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Street Touring Hatchback (STH) discussion/setup

xXDavidCXx

Autocross Champion
Location
AZ
Car(s)
2017 GTI SE DSG
Front endlinks are tight and solid.
I've found sway bar mounts broken, but look fine.

What happens is that under light load, the sway bar works, but as you add grip and really get a lot of weight transfer, the swaybar mounts move and cause odd handling.

I'd check the mounts, especially if they are stamped steel, not billet or some other reinforced aftermarket mount.

This exact scenario happened to me at a Solo Nationals in my S2000. I didn't even find the issue till the next season.
 

theDoktor

Go Kart Champion
Location
Buffalo, NY area
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport
I've found sway bar mounts broken, but look fine.

What happens is that under light load, the sway bar works, but as you add grip and really get a lot of weight transfer, the swaybar mounts move and cause odd handling.

I'd check the mounts, especially if they are stamped steel, not billet or some other reinforced aftermarket mount.

This exact scenario happened to me at a Solo Nationals in my S2000. I didn't even find the issue till the next season.

I'll pull them tomorrow & have a look. I'd rather not install my nice new adjustable Super Pro's, but will if necessary, at least temporarily. I'd rather save them for a possible front bar upgrade. (Have an adjustable 26mm H&R bar ready to go in.)
To inspect the mounts, I probably need to drop the subframe & pull the brackets. The subframe & bracket bolts are single-use, & I've only got a single set of replacement hardware.
 

xXDavidCXx

Autocross Champion
Location
AZ
Car(s)
2017 GTI SE DSG
I'll pull them tomorrow & have a look. I'd rather not install my nice new adjustable Super Pro's, but will if necessary, at least temporarily. I'd rather save them for a possible front bar upgrade. (Have an adjustable 26mm H&R bar ready to go in.)
To inspect the mounts, I probably need to drop the subframe & pull the brackets. The subframe & bracket bolts are single-use, & I've only got a single set of replacement hardware.
My local dealer carries all most all of these single use bolts, for a fair price.

Check the rear mounts first, since you should be able to inspect them visually. Clean them up and look for cracks.
 

xXDavidCXx

Autocross Champion
Location
AZ
Car(s)
2017 GTI SE DSG
I'm actually considering going back to the OEM front bar, due to persistent mid-corner push. Either that, or less front spring rate.

I've been doing some thinking about what I should do, and it dawned on me that my rear ride height is at the high end of Ohlins recommendations for ride height.

Therefore, I bet the rears are holding up more of the weight and not transferring it to the front, and therefore, due to the extra roll stiffness of the front bar, and springs, the tires are not getting enough load, that and I was turning up the shock forces. I found that if I dialed back the front shocks the grip was better.

So, I borrowed scales from another member and will do a corner balance and ride height adjustment, along with more rear camber as a result of the drop.

The tire temps showed consistent need for more rear camber. The fronts need it too, but I can't get any more.
 

Mini7

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte, NC
Car(s)
2017 GTi Sport PP
David, what were your ride heights? FTG

I set my rear adjuster at 35mm which is the midpoint. I think I only made it 1.5 maybe two turn down and the spring started to unseat.

I would go back to the stock front sway bar especially for the track but Auto-X has some different dynamics.

So I had my Ohlins set 3-clicks stiffer at the back than the front and didn’t care for it At VIR.

For the GTi, Ohlins are specced for 400lbs springs front and rear. I went with 450lbs Swifts. On Sunday I ran some Mountain roads and set my rebound to 5-clicks from hard F&R, and my car handled the undulated roads really well. Soaking up bumps and some rough and patchy tarmac in areas. Tires were not screaming but there was absolutely no margin for error. I was really impressed that my car didn’t get or feel unsettled at any time. I had no trouble keeping up with my buddy in his FX80 M3 and when he let me by, I took off and left him way behind.
 

xXDavidCXx

Autocross Champion
Location
AZ
Car(s)
2017 GTI SE DSG
David, what were your ride heights? FTG

I set my rear adjuster at 35mm which is the midpoint. I think I only made it 1.5 maybe two turn down and the spring started to unseat.

I would go back to the stock front sway bar especially for the track but Auto-X has some different dynamics.

So I had my Ohlins set 3-clicks stiffer at the back than the front and didn’t care for it At VIR.

For the GTi, Ohlins are specced for 400lbs springs front and rear. I went with 450lbs Swifts. On Sunday I ran some Mountain roads and set my rebound to 5-clicks from hard F&R, and my car handled the undulated roads really well. Soaking up bumps and some rough and patchy tarmac in areas. Tires were not screaming but there was absolutely no margin for error. I was really impressed that my car didn’t get or feel unsettled at any time. I had no trouble keeping up with my buddy in his FX80 M3 and when he let me by, I took off and left him way behind.
I just corner balanced the car and lowered the rear to the recommended 30mm. It was previously at 40mm.

The fronts are at 195mm as recommended.

Ride heights with my racing wheels/tires are:

FL 25 10/16 FR 25 11/16
RL 26 7/16 RR 26 5/16
IMG_3190.JPEG


I only had to turn one rear adjuster about 1/8 turn to get 50% cross weight.

IMG_3189.JPEG
 

GTIfan99

Autocross Champion
Location
FL
My LiPo battery gets here tomorrow. I went with Antigravities 20 cell 600cca battery.

Anyone have ideas on bolting it down? Thinking about just a couple threaded j books and some type of bar across the top?
 

jmblur

Autocross Champion
Location
Massachusetts
Car(s)
2017 Golf R
I installed the RS3 solid bushing on stock replacement LCAs. Definitely makes a huge difference on turn-in for sure.

How difficult (or expensive) was this to do? Did you just drop in RS3 LCAs (which I believe are the same as the GTI/R except for the bushing) or buy another set and get them changed out?
 

bfury5

Autocross Champion
Location
CT
How difficult (or expensive) was this to do? Did you just drop in RS3 LCAs (which I believe are the same as the GTI/R except for the bushing) or buy another set and get them changed out?
So I ended up buying replacement GTI LCA and the RS3 bushings. I removed the stock bushings from the replacement LCA and pressed in the RS3 ones. Then, when I did my suspension all I had to do was swap the entire LCA. My GTI is my daily, so I was concerned with not being able to swap the bushings when I did the suspension so getting a second LCA was more for peace of mind.
 

GTIfan99

Autocross Champion
Location
FL
So I ended up buying replacement GTI LCA and the RS3 bushings. I removed the stock bushings from the replacement LCA and pressed in the RS3 ones. Then, when I did my suspension all I had to do was swap the entire LCA. My GTI is my daily, so I was concerned with not being able to swap the bushings when I did the suspension so getting a second LCA was more for peace of mind.

I'm going to do that. I think I'll swap in the Konis at the same time.
 

theDoktor

Go Kart Champion
Location
Buffalo, NY area
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport
I'm going to do that. I think I'll swap in the Konis at the same time.

That's a good plan. When I installed my Koni's using the 2x4 method (based on my experience, proceed with EXTREME caution), either unbolting one end of each of the axles or removing the LCAs was a necessity to do the install part. I chose the axle unbolt- it was a PITA to get the axle bolts lined up with the threads in the axle flange though. Remember that the (6) ball joint nuts are single use and need to be replaced. I believe the axle bolts are as well.
 

GTIfan99

Autocross Champion
Location
FL
That's a good plan. When I installed my Koni's using the 2x4 method (based on my experience, proceed with EXTREME caution), either unbolting one end of each of the axles or removing the LCAs was a necessity to do the install part. I chose the axle unbolt- it was a PITA to get the axle bolts lined up with the threads in the axle flange though. Remember that the (6) ball joint nuts are single use and need to be replaced. I believe the axle bolts are as well.

I don't think I need to remove the axles to do LCA's, right?
 

GTIfan99

Autocross Champion
Location
FL
I don't believe so- that's one of the options for the Koni install.

I did the 2 x 4 when I did the springs, with 2 people it's pretty easy, but if I'm going to have the LCA off anyway, it's a no brainer to do at the same time.

I don't want to add too much harshness, so which bushings in the rear give the best improvement without too much nvh?
 
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