Daily driver suspension

[Taylorluker1]

I just purchased a 2017 GTI S.

It will be my daily driver, with no track days, on brutal Northeast roads and running 1 set of tires year round for time being. Ideally I'd like comfort to be ~9 of 10, and performance ~8 of 10.

Shocks	Bilstein B8
Springs	H&R OE Sport Springs
All season tires	Continental ExtremeContract DWS06

1. Would the above combination be my best option? Any other recommendations?

2. Does anyone in DC area have this combination that would consider me doing a quick test drive?

3. What size tires should I get? 225, 235 or 245? 40 or 50? 17 or 18?

4. Any VW service place, or solo mechanic in DC area that is recommended?

Thank you so very much.

 

[xXDavidCXx]

You can't get a 9/10 comfort and 8/10 performance without spending at least Ohlins money.

https://www.ohlinsusa.com/parts/2015-2020-volkswagen-golf-gti-mk7-auto-rt-vwu-mt21

What you could do is get Koni FSD shocks, keep the stock springs, and run 17s with a taller side wall. That will max your comfort, for no loss over stock, except for the squishier sidewall tire.

 

[pseudorealityx]

I have the OE sports springs. They do lower the car, and they are stiffer than OEM, so if comfort is the goal, they may not be what you are looking for. That said, potentially your plan above, coupled with a 17 and taller sidewall may get you where you want to be.

What is your previous experience with lowered cars in general?

 

[D.Gage]

I just bought Eibach sportlines but haven’t had them installed yet so I can’t comment on their ride quality just yet. Not too far from DC is Altered components in Fredericksburg, Josh is great and very knowledgeable with VWs. Well worth the effort from DC.

 

[Supercrumpet]

I don't have any personal experience, but I've done quite a bit of reading on MK7 suspension setups and generally I've seen that the Eibach springs are generally favored over the H&R option, especially when paired with B8s. To my understanding they're more comfortable and people consistently have more positive results with them.

 

[KevinC]

The B8 is a shorter-shaft shock/strut intended for use with lowering springs. The B6 should be the proper shock to pair with H&R OE Sports. To be certain, I'd reach out to both Bilstein and H&R and pose the question as to what the proper combo would be to each of them. Bilstein/H&R are both solid products and would be a good choice...

... but for your stated objective of comfort? I'd find that combo comfortable enough, but you may not. Def gonna be firmer than stock. But will also be more controlled than stock and probably more comfortable on relatively smooth roads than stock. Bilstein monotubes like the B8 will also last 100k+ miles easily, and are warranted for life to the original purchaser, should one or more actually fail. Your stock shocks OTOH are parts bin garbage that VW probably pays $15 for and are probably tired and shot by 40k miles.

 

[odessa.filez]

given your preferences, I would do a stiffer rear sway bar and add some negative camber and positive caster. Forget the dampers and springs.

 

[rt_gti]

Have you looked into the KW Street Comforts? I found a review here:
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...-comfort-coilovers-brief-review.360712/page-3

I live in the Northeast and am also looking for a comfortable, yet slightly sporty set up. I can see how this is contradictory, but I wonder how KW Street Comforts, 235/40/18 tires, and a RSB would feel.

 

[uvasteven]

Paging hammersticks

 

[Sparky589]

given your preferences, I would do a stiffer rear sway bar and add some negative camber and positive caster. Forget the dampers and springs.

My thoughts exactly. A fixed camber plate and a nice rear sway should be perfect for your intended usage.

 

[xXDavidCXx]

If the OP is driving on brutal roads, none of the suggestions anyone has made are going to do him any good.

It's all about the shock in this case.

The Koni FSD is the gold standard for comfort, yet retaining sportiness.

http://www.koni.com/en-US/Cars/Products/Performance/Special-Active/

 

[Wade_GT]

I have the OE Sport springs with 24mm H&R rear swaybar and stock dampers.

It’s noticeably stiffer And lower without being slammed (if using TT rear spring pads) but does reasonably well with stock dampers. I’m planning on adding either B8 or B6’s when I hit about 40k miles along with Michelin A/S 4.

 

[Visceral]

I currently ride on the H&R Sport Springs and Koni Yellows. I also installed an H&R 24mm RSB after having the initial suspension setup on for about a season. I can say with confidence that my ride is stiff but not crazy. I currently have the Koni's set at a quarter turn from full soft all around.

I suppose my question to the OP is when you say "performance", what are you looking for from the suspension if you don't intend to track it? If you are going for looks alone then there are way better options than what I have. I don't think there is a true suspension "performance" upgrade that doesn't sacrifice comfort to some degree. Maybe I'm wrong. Not sure I would recommend any of the coil-over suspensions unless you want to fiddle with your suspension for different rides, etc. I'm a set it and forget it type so my suspension follows that sentiment.

One thing that will certainly have an impact is the tires. You mention that you are looking at either 17's or 18's. If you choose 17's and get a tire with a higher aspect ratio you will almost certainly gain some smoothness. Maybe you go with 17x8 rims and 235/45 tires? Not sure what the conversion is to keep the radius similar but that shouldn't be hard to figure out. The point is you could pair a stiffer suspension with lighter wheels and a higher aspect ratio tire and probably get closer to your ideal. Just a thought. There is a lot to consider with the suspension so your asking if there are people who could give you a ride with their setups is spot-on. If you get too cute with it all you could end up with a suspension that pogo's down the road and you will be mad. Or, you get a really sweet coilover setup and it rattles and squeaks and needs readjustment on a regular basis. Read Hammersticks thread that is sticky'd. There is a lot of good information and a history of his adventures in the suspension department of a MK7.

 

[bfury5]

Performance and comfort don't usually go together, so you'll need to figure out what you want the car to do and make those decisions on your own.

For being in the northeast, go with 17s if you want comfort. You'll be OK with 18s but 17s are usually a cheaper wheel and tire which is nice too. 225/45-17 is an OEM width and height tire, or 245/40-17 is wider and slightly shorter diameter (but still larger sidewall). Keep all the rubber in the suspension if you want to keep it soft. I ran bilstein B6s with stock springs before my coils, and they have pretty aggressive compression damping on sharp bumps from what I remember. As mentioned above, if you're lowering springs are 1" lower or more, you need the B8s and any drop less than that you'll want the B6s. Same damping in both just different shaft lenght.

If I were you, I'd get a pro-kit from Tirerack or something that pairs the dampers and springs. These kits are usually matched pretty well and you can avoid the headache of getting a bad damper/spring combo.

 

[Jovian]

If the OP is driving on brutal roads, none of the suggestions anyone has made are going to do him any good.

It's all about the shock in this case.

The Koni FSD is the gold standard for comfort, yet retaining sportiness.

http://www.koni.com/en-US/Cars/Products/Performance/Special-Active/

I had the Koni FSD's on my MK5 and this the best comfort you can get and increase performance a little.

I will also note the less you lower the car the more comfort you will have. Personally it sounds like you should stick with the OE springs and go with Koni Special Actives (FSD's replacements)