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A Track Rat's Build Thread

victorofhavoc

Autocross Champion
Location
Kansas City
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I'll add some stuff here to track my build, and will gladly answer all questions about what I have done. I don't have time right now, but will get to it. Just wanted to throw this up for now since a few of us get off topic on other threads frequently :)

Here are my alignment specs and current standing to get us started:
Uni stage 2 w/ CTS downpipe, stock catback, and Uni intercooler
034 springs -> moved to pss10 coils for this year
034 dynamic + top mounts (-2.3 one side and -2.5 the other)
034 dogbone inserts -> moved to revo puck this year (dramatically better, pain to install)
034 p34 intake -> going back to stock this year
CTS TIP (improved throttle response mid corner)
racingline oil cooler -> will get a bigger exchanger this year
ds2500 front pads, r4s rear -> I cooked the R4s repeatedly (they're garbage and worse than stock rears) moving to Gloc R10/ R8 this year
yoko a052 tires in 235/45/17 on a 17x9 front and 17x8 rear (I got the tires for cheap and the wider front after, so decided to use them anyway) -> will run 255/235 or 255/225 this year, and will most likely move to a non-autocross tire that can handle some more heat. The front end gets too hot too fast compared to rear on these cars (laps 1-2 the car is oversteery, 3-6 neutral, and 7-10 front end too hot).

Everything else is pretty much stock.

Alignment:
c: -2.3/-2.5 F: -1.8 R
toe: 0 F : 0.03 decimal degrees in per side, 0.06 total
 
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victorofhavoc

Autocross Champion
Location
Kansas City
Yes!

My front is sitting at 24.0" and rear at 24.5". There is no slop on the front spring and I've had the coils on for about 500 miles. I'm going in for a final alignment and corner balance when I tack on a few more miles, but I also have to start prepping the car for the NCM event at the end of March so lots to do!

There appears to be another 0.5" the front spring can go, and closer to 1" in the rear. This is already pretty low for my taste, but I'm leaving the height up to my mechanic with corner balance.

Also, they feel great overall. I'm running 1 click from soft front and 2 rear. It's pretty good for the street on the softer end. It's not punishing like the springs were.
 
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Crild

Drag Race Newbie
Location
Florida
Yes!

My front is sitting at 24.0" and rear at 24.5". There is no slop on the front spring and I've had the coils on for about 500 miles. I'm going in for a final alignment and corner balance when I tack on a few more miles, but I also have to start prepping the car for the NCM event at the end of March so lots to do!

There appears to be another 0.5" the front spring can go, and closer to 1" in the rear. This is already pretty low for my taste, but I'm leaving the height up to my mechanic with corner balance.

Also, they feel great overall. I'm running 1 click from soft front and 2 rear. It's pretty good for the street on the softer end. It's not punishing like the springs were.
By 0.5" can go do you mean lower or higher?

Ftg is based on the 17's you listed above?
 

victorofhavoc

Autocross Champion
Location
Kansas City
I got around to installing hood louvres a few weeks ago and tested them on the track a couple weekends ago. Water temps are far more under control now! At the end of the main straight at Raceway Park of the Midlands i was pushing 226*F on water, but the moment I let off, it would shoot down into the safe range. For the moment this is an acceptable reduction in temps, closer to 30* peak to peak on similar weather days.

My suspicion is that lowering oil temp further will keep water more in check as well. Currently I'm hitting 265*F with just the racingline oil cooler (junk worth it only for the sandwich adapter) and hood louvres. Previously I could touch 295 with no cooler and 280 with just the cooler. Moving to a 50-90% larger core should definitely help reduce oil temps further! Sadly with the louvres the oil can't get to proper running temp on the street and I top it out at 198*F...solution, I run the hood insulation to block off the vents.
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victorofhavoc

Autocross Champion
Location
Kansas City
I decided to give the gloc R10 and r8 a try. Gloc accidentally sent me the wrong r8 (sent non pp rear) and so the pad sits slightly differently but it does still sit fine and the caliper works fine. They're going to send me the proper size pad next time in the R10 flavor.

The R10 fronts I had to use a dremel to grind down part of the metal backing near where the pad slides into the caliper bracket. I think this is because the paint on the pad backing was adding just enough thickness to make install difficult. My first day out, I cooked the R10 pads and cracked them. I ended up with grooving and pad deposit everywhere on the rotor as well as wearing through half of the pads and more on the inside pad. Gloc suggested I move to the R16 pad which is far more high temp and aggressive compared to the R10.
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victorofhavoc

Autocross Champion
Location
Kansas City
R16 pads are here along with some new oe rotors! Gotta love how cheap oe rotors are (212$ after tax from the dealer)!

I had a major thunk any time suspension compression or steering movement occurred recently. Turns out one of my or endlinks on the front was knocking. I got superpro endlinks to replace them and followed their instructions to a T. Turns out mounting the endlinks on the passenger side on the reverse of the bracket like recommended brought it just slightly too close to the wheel well wall which resulted in some contact. I had to move it to the stock position on my coils and now it's not making contact, but I've got some spring bind noise I have to sort out!

What this also means is that the top end is done in terms of camber and castor gain. Any other camber gain to go above -2.3* will have to come from the LCA or spindle. On a 200tw tire and based on my wear, I think -2.5* will be the right amount. On a 100tw tire probably 2.8 and on a slick -3 is absolute minimum with -3.5 really being the ideal. To get to this level an adjustable LCA will be mandatory.
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xXDavidCXx

Autocross Champion
Location
AZ
Car(s)
2017 GTI SE DSG
R16 pads are here along with some new oe rotors! Gotta love how cheap oe rotors are (212$ after tax from the dealer)!

I had a major thunk any time suspension compression or steering movement occurred recently. Turns out one of my or endlinks on the front was knocking. I got superpro endlinks to replace them and followed their instructions to a T. Turns out mounting the endlinks on the passenger side on the reverse of the bracket like recommended brought it just slightly too close to the wheel well wall which resulted in some contact. I had to move it to the stock position on my coils and now it's not making contact, but I've got some spring bind noise I have to sort out!

What this also means is that the top end is done in terms of camber and castor gain. Any other camber gain to go above -2.3* will have to come from the LCA or spindle. On a 200tw tire and based on my wear, I think -2.5* will be the right amount. On a 100tw tire probably 2.8 and on a slick -3 is absolute minimum with -3.5 really being the ideal. To get to this level an adjustable LCA will be mandatory.

I found a similar mark on one side of my wheel well, too. Haven't seen it before, but I recently replaced the old links with ones from Whiteline. The new links are beefier and larger, and may stick out further. I'll have to investigate further when I swap on my street wheels/tires.

I've got -2.2 front camber from Ground Control top mounts.
 

victorofhavoc

Autocross Champion
Location
Kansas City
I found a similar mark on one side of my wheel well, too. Haven't seen it before, but I recently replaced the old links with ones from Whiteline. The new links are beefier and larger, and may stick out further. I'll have to investigate further when I swap on my street wheels/tires.

I've got -2.2 front camber from Ground Control top mounts.
Endlinks larger than stock may rub with that camber and stock LCA/hub. The superpro are very close to stock size and they are a very snug fit. I'm still not sure why their instructions have the endlink going a non stock direction, but if yours are also mounted this way, they are guaranteed to rub.
 

victorofhavoc

Autocross Champion
Location
Kansas City
So I finally got around to trying to get tubing routing for the brake ducts settled. There is soooo little clearance it will be near impossible, and I'm not even sure if the drivers side can make it due to the transmission being in the way. It looks like I'll have to go around the linkage, under the cv axle, forward and inboard along the lca, and then tightly through the plastic fender liner. With 2.5" tubing it's incredibly tight, and with anything even slightly larger it wouldn't work.
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Mini7

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte, NC
Car(s)
2017 GTi Sport PP
Will running it along the bottom of the LCA work? Coming in below the steering tie rod To the backing plate?
 

victorofhavoc

Autocross Champion
Location
Kansas City
Will running it along the bottom of the LCA work? Coming in below the steering tie rod To the backing plate?
I thought about that, but it would be very close to the ground and be very exposed to the elements. If you were to do that though, I would go between the lca and tie rod and turn at the subframe to go straight forward and up; this would minimize frontal surface area of the hose and reduce chances a rock or something would tear it.

With your fancy new lca though, I'd go through the lca! Use some flexible wire to suspend it or something then come forward. There's still no way a 3" hose would work though, especially on the driver's side :/.

Maybe I can flatten the hose in areas? That would certainly give more room, but the hose wire feels like spring steel.
 
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