If I increase rear track width by adding spacers only to the rear wheels, does that effect handling at all? Does it add understeer? If I get 12.5mm spacers, that's about a full inch of rear track width.
Just going for looks. Daily driver. No track days. They are 18x8.5 wheels and look a bit tucked in the rear.
If I increase rear track width by adding spacers only to the rear wheels, does that effect handling at all? Does it add understeer? If I get 12.5mm spacers, that's about a full inch of rear track width.
Just going for looks. Daily driver. No track days. They are 18x8.5 wheels and look a bit tucked in the rear.
That would just make it normal again I suppose. I'd rather have a little more oversteer in a FWD based platform. Trying to use sway bars to correct that would seem a little foolish. Just use the right track width
That would just make it normal again I suppose. I'd rather have a little more oversteer in a FWD based platform. Trying to use sway bars to correct that would seem a little foolish. Just use the right track width
You're not going to correct the understeer with track width. A rear sway bar is a mod most people get to correct the understeer so you don't get embarrased on a curve. When I first got my GTI the Veloster Turbo I had would corner much faster because of less understeer.
You're not going to correct the understeer with track width. A rear sway bar is a mod most people get to correct the understeer so you don't get embarrased on a curve. When I first got my GTI the Veloster Turbo I had would corner much faster because of less understeer.
I get that a rear sway bar will correct understeer as I have one myself, I worded that wrong. Wider wheels and spacers in the rear will 100 percent create understeer. I'm saying to not go with wider wheels and spacers in the rear and then rely on a sway bar to negate that understeer.
I get that a rear sway bar will correct understeer as I have one myself, I worded that wrong. Wider wheels and spacers in the rear will 100 percent create understeer. I'm saying to not go with wider wheels and spacers in the rear and then rely on a sway bar to negate that understeer.
That would just make it normal again I suppose. I'd rather have a little more oversteer in a FWD based platform. Trying to use sway bars to correct that would seem a little foolish. Just use the right track width
when I added my ECS flush kit with 17.5mm rear spacers I immediately noticed the suspenion feels softer. My guess is that pushing the wheels out extends the "lever" lenght of the suspension arm relative to the springs/shocks and effectively makes them softer relative to the wheel. It wasn't a huge change but for sure the car felt a touch softer, maybe like 5-10% softer. I had my 034 rear sway bar on the normal setting before, and after doing the spacers I'm going to move it to "full stiff" to try and regain some of that suspension stiffness. I'm on stock springs and shocks.
It's not a big difference from the spacers alone though and I'd bet a lot of people don't even notice the difference.
Basic vehicle dynamics: the wider the track, the lower the amount of weight transfer. This means more grip. If you only widen at one end, then that end will gain traction and the other will not which changes the handling balance. If you make the front track width wider, it will also make the suspension softer because it makes the weight extended farther outward and applying more leverage to your front springs which will also reduce understeer. I personally run wider in the front.
when I added my ECS flush kit with 17.5mm rear spacers I immediately noticed the suspenion feels softer. My guess is that pushing the wheels out extends the "lever" lenght of the suspension arm relative to the springs/shocks and effectively makes them softer relative to the wheel. It wasn't a huge change but for sure the car felt a touch softer, maybe like 5-10% softer. I had my 034 rear sway bar on the normal setting before, and after doing the spacers I'm going to move it to "full stiff" to try and regain some of that suspension stiffness. I'm on stock springs and shocks.
It's not a big difference from the spacers alone though and I'd bet a lot of people don't even notice the difference.
Bingo, for a given springrate you'd be lowering the wheelrate as you push the tire out further. This is even worse on the rear than the front because of how far the spring sits inboard relative to the wheel.
absolutely. I barely noticed it when added 10mm spacers on the front (to clear my brakes) but I noticed it big time when added 17.5mm spacer on the rear.
