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Eibach Pro-Kit Lowering Springs Review | '17 GTI SE

VL3X

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Delaware
Car(s)
2017 GTI SE
Hey guys, I installed a set of (US Spec "Progressive") Eibach Prokit springs last weekend and wanted to do a write-up and show some before/after shots since not many VW guys seem to be running them. Attached are some pics, including the springs themselves and my before/after alignment specs. I wanted to wait until I installed my new wheels to post, but the weather still sucks here. I'll update the post with better photos when I can (hopefully by next weekend).

Why not coilovers? Mostly because of price. I daily drive my GTI and get to the circuit track rarely (hopefully more this year now that I started modding). These springs were ~$225 and a nice set of Bilsteins or KWs would be ~$1500-2K. There are other ways I'd rather spend that money.

Why Prokits? Eibach has been in the game forever and makes quality products. I ran Prokits on my 300ZX twin turbo and liked them. I trust their R&D and in the end, they're simply coil springs. I considered VWR, EMD, and H&R too. Most dropped too low for my taste or had reverse rake. The VW DG and H&R OE were a bit too modest. The Prokits, with an advertised 1" drop, seemed like the winners.

How was the install? I like working on my own cars and take pride in doing 99% of the work myself in my little garage. I installed springs on my '06 STI and it wasn't bad at all. This job gave me a bit of a hard time, but eventually got it done with the help of a friend.

Shout out to the helpful threads and comments on this forum by GTI jake , Hammersticks, snobrdrdan, axl911 (and his awesome improvement of the "2x4 method" which worked like a freakin charm!), as well as others.

If doing it yourself, simply be sure to have the correct tools (including a strut spreader bit, spring compressors [rented for free from AutoZone], a solid ~24" piece of 2x4, air or battery impact gun [to make things easier], torque wrench [for proper specs when finishing up], and new hardware [strut bearings and various stretch bolts]... a buddy to help out will make things a lot easier and be more fun too! I started on the driver's side front because I read that it was the most difficult. Once I got that done, the rest was pretty simple!

So, how does it ride? I love it! The ride is ~20% harsher over bumps, but feels way more planted and controlled (note: I do NOT have DCC). These springs combined with the 25mm Eibach rear swaybar I installed last summer are a fantastic combination! She's super tight around turns and very livable for daily driving. My wife even approves and we both love the (surprisingly drastic) improved stance.

I'm fairly new to the VW world and all the talk of lowering springs "being trash" and causing "a terrible ride" or "ruining oem struts" right away seemed a little extreme. I've had springs and coilovers on various cars in the past. I guess I'm just used to driving a lowered vehicle properly and am very aware that I may need to replace/upgrade my struts sooner than later. I have no weird noises or clunks (though I did initially fail to properly torque one of the front swaybar bolts, which caused noise, but was an easy fix). I've been driving it for a couple weeks now and love it more every day.


*I wanted to also note that someone on the /r/GolfGTI Reddit called out my before/after pic, claiming I changed focal lengths. Well, I didn't change anything (other than the springs :p).. I just tried to line the car up in the same spot in my drieway and I guess the auto mode on my phone's camera might have adjusted focal length based on the angle I was standing. That, combined with cropping both photos to fit evenly, made it look slightly off. The point of the post was to show others how the Prokit springs look on a MK7 GTI. Professional photographer, I am not. Just an enthusiast happy with the results and proud to have done the job himself. So, I hope this thread helps others and serves as a good reference to those considering the same mod. :cool:

I'll post up some better photos soon...


*Edit: 4/21/19 - New pic added. Center of wheel to fender is very close to ~13" exactly at all 4 corners.
 

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Last edited:

swcrow

Autocross Champion
Location
Virginia
Car(s)
7.5 GTI
Agree... Nice write up. So what drop have you observed now that it has settled?
 

NopeR

Autocross Champion
Car(s)
18 Golf R
Looks great. Hopefully the oem dampers don't take a shit on you too quickly.

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk
 

am215

Ready to race!
Location
PA
Looks great. Hopefully the oem dampers don't take a shit on you too quickly.

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk

I'm on stock struts/shocks after 50k with VWR springs. Since I drive it everyday it's hard to say how it compares to a stock GTI as I've grown accustomed to it, but it's not to the point where I feel it's a problem. I bought Koni special active struts/shocks as the replacement since I'll be going with either H&R OE sport or perhaps these Eibach springs when I switch everything out.
 

NopeR

Autocross Champion
Car(s)
18 Golf R
Nice.

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk
 

VL3X

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Delaware
Car(s)
2017 GTI SE
Swapped on my new wheel setup and posted some more photos!


Nice write up. The cars coming together nicely

Agree... Nice write up. So what drop have you observed now that it has settled?


Thanks guys! The drop is almost exactly ~13" from center of the wheel to the fender at all 4 corners. It settled about .25" since install.


Looks great. Hopefully the oem dampers don't take a shit on you too quickly.

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk


Hopefully not! When they do, I'll report back with my mileage. I plan to swap in some Bilstein B8s when the time comes.


I'm on stock struts/shocks after 50k with VWR springs. Since I drive it everyday it's hard to say how it compares to a stock GTI as I've grown accustomed to it, but it's not to the point where I feel it's a problem. I bought Koni special active struts/shocks as the replacement since I'll be going with either H&R OE sport or perhaps these Eibach springs when I switch everything out.


Similar plan with the struts.. when the time comes. Why are you planning to swap out VWRs?
 

swcrow

Autocross Champion
Location
Virginia
Car(s)
7.5 GTI
It settled about .25" since install.

Really? That's about all I could drop with my driveway, so this maybe the only kit I can do!
 

VL3X

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Delaware
Car(s)
2017 GTI SE
Really? That's about all I could drop with my driveway, so this maybe the only kit I can do!


They're advertised as 1" drop. Does anyone happen to know the stock center to fender measurements? Then we'll know for sure..
 

jdi_gti

New member
Location
SF Bay Area
For stock comparison, the before-OE-Sport measurements on my 17 Sport were 14 1/2" in back and 14 3/8" in front. OE Sports on Bilstein B8 (with TT rear pads) dropped that to 13 3/4" all around.

13" would be too much of a drop for me.
 

VL3X

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Delaware
Car(s)
2017 GTI SE
1 month update: Car drives great still. No weird sounds or clunks. Hasn't dropped any further either. I've daily driven it for the last month and the ride is absolutely fine. A little harsher over minor potholes and such, but that's usually avoidable with attentive driving habits. When I do hit the unavoidable bump, it's not too harsh at all. Nothing like hitting bumpstops or causing passengers to be alarmed, but I still tend to avoid them when possible since I love my wheels and tires.

I thought linear springs were the optimal with stock dampers?

Sorry, I missed this comment before. This is debatable. Springs are springs and I think this debate is blown way out of proportion on this forum. It's my understanding that progressive springs make slow speed/mild bump and uneven surfaces a little smoother and can be harsher than liner springs on highspeed bumps. Well, when are you doing mostly high speeds? I'd say on smooth highways or on the track where there aren't many bumps.

I don't know.. I trust Eibach. They are reputable and know what they're doing when it comes to suspension. A lot of the other stuff is just marketing. All I know is I'm very happy with these springs. I'll update again in a few months or whenever my factory struts explode and leave my car an undriveable mess. :p
 

joeR6

New member
Location
Austin, TX
Looks great!
Neuspeed RSe10 wheels i see- are they 18x18.5? What size indy 500s are those? Running any spacers?

Looks perfect and just what i'm after (wheels anyways, springs maybe later.)
 

VL3X

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Delaware
Car(s)
2017 GTI SE
8.5" with 235/40s. No spacers.
 
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