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Deadset, hotchkis, pendulum...

The Dude

Autocross Champion
Location
PNW
Car(s)
MK7 GTI S
So it started out with a good deal on front and rear Hotchkis sway bars. I dropped the subframe to do the front, so car on jackstands, subframe dropped, steering rack unbolted and front swaybar removed in 45 mins. I had help, lol. Anyway, I go to install thefront sway and something seems off. Further investigation reveals I'd been shipped inch and a quarter bushings instead of inch and an eigth. Damnit. So after a couple hours looking for an unavailable part number, I found an energy swaybar bushing that looked to be correct. Right size, greasable, picture was identical to the one I needed. Ater I ordered it, I started thinking about the fact that I'd need to replace all the torque to yield hardware I'd pulled from the subframe. But rather than replace it all with stock stuff, I decided to pull the trigger on a front and rear Deadset kit from Tyrolsport. A couple bourbons later, I ordered an APR pendulum mount, since I needed that hardware too.

I get an email a couple days later (Monday) from Tyrolsport telling me the bronze collars for the front weren't currently in stock and would be backordered until mid June. At this point, the car had been on stands for about a week. After a call to TS, they found the original prototype bronze collars and offered to send them. So off they went. Around the same time, my Energy bushings arrived. They weren't even close. 🤣

So checked on the forum where I'd found the deal on the sways (and immedieately warned other members to double check their parts before dropping the subframe), lo and behold, there was a local who was willing to let me borrow his front bushings until my replacements from hotchkis arrived. Hot damn, sometimes the internet is rad. So I zip on up there to grab the bushings (maintaining social distance) and ripped home. Perfect fit. As luck would have it, my pendulum mount from Achtuning showed up while I was gone. Score.

The next day I haf to work, but when I got home, the deadset kit was waiting for me. The car had been in the air about 18 days at this point. The next morning i head out to the garage, slapped in the bushings, got fresh steering bolts from the local VW dealer, installed the deadset kit, and was 90% done with the install. I needed an extra set of hands, so I called my buddy James, who'd helped initially, and we got the subframe lined up, torqued, I put torque stripes on all the fasteners (witness marks) and put the car back down.

Next day, I decide to attack the rear sway bar and deadset kit. Dropped the subframe, thanks to the write up, I knew about the two small bolts that Tyrol doesn't replace in their kit, so 15 mins after the car was back in the air, the subframe was dropped enough to sneak the collars on top. Too easy. Swaybar was next, again, easy. Then I broke the stock swaybar endlinks trying to transfer them to the new bar. Damnit.

After ordering some Moog swaybar endlinks (awesome product), I ordered the hardware from the local VW dealer and waited. Once all the parts were in my hands (hadn't driven the car in 3 weeks at this point), the install continued. Torqued everything to spec and marked the fasteners to monitor rotation.

Now for the first startup, I was expecting SOME vibration, but I was not at all prepared. There was zero additional vibration. None. Read that again. The car was quieter than before.

A test drive to Rampage and a torque check, and doneso. The car is neutral, composed, additional throttle mid corner and it feels like the car pulls tighter into the corner. GTI S PP. I'm currently APR S2, so I decided to launch the sucker and see if wheelhop had diminished. Spun through first, flicked the paddle into second, still spinning, no hop. Flicked the paddle again toward the top of the gear at the same time the dsg decided to upshift, so into 4th I went 😶. Still, no wheel hop, no vibration.

I'm impressed. Great products, great support, easy installs. Don't be afraid to drop the front subframe. Just be careful, follow the directions, watch for wires, replace the hardware and use a torque wrench. would recommend, 5/5.

Side note, I'd estimate the deadset kit and pendulum mount only added an hour, total between the front and rear, and I'd highly recommend both.
 
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billbadass

Drag Racing Champion
Location
your moms house
awesome dude! I have really been blown away at how much these suspension mods that are NOT the shocks/springs have improved my mk7. I'm just about to do the front deadset kit with some superpro bushings and at that point I will have every suspension mod that is available for mk7 GTI except still on stock springs/shocks and tbh the car handles absolutely amazing, still corners very flat, tons of grip, tons of communication, soaks up mid corner bumps, and still plenty compliant for daily use. It's cool how some of these mods both make the car handle better in turns AND make it deal with potholes better at the same time.

looking forward to doing my front tyrol kit for sure :)
 

SouthFL_Mk7.5

Autocross Champion
Location
South Florida
Car(s)
2019 GTI S
awesome dude! I have really been blown away at how much these suspension mods that are NOT the shocks/springs have improved my mk7. I'm just about to do the front deadset kit with some superpro bushings and at that point I will have every suspension mod that is available for mk7 GTI except still on stock springs/shocks and tbh the car handles absolutely amazing, still corners very flat, tons of grip, tons of communication, soaks up mid corner bumps, and still plenty compliant for daily use. It's cool how some of these mods both make the car handle better in turns AND make it deal with potholes better at the same time.

looking forward to doing my front tyrol kit for sure :)
I’m also using stock springs and dampers with a kit of suspension mods and I’m really surprised as to how well the stock springs and dampers provide a decent level of performance once bolstered with other things.
I’ve ruined a few other cars in terms of daily driving comfort with lowering springs and coil overs in the search for performance. This car actually handles really well on the stock springs and dampers.
 
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bentin

Autocross Champion
Location
Austin, TX
Car(s)
23 Golf R - 3 Pedals
My Mk7 was totaled at 22k miles, but the Sachs shocks already felt pretty shot. They blew through their travel like they were empty. My Mk7.5 is at 27k miles and still feels pretty good, but every once in a while, the right front feels soft. I don't expect them to last much longer. My experience with Sachs in BMWs wasn't much better. Pity that Bilstein doesn't seem to have the Mk7 right, as they were my usual replacement for BMW.
 

The Dude

Autocross Champion
Location
PNW
Car(s)
MK7 GTI S
My Mk7 was totaled at 22k miles, but the Sachs shocks already felt pretty shot. They blew through their travel like they were empty. My Mk7.5 is at 27k miles and still feels pretty good, but every once in a while, the right front feels soft. I don't expect them to last much longer. My experience with Sachs in BMWs wasn't much better. Pity that Bilstein doesn't seem to have the Mk7 right, as they were my usual replacement for BMW.
Koni/eibach combo was the go to for the budget minded E46 crowd.
 

mk7_bk

Autocross Champion
I did part of the ecs rear locking collar kit, would have been nice to know you need to drop those 2 extra bolts, had a shop due it. Shop also fixed some rattles from fmic and exhaust. Costly trip to the shop. They installed ecs rsb brace too. Back end of car is nice n tight. I will be ordering the front kit soon. I choose ecs as I liked the design better. Glad to hear your situation worked out.
 

The Dude

Autocross Champion
Location
PNW
Car(s)
MK7 GTI S
I did part of the ecs rear locking collar kit, would have been nice to know you need to drop those 2 extra bolts, had a shop due it. Shop also fixed some rattles from fmic and exhaust. Costly trip to the shop. They installed ecs rsb brace too. Back end of car is nice n tight. I will be ordering the front kit soon. I choose ecs as I liked the design better. Glad to hear your situation worked out.
It was a pain, but worth it 👍
 

Escape Hatch

Autocross Champion
Location
USA
Car(s)
Mk7 GTI
Fun read from the OP, cleverly written. I also have Tyrolsport dead set front and rear, 034 upper and lower insert, Koni yellow shocks, 034 Camber plates up front, 034 strut mounts rear, VWR springs, and Neuspeed 25mm RSB with Moog end links. This little car loves to dig in the corners and I can kick the rear end out if I wish.

All this coupled with BFI Stage one engine and transmission mounts in a 2 door PP S with roughly 450 whp and definetly a blast to drive with minimal NVH.
 

The Dude

Autocross Champion
Location
PNW
Car(s)
MK7 GTI S
4 main bolts, 4 more to pull the rear mount tie ins, 2 more to remove the power steering. Unclip 2 wires and 1 connector. At that point it'll almost fall off.
 

hotbascosauce

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Seattle, WA
Car(s)
19 GTI SE DSG W/DCC
Glad I was able to help you out. Im excited to get the front bar and the deadset kit installed on mine. You said you would help! That was the deal!
 

NopeR

Autocross Champion
Car(s)
18 Golf R
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but what exactly do the deadset kits do?
 
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