What did you do to your mk7 today?

[Agray]

SuperPro end links installed today.

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What was wrong with the OE end links? I’m on coilovers as well but I never thought of replacing the front end links.

 

[Cuzoe]

I think we're just about done on my TDI S, words I've said before

 

[Acadia18]

I think we're just about done on my TDI S, words I've said before
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Did you ever sit back and think "Man, I should have just bought a fully loaded one from the start"?

 

[Cuzoe]

Did you ever sit back and think "Man, I should have just bought a fully loaded one from the start"?

If my car was a GTI S that would have crossed my mind. But a lot of these things were never an option on the TDI, even an SEL. We stopped getting them in 2015 and I didn't want a sunroof. Even with the mods/retrofits (not counting my time), I'm in this car for less than a GTI S from a financial standpoint.

I also suspect that my NAR TDI with DCC and GTD seats is pretty unique. And it isn't difficult but I also haven't seen anyone doing interior color conversions. It feels good getting in car that is but also is not like the others.

 

[sunnymarek]

Finally got all this nonsense terminated, cleaned up and labeled. Pics are not all from today but... this is roughly the order of things.
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Wiring was added for Blind Spot Monitoring, Parking Assist & Aid, ACC, DCC, Lane Assist, Auto Dimming Mirror, Footwell Lighting (front and rear), Heated Seats, Internal Motion Alarm, External Sound Actor, Structure Borne Sound Actor, Rain Light Sensor, Fog Lights, All 6 of the possible shifter surround buttons (No Start/Stop in my car so this switch will control a latching relay to turn the external Sound Actor on/off), I think that's it.

Hi, I'm interested in making some of the same wiring mods. Could you recommend any wiring instructions or diagrams for say the shifter surround buttons? I purchased all six, though my car doesn't have all the functions, I think I can probably use some of them, like the tire pressure warning or ESP? Also, how did you do your footwell lighting? I started on doing something like that on my MK7 because I used to have this feature in a Saab 9-3 and a Volvo V60 I owned before. Thx.

 

[Anthony3o55]

saw a right hand drive mini today thought I should share. Super clean car

 

[DSC808]

Bilstein B8 (front) install round 3. Round 1 did not have a M14 triple square (had a M12). Total time wasted 30 mins. Round 2 used the 2x4 method of the driver side; took about 3 hours to remove solo. Did not have the special 22mm strut nut tool; total time wasted about 5 hours. Called the shop that installed my springs for a quote for the front shocks only and was quoted $600. They did my springs for $280 so I said f*** that. Bought a complete set of strut nut tools for like $50. Decided to start with the passenger side strut. Took about 3 hours again; it did not want to lift out. Had to bang on it with a hammer too eventually get it out. Tried to remove the strut nut and bent the 7mm Allen wrench. Sooooo the shop that installed the springs must have used impact tools (explains why everything was so fricking tight) and I only had hand tools so that's that. Total time wasted 5 hours again.
Pic of bent Allen.

 

[Desslok]

Bilstein B8 (front) install round 3. Round 1 did not have a M14 triple square (had a M12). Total time wasted 30 mins. Round 2 used the 2x4 method of the driver side; took about 3 hours to remove solo. Did not have the special 22mm strut nut tool; total time wasted about 5 hours. Called the shop that installed my springs for a quote for the front shocks only and was quoted $600. They did my springs for $280 so I said f*** that. Bought a complete set of strut nut tools for like $50. Decided to start with the passenger side strut. Took about 3 hours again; it did not want to lift out. Had to bang on it with a hammer too eventually get it out. Tried to remove the strut nut and bent the 7mm Allen wrench. Sooooo the shop that installed the springs must have used impact tools (explains why everything was so fricking tight) and I only had hand tools so that's that. Total time wasted 5 hours again.
Pic of bent Allen.
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Good grief. Your best option now would be to get new mounts and bearings. Then you wouldn't have a repeat of round 3. Just throw the whole original assembly in the trash.

I stopped at round 1 (strut stuck like yours did in round 2) but don't have a working second vehicle, so chickened out. That project is on the back burner.

 

[TheMechanicDude]

Late night Offer Up surfing scored me this for $30. Brand new

 

[prowlinacage]

Spa day: wash, wax, clay bar and sealant on all the glass, gummi pflege on all rubber seals, dry lubed all the felt.

 

[Will_]

What was wrong with the OE end links? I’m on coilovers as well but I never thought of replacing the front end links.

So it’s my understanding that as you lower a car, the distance between where the endlink mounts to the front sway bar and the strut body shortens. As the stock front end link is non-adjustable in length, it applies more pressure to the front sway bar as the car is lowered from stock height, effectively loading up the front sway bar even when the car is at rest. The adjustable end links allow you to properly adjust the length so that there is no “pre-load” on the front sway bar at rest, which allows it to function throughout its full range of motion when driving.

Honestly driving around down after install I couldn’t feel a difference but I haven’t done any sporty driving with them yet. For 150 bucks and how simple the install is though I thought it was worth it.

 

[GTI Jake]

So it’s my understanding that as you lower a car, the distance between where the endlink mounts to the front sway bar and the strut body shortens. As the stock front end link is non-adjustable in length, it applies more pressure to the front sway bar as the car is lowered from stock height, effectively loading up the front sway bar even when the car is at rest. The adjustable end links allow you to properly adjust the length so that there is no “pre-load” on the front sway bar at rest, which allows it to function throughout its full range of motion when driving.

Honestly driving around down after install I couldn’t feel a difference but I haven’t done any sporty driving with them yet. For 150 bucks and how simple the install is though I thought it was worth it.

Ive never understood that explanation because it’s not loaded at rest if both sides have equal length endlinks. Lowering the car would only have that effect if the sway bar had a mechanical stop that lowering the car pushed it up against, which isn’t the case if you disconnect both links it moves freely through a ton of travel.

Maybe I’m missing something, but a more logical explanation would be if the car was corner balanced and ride height was drastically different corner to corner, then maybe adjustable links would come in handy

 

[Will_]

Ive never understood that explanation because it’s not loaded at rest if both sides have equal length endlinks. Lowering the car would only have that effect if the sway bar had a mechanical stop that lowering the car pushed it up against, which isn’t the case if you disconnect both links it moves freely through a ton of travel.

Maybe I’m missing something, but a more logical explanation would be if the car was corner balanced and ride height was drastically different corner to corner, then maybe adjustable links would come in handy

When you say it moves freely through a ton of travel when the endlinks are disconnected, do you mean it rotates in any way, or just the end point where you’d link in the endlink can move up and down freely? I’ve never tried moving it while both sides are disconnected.

It makes sense to me that if the front sway bar is in the same orientation as stock, and you lower the car, then the endlinks will push down on the ends of the front sway bar, effectively simulating both sides of the car being compressed like you’re in a turn at the same time. Ideally, at rest, there should be no downward pressure on the front sway bar from the endlinks.

https://iscsuspension-na.com/resour...endlinks-and-how-do-they-relate-to-coilovers/

From the factory most sway bars sit parallel to the ground when the suspension is at rest on the road (not drooped in the air or fully compressed in a corner). When this is the case, there should be no preload on the sway bar meaning it is not adding any tension to the vehicles suspension. In order for this to happen after you just lowered your car, you need a shorter sway bar end link because now the suspension geometry including suspension lengths have changed.

 

[(R)Rated]

Installed some stuff today.

 

[El_bigote_AJ]

Ive never understood that explanation because it’s not loaded at rest if both sides have equal length endlinks. Lowering the car would only have that effect if the sway bar had a mechanical stop that lowering the car pushed it up against, which isn’t the case if you disconnect both links it moves freely through a ton of travel.

Maybe I’m missing something, but a more logical explanation would be if the car was corner balanced and ride height was drastically different corner to corner, then maybe adjustable links would come in handy

Yeah I assumed it the same... unless the Links are at un-equal length I don’t see how a preload is happening on the bar cause you lowered the car (both sides)


To me what they do is just help re-locate the bars ends back to a central location between the frame rail and LCA to avoid making contact on extreme loads (extreme low in my case,lol) as they were a must when I air the car down cause they would make contact.