Beginner’s Guide / Tips for Buying a Street-Based Suspension

[Arin@APR]

Here's something new if you missed it: https://www.goapr.com/sus00014

 

[stuinew]

So, I finally started replacing the rear shocks. Removing the wheel liner these fell: see picture. Where do I put them when I finish? I am just now disconnecting the light level sensor so I hope someone will reply before I put all back on.

Nevermind, found the place for the two small plastic parts, rear lower end of the wheel liner.

One thing to note: if you work on the suspension for the first time, do not forget to fully tighten the wheel nuts after you get the car on the ground. I almost forgot to do it because I was so happy that I finally finished the work....

 

[stuinew]

I hope this is the right place to ask: I only replaced the rear shocks from stock to bilstein b6 and now the rear is 2 cm/half inch higher than before. I tried raising the suspension before tightening the bolts but I raised it until the whole car started going up, still did not manage to do it.

Before the change rear was at 14.4 inches, now at 15....
Front seems to be at 15 or really close.

Looking at the car, front seems to be lower than the back.

Please lete know what to look for.

Do I have to replace the fron struts too right now?

I am not looking forward to it, it took me forever for the back.
Part was that it was my first real work and it took me one hour to get the car on jacks, half hour to get the wheel liners off .

 

[tigeo]

B6s are stock-length dampers - they are gas charged and while dampers don't set ride height (they do however set your total sag-to-compression travel/range) they can have the impact of having the static ride height higher than on the stock dampers.

 

[stuinew]

Thank you, I was thinking something like this.
I will read more to understand if this is affecting safety/if I have to go for the fronts soon too.
Did not drive the car yet, can't wait for it to see how it feels.

I am afraid of a bouncy back although it should not be the case, it might be just firmer in the back. Will see in around 2 hours.

 

[xXDavidCXx]

Thank you, I was thinking something like this.
I will read more to understand if this is affecting safety/if I have to go for the fronts soon too.
Did not drive the car yet, can't wait for it to see how it feels.

I am afraid of a bouncy back although it should not be the case, it might be just firmer in the back. Will see in around 2 hours.

There are no safety issues here.

 

[tigeo]

Thank you, I was thinking something like this.
I will read more to understand if this is affecting safety/if I have to go for the fronts soon too.
Did not drive the car yet, can't wait for it to see how it feels.

I am afraid of a bouncy back although it should not be the case, it might be just firmer in the back. Will see in around 2 hours.

Nothing unsafe but TBH, it's really better to replace all of them for ride quality reasons.

 

[GTIfan99]

Here's something new if you missed it: https://www.goapr.com/sus00014

I know you claim .5 to .75 inch lower, but it was more than an inch on my 19 Rabbit Edition 6 spd. So likely more on a dsg car.

Also they had excessive rake and the stock base shocks were absolutely not up to controlling the stiffer rates.

 

[Arin@APR]

I know you claim

These are 100% new springs. Totally new from the ground up. Here are the specs:

Specifications:

US 2018 MK7.5 GTI (DCC) Front:
362 mm (OEM) vs 340 mm (APR) or a 22 mm reduction in CF Height
215 lbs/in (OEM) vs 323 lbs/in (APR) or a 50% increase in Spring Rate

US 2018 MK7.5 GTI (DCC) Rear:
370 mm (OEM) vs 333 mm (APR) or a 37 mm reduction in CF Height
226 lbs/in (OEM) vs 362 lbs/in (APR) or a 60% increase in Spring Rate

US 2017 MK7 GTI (Non-DCC) Front:
368mm (OEM) vs 350 mm (APR) or a 18 mm reduction in CF Height
184 lbs/in (OEM) vs 323 lbs/in (APR) or a 76% increase in Spring Rate

US 2017 MK7 GTI (Non-DCC) Rear:
367 mm (OEM) vs 335 mm (APR) or a 32 mm reduction in CF Height
250 lbs/in (OEM) vs 362 lbs/in (APR) or a 45% increase in Spring Rate

Features:
- Lowers 22 mm or -0.87 in Front / 37 mm or -1.46 in Rear (DCC)
- Lowers 18 mm or -0.71 in Front / 32 mm or -1.26 in Rear (Non-DCC)
- Increases Spring Rate 50% or +108 lbs/in at 323 lbs/in Front / 60% or +136 lbs/in at 362 lbs/in Rear (DCC)
- Increases Spring Rate 76% or +139 lbs/in at 323 lbs/in Front / 45% or +112 lbs/in at 362 lbs/in Rear (Non-DCC)
- Dual Rate Spring (185 lbs/in to 362 lbs/in Front)
- Dual Rate Spring (155 lbs/in to 323 lbs/in Rear)
- Operates as a single rate “linear” spring during loaded usage
- Greatly improves vehicles stance and appearance
- Remains comfortable on the street
- Lowers the vehicle’s center of gravity
- Reduces body roll
- Improves handling
- Does not easily bottom out dampers
- Does not constantly compress or ride on the OEM progressive bump stops
- Designed for use with DCC and Non-DCC OEM dampers
- Direct plug-and-play
- Made from a high tensile chrome silicon steel that resists sagging and failure
- Powder coated red finish protects springs from corrosion
- Made in the USA

 

[GTIfan99]

These are 100% new springs. Totally new from the ground up. Here are the specs:

Specifications:

US 2018 MK7.5 GTI (DCC) Front:
362 mm (OEM) vs 340 mm (APR) or a 22 mm reduction in CF Height
215 lbs/in (OEM) vs 323 lbs/in (APR) or a 50% increase in Spring Rate

US 2018 MK7.5 GTI (DCC) Rear:
370 mm (OEM) vs 333 mm (APR) or a 37 mm reduction in CF Height
226 lbs/in (OEM) vs 362 lbs/in (APR) or a 60% increase in Spring Rate

US 2017 MK7 GTI (Non-DCC) Front:
368mm (OEM) vs 350 mm (APR) or a 18 mm reduction in CF Height
184 lbs/in (OEM) vs 323 lbs/in (APR) or a 76% increase in Spring Rate

US 2017 MK7 GTI (Non-DCC) Rear:
367 mm (OEM) vs 335 mm (APR) or a 32 mm reduction in CF Height
250 lbs/in (OEM) vs 362 lbs/in (APR) or a 45% increase in Spring Rate

Features:
- Lowers 22 mm or -0.87 in Front / 37 mm or -1.46 in Rear (DCC)
- Lowers 18 mm or -0.71 in Front / 32 mm or -1.26 in Rear (Non-DCC)
- Increases Spring Rate 50% or +108 lbs/in at 323 lbs/in Front / 60% or +136 lbs/in at 362 lbs/in Rear (DCC)
- Increases Spring Rate 76% or +139 lbs/in at 323 lbs/in Front / 45% or +112 lbs/in at 362 lbs/in Rear (Non-DCC)
- Dual Rate Spring (185 lbs/in to 362 lbs/in Front)
- Dual Rate Spring (155 lbs/in to 323 lbs/in Rear)
- Operates as a single rate “linear” spring during loaded usage
- Greatly improves vehicles stance and appearance
- Remains comfortable on the street
- Lowers the vehicle’s center of gravity
- Reduces body roll
- Improves handling
- Does not easily bottom out dampers
- Does not constantly compress or ride on the OEM progressive bump stops
- Designed for use with DCC and Non-DCC OEM dampers
- Direct plug-and-playI'
- Made from a high tensile chrome silicon steel that resists sagging and failure
- Powder coated red finish protects springs from corrosion
- Made in the USA

Gotcha. I'm using your old roll control front springs with MSS rear setup with helper spring and 336 swift linear spring on Konis. The old rears were too tall and soft and the stock base shock/strut failed within 10k miles and the car bucked and bounced all over and understeered heavily as the front struts collapsed into the bump stops.

Do you happen to know the rates for the old GTI front springs?

 

[Arin@APR]

I don't have that info handy, but we started with a blank slate on these. Since making the originals we've added quite a few resources to our lineup. Dinan Engineering is now located in the same building as APR and the engineers on the team have decades of suspension expertise under their built. We took feedback from all of you on the GTI springs and went to work making a new system. I think this setup is a home run.

 

[xXDavidCXx]

- Dual Rate Spring (185 lbs/in to 362 lbs/in Front)
- Dual Rate Spring (155 lbs/in to 323 lbs/in Rear)

Typo?

These should be switched, correct?

 

[El_bigote_AJ]

Typo?

These should be switched, correct?

Doubt it… while I know it’s documented that higher rear rates “perform” better on this platform, everything I’ve seen it’s very common for OTS (street-based,) offerings to set them up with lower rates in the rear (even a bigger delta when you consider it’s divorced so the wheel rates are even lower).

 

[Arin@APR]

Typo?

These should be switched, correct?

323 lbs/in front and 362 lbs/in rear is correct.

 

[GTIfan99]

I wouldn't be surprised either way, and with rates so close probably doesn't matter.

What kills me is most every coilover kit has 8k front, 5k rear. I just shake my head. Who asked for more understeer?