where to stiffen a GTI?

[MeltedSolid]

i like when we have enumerated the exact differences in the clubsport, clubsport s, and the stock gti and then somebody comes and says it's all different. We know. We just listed all the specific differences.

Navi and El_bigote_AJ said something, I thought I'd add to what they said.

 

[GTIfan99]

Front camber is -1.4, rear camber is -1.8. Zero toe front and rear. Tires are pilot super sports, also felt that way with HTR ZII's and on winter tires over this past winter. The setting on the shocks also has a lot to do with it, I can mostly balance it out by setting the rear shocks to low stiffness and front to medium-low, but it's far more fun to keep it a little tail happy .

If you have adjustable dampening that would be a big difference. You didn't mention your toe settings, but rear toe is super important in the mk7.

 

[MeltedSolid]

If you have adjustable dampening that would be a big difference. You didn't mention your toe settings, but rear toe is super important in the mk7.

I think last time I got it aligned it was maybe -1/32" toe in, I keep at as close to zero as possible. I've felt it at toe out and that was not good, extremely floaty and kind of scary.

 

[GTIfan99]

I think last time I got it aligned it was maybe -1/32" toe in, I keep at as close to zero as possible. I've felt it at toe out and that was not good, extremely floaty and kind of scary.

You talking about front or rear toe?

More toe in at the rear settles these cars down and you can play with it to create controllable, not scary oversteer. They don't seem to like less than -1.5 camber in the rear either.

I've found adding negative camber in the front doesn't really increase oversteer, it mostly just inceased the speed that I can enter a corner before it understeers.

 

[TheJokker]

I think what Jokker is trying to get at is that the GTI is 90% the performance of the clubsport, and that it doesn't take much to approach that capability from a stock US spec GTI.

Everyone naming all the little ways the clubsport is different is showing the blueprint how a newcomer looking for guidance might change little parts to have a large change in performance. The golf r is38 turbo and tune to match, the biggest RSB VW had on the shelf for it, springs (golf r springs up front and a3 springs out back, to be exact), different subframe (aluminum s3 subframe for weight reduction and stiffness), rear seat delete (losing weight on a record car is a must, a streetable daily car, not so much and varies user to user), and camber are what made the record setting car what it was. To get all that may be out of the OP's budget though.

OP set a budget for yourself. Start filling in the budget based on the advice given in the thread. Most folks see the biggest change starting with an uprated rear sway bar. Springs help too. Stiffening the front or rear of the chassis via strut tower supports also isn't a bad thing.

This...

 

[IES99]

I get stiff whenever I friggen drive!

That's a different kind of "trans". DSG or manual or will you go either way?

 

[GroceryGTIer]

That's a different kind of "trans". DSG or manual or will you go either way?

? let me think about a proper response here

 

[jimlloyd40]

I get stiff whenever I friggen drive!

Isn't that called a single speed stick shift?

 

[GroceryGTIer]

That's a different kind of "trans". DSG or manual or will you go either way?

Thinking about it now, I will say that if a trans is all that’s available, I’d rather play with my stick.

 

[GroceryGTIer]

Isn't that called a single speed stick shift?

good point too

 

[BuyGerman]

So I'm about to purchase dws06's, whiteline front and rear links, 034 springs and I'm stuck on sway bars between 034 and h&r.. I am leaning 034 because they're the strongest but I am not sure if there's such a thing as too stiff?? Anyone own either?

 

[BuyGerman]

Also considering a unibrace underneath but I want to see how this feels first.

 

[AluminumStork]

I'm in the same head space... 2018 GTI Manual 6 speed that I want to have a bit more fun in (I race Spec Racer Ford and own a Miata for track days) So I started looking at what I can do. I'm leaving out brakes from this list since I have the R brakes and they are pretty good especially if mated to good (or fresh) bedded in pads.

Here is what I am doing (in order)

1. 18x8 wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport tires 235/40/18. (Still looking at which wheels since there are so many out there)
2. 034 rear sway bar and links
3. ECS dog bone insert

Thats it for the time being... I'll spend some seat time with this set up get to know the handling and after a season I'll take it a step further to:

1. OBD2 Multi Gauge P3
2. Apr stage 1
3. Will probably need a new clutch by then but still don't know which one.

Get used to the power and more seat time then:

1. SACHS performance Coilover

And after I drive another season I'll add these to the upgrades.

1. 034 Motorsports Trailing Arms
3. 034 Motorsports Toe links
4. 034 Motorsports Control arms

Anyway thats my thinking...

 

[jimlloyd40]

I'm in the same head space... 2018 GTI Manual 6 speed that I want to have a bit more fun in (I race Spec Racer Ford and own a Miata for track days) So I started looking at what I can do. I'm leaving out brakes from this list since I have the R brakes and they are pretty good especially if mated to good (or fresh) bedded in pads.

Here is what I am doing (in order)

1. 18x8 wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport tires 235/40/18. (Still looking at which wheels since there are so many out there)
2. 034 rear sway bar and links
3. ECS dog bone insert

Thats it for the time being... I'll spend some seat time with this set up get to know the handling and after a season I'll take it a step further to:

1. OBD2 Multi Gauge P3
2. Apr stage 1
3. Will probably need a new clutch by then but still don't know which one.

Get used to the power and more seat time then:

1. SACHS performance Coilover

And after I drive another season I'll add these to the upgrades.

1. 034 Motorsports Trailing Arms
3. 034 Motorsports Toe links
4. 034 Motorsports Control arms

Anyway thats my thinking...

Sounds like a good plan but I would go Cobb for tuning.

 

[ThatMK7GTIguy]

I'm on APR springs, H&R 26mm rear sway bar, and Eurosport Camber kit. Look up my review of the APR springs before you buy, they aren't exactly what APR portrays them as, but I still have grown to like them. Still a little too low for my tastes, but the performance trade off is worth it.

If I had it to do again, on my GTI, I'd do the same RSB and the camber kit, but I'd buy a cheap takeoff set of R springs (that's what the CSS uses) in order to keep the car a little higher for daily driving.

As far as bracing goes, the strut tops are so close to the firewall that I doubt a strut brace would do anything but add weight to a modern chassis like the MQB, and the ones I've seen aren't triangulated, so I wouldn't waste your money. The rear brace from Euro Sport has my attention though.

I have the Euro Sport rear brace and absolutely love it, my 2015 was nonPP and had H&R rear sway bar, my 2019 is PP (obviously) and the brace made a bigger difference (to me). My review quoted from their site. Still feel the same as I did then.
"Installed on a completely stock MK7.5 GTI. I came from a modded MK7 GTI and wanted to do things a little different this time. The X-Brace is a huge improvement in more ways than one. Driven hard you 100% know its there. It also got rid of the chassis/hatch creak pulling in and out of my driveway (slight hill). Very easy to remove if you do need the extra space, but not really in the way. Did not use the provided Nutsert tool as I already had a tool but did crush one (they give you an extra) in a scrap piece of sheet metal using provided tool and it seemed to work fine. As an added bonus and part of how I convinced my women to let me spend money, its a perfect place to slap bumper stickers when we go places. Would buy again and 100% recommend to every MK7 owner I know"

Will probably buy the front tower brace out of curiosity as I am impressed with Euro Sport's craftmanship.