2017 GTi PP at VIR

[Mini7]

Hope everyone are doing well.

Been busy with a long list of house updates. A little remodeling. That has been taking up all my time so no track events. Spending quality time with my parents and family.

Ive decided to install a larger front sway during my track downtime. what is the best match to my 034 RSB?

Stay safe and keep it shiny side up.

 

[DerHase]

Hope everyone are doing well.

Been busy with a long list of house updates. A little remodeling. That has been taking up all my time so no track events. Spending quality time with my parents and family.

Ive decided to install a larger front sway during my track downtime. what is the best match to my 034 RSB?

Stay safe and keep it shiny side up.

According to 034, their front sway bar is effectively a solid 24mm bar (same diameter as original but... solid). There can be minor geometry changes with arm length etc that'll also affect it, but according to them the two mounting positions at +18.5 and +40.3% which seem reasonable given their rear bar specs

034 FSB:
https://www.034motorsport.com/adjus...f-gti-r-8v-audi-a3-s3-rs3-8s-tt-tts-ttrs.html
+18.5% (soft)
+40.3% (hard)

-34 RSB:
https://www.034motorsport.com/adjus...mkvii-volkswagen-golf-gti-8v-audi-a3-fwd.html
+153% (soft)
+174% (hard)


For comparison here are the measurements for my 26mm front + 26mm rear H&R bars since I finally was able to directly measure the OEM sway bar. Based on the front vs rear percentage split, I'd say that sounds about right. Realistically because of your stiffer suspension I wouldn't want such a stiff setup as I have anyway. This is ASSuming the 034 bars are measured identically to how I measured mine... which is almost for sure not the case. BUT the relationship of front vs rear increases relative to each other is in the ball park of reasonable balance-wise.

With my 26mm H&R up front on a considerably softer overall setup (stock springs and shocks), and bar set to soft, I don't think I have a want for MORE front bar (though I intend to test hard vs soft at a private track day the Friday before the TSCC HPDE)... but it'll ultimately depend on what the timer and/or data says vs going by "feel" alone. I suspect it'll be some kind of a fuzzy answer in the form of the harder bar being better for one or two laps, but it'll overwork the front tires and make them greasy faster. That's my hypothesis anyway (this is a major reason why most well set up FWD road race cars do not run a front sway bar for 45 min sprint races... supposedly).

 

[Mini7]

Appreciate the info and suggestions.

 

[Mini7]

Front 034 swaybar has gone in.

Hit tire debris on the highway and had to replace the VAQ ECU. Broke the oil level sensor plug and the VAQ ECU plug. Had to depin those and install new ones. Changing the VAQ and transmission oil while I’m in there.

Also swopping out the auxiliary water pump due to fault code. Un-related to hitting the road shrapnel.

Purchased a 4” Baun DP and will be installing that.

While the DP is out, I installed my Cobb ABS pump heat shield.

 

[Mini7]

4” Baun DP Installed.

There is more clearance to the ABS Pump. Cobb heat shield may likely be overkill right now but I had it and installed it.
There is also good clearance to the VAQ fill plug from below.

 

[Mini7]

Got some maintenance items to wrap up when I get back from the Beach. Fluid changes etc.

Will be interested to see what the new 034 front swaybar feels like.

Then I need to figure out what I do with my CC and whether I add @Redslaya’s ductwork before VIR in the fall. Following the good work done by @DerHase for the MQB track community.

Debating whether I just place the oil cooler in the driver side fender well or duct the center mount oil cooler.

 

[DerHase]

Got some maintenance items to wrap up when I get back from the Beach. Fluid changes etc.

Will be interested to see what the new 034 front swaybar feels like.

Then I need to figure out what I do with my CC and whether I add @Redslaya’s ductwork before VIR in the fall. Following the good work done by @DerHase for the MQB track community.

Debating whether I just place the oil cooler in the driver side fender well or duct the center mount oil cooler.

Since it’s already there, I’d duct it down. In the overheating thread @Redslaya posted the instructions for the duct, with the website you can send the CAD file to for it to be bent and sent to you for <$100.

I’d also really like to see the data on a “control” car since you’re a consistent driver and we’d have oil/coolant temps both before and after with the duct being the only change.

 

[Mini7]

For a $100 it’s worth doing a before and after on my car. Curious whether VIR conditions would maintain similar improvements down the long straights.
It will be faster and likely easier to install the duct than relocate the cooler to the driver side fender well.

I have my hoses routed to the bottom of the cooler. I would have to holesaw the bracket to allow the fittings to poke through the bottom. That would be the only change I would need to make to the duct.

 

[DerHase]

For a $100 it’s worth doing a before and after on my car. Curious whether VIR conditions would maintain similar improvements down the long straights.
It will be faster and likely easier to install the duct than relocate the cooler to the driver side fender well.

I have my hoses routed to the bottom of the cooler. I would have to holesaw the bracket to allow the fittings to poke through the bottom. That would be the only change I would need to make to the duct.

Should be easy enough for @Redslaya to make a tweak to the CAD file so there is some clearance on the bottom for the hoses to come out.

Worth noting here, I don't think it'll matter fittings top vs bottom for a VWR cooler adapter - the oil lines run up higher than the oil cooler is... but with the iAbed cooler adapter, I'd have to check but I think it might just be lower/similar height as the oil cooler itself is. In that case if you run the fittings on the bottom with the iAbed cooler, there's a good chance a BUNCH of oil will drain back to the pan when shut off.

What does this mean? If you fill your oil level only to "full"... when you start it up, the oil cooler will burb the maybe ~1qt of air and when actually driving your oil level will be low. You can figure out your new "full" mark by unbolting the cooler, laying it fittings up and laying it on the ground, start the car up to circulate the oil, then shut down and fill it up to the normal "full" mark. Then remount the oil cooler in the "final" position, give it a couple min to drain, and then check the oil level to find out what your new "actual full" mark is. It'll probably be a bit higher on the dipstick than without a cooler.

 

[scrllock]

Pretty sure the stock oil cooler is higher than the lines on almost any mounting spot. Oil changes should be kinda seamless, you'll just always have some extra oil in the system that never gets fully drained if you don't disconnect the cooler and make a huge mess.

 

[GTIfan99]

Why not remove fog lights and run it to the right or left side?

Seems like the best option, unless you can't live without the fogs. I broke one, so it makes the decision easy. Lol

 

[Mini7]

I have retrofitted an R-bumper and have the auxiliary cooler in the passenger fender well.

So I have options. Duct the center mount cooler like @Redslaya for a before/after data point. But ultimately I will likely move it to the driver side fender well. Got the washer fluid bottle and the secondary air pump on that side which complicates the installation but I’m sure that Ill figure out a solution.

That will provide another data point for those wanting to go the R-bumper conversion route.

 

[Mini7]

Post in thread '2017 GTi PP at VIR'
https://golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/2017-gti-pp-at-vir.351754/post-7712580

 

[GTIfan99]

I have retrofitted an R-bumper and have the auxiliary cooler in the passenger fender well.

So I have options. Duct the center mount cooler like @Redslaya for a before/after data point. But ultimately I will likely move it to the driver side fender well. Got the washer fluid bottle and the secondary air pump on that side which complicates the installation but I’m sure that Ill figure out a solution.

That will provide another data point for those wanting to go the R-bumper conversion route.

What's the aux cooler? For coolant, DSG, VAQ?

 

[Mini7]

For coolant. I added it to improve cooling headroom.