years of full season autox and never had an issue, that was with the 24mm H&R bar. I'd agree, stick with OEM for now. Just make sure you use the right tool (12pt, not a hex) to counterhold the endlink when you remove it from the stock sway bar or else you'll destroy them