Ultimate Strut Mount Thread

[Bäsemödel]

Hey folks,

Thought it might be a good idea to compile all the data we have on strut mounts. List what mounts you have, what other suspension mods you have and what your experiences has been; specifically with the mounts.

I am on VWR springs with stock struts with ECS HD mounts. They have felt good but there has been a lot of squeaking over bumps on one side.

Im also interested in these from new german; anyone checked them out?

https://store.ngpracing.com/oe-replacement-strut-mount-vw-mk7-golf-gti-golf-r.html

 

[flipflp]

Hey folks,

Thought it might be a good idea to compile all the data we have on strut mounts. List what mounts you have, what other suspension mods you have and what your experiences has been; specifically with the mounts.

I am on VWR springs with stock struts with ECS HD mounts. They have felt good but there has been a lot of squeaking over bumps on one side.

Im also interested in these from new german; anyone checked them out?

https://store.ngpracing.com/oe-replacement-strut-mount-vw-mk7-golf-gti-golf-r.html

I can second your experience with the ECS HD mounts. Driver side squeaked when cold consistently. They offered to replace it under warranty, to their credit, but I never pulled the suspension apart to deal with it.

Currently I'm using the 034 Dynamic Camber mounts up front, zero squeaking but because they are basically a camber plate with a hard rubber puck inside of it I do get more NVH. Not a fault of the mount, it's the trade off you deal with.

The NGP mounts are just Febi/Bilstein, not "OEM" VW brand but OEM type like they say.

 

[c72k]

I’ve done oem mounts, 034, and ECS. The ECS in my experience were fine while the 034 were horrible. They squeaked like crazy. If I would ever replace them again, OEM all the way

 

[nuSchule]

I'm currently on KW V3s with 034 Density front mounts. Slight increase in NVH with some noise in the colder months which seems to subside after a few miles of driving.

I've been on this setup for ~8K miles without issue.

 

[Bäsemödel]

some people must be more susceptible to NVH that others... some reported teeth rattling vibrations with the 034 mounts...

 

[flipflp]

some people must be more susceptible to NVH that others... some reported teeth rattling vibrations with the 034 mounts...

I ran 034 HD mounts on my CC and they were fine as far as NVH, but I did have some cold squeaking issues show up after a few months. I did enjoy the "tightness" the steering and suspension had with them though, as a positive point.

IMO cold temps are a big factor here, my guess is due to poor vulcanization of the mount's rubber you'll have some gaps or movement that only show themselves when the rubber is cold. Once they warm up, the rubber becomes more compliant and doesn't make noise. For someone in California, that might only be an issue in the mornings, but for anyone in colder climates in might be a 24/7 problem.

I've never heard of anyone having that issue with actual OEM VW mounts, FWIW.

 

[nuSchule]

some people must be more susceptible to NVH that others... some reported teeth rattling vibrations with the 034 mounts...

That's fair. I should probably add I don't DD this car and, as a general rule, the roads I drive are in good condition. Train tracks can be a bit jarring but for full disclosure, I also have 35 series MPSS tires on 19" OZ Superturismos. Not exactly a setup with "comfort" in mind

 

[1Krautburner]

I originally had 034 mounts paired with my MSS springs. They were unbelievably harsh, and after a few thousand miles they started to make all kinds of noise. At first I thought I had made a huge mistake with the MSS springs, and was ready to go back to stock.
I decided to keep the MSS springs and just have the OEM mounts put back in instead. They have been perfect for 10K miles, no noise, and no discernible loss of performance, and no NVH. I can now enjoy the springs the way they were intended.

 

[Sandman GTI]

The OE and ECS HD are about equal in rubber hardness.
Between these to I would use OE. With these two you can take the shock cup and move it back and forth by hand 1-2mm. I just can not believe how much the weight of the car might move the shock back and forth. I think on hard impacts the cup might come very close to other metal parts in the mount and make the thump sound. Maybe over time crack rubber in mount. I did not like the ECS part at all. OE like but painted with gloss black paint.

For me the 034 mount is solid. Less movement. Correct tightening of shock mount bolts is key. Not just torqued but must add the final 90deg turn or bolts will come loose.

034 might add some NVH but this was greatly reduced when I installed unibrace UBQ brace.
Not 100% sure why but I think it helps transfer road impacts so other parts of the car help share the impact. Not trying to sell them but for me it was that good.

 

[kingkhan]

I'm looking to get my DG springs installed. Based on the research I've done, it looks like I also have to replace my strut mounts as these are a weak point.

I found a set of Lemforder on FCPeuro and they are listed at $10.66

Has anyone used these before? Any reason why they are 1/3 of the price of the Sachs mounts even though both are OE?