mr-blah
Member
Many thanks to the contributors to this thread, with special thanks to Peyah and Unorganizedplan. Like others, I love the JSW except for the ground clearance so this thread has been informative and inspiring.
The really good info is now spread across literally hundreds of posts, so I'll try to summarize some key points here. PLEASE correct as needed!!
Peyah (post #253) installed the OEM springs (total ~ $450) plus Koni FSD (~$700?). This resulted in a lift of ~2" rear and 1.75" front. After the spring lift, one can install larger tires for an additional ~0.5" of additional lift.
Excellent post on MarkV Jetta with combinations of stock struts + different springs at: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5498963-Tiggy-springs-2010-JSW-TDI-LOVE!/page3 post #57. Final setup:
Front: Stock JSW Struts + Tig 2WD Springs
Rear: Stock JSW Struts + Tig 4WD lift Springs
Others have said:
- the stock struts/shocks are very robust and typically last at least 150k
- a good and less expensive alternative to Peyah's springs is Tiguan 2WD front springs with SUPLEX rear towing springs ($269 for the spring set from IDParts)
- post #89 - Tiguan 2013 spring kit for $218 with ~3" lift
Potential issues include:
- enhanced wear of CV joints and boots (see #277, but this might be a one-off). #279 reports 25k w/o problems.
- difficulty meeting specs for alignment
- handling issues (steering, braking)
I didn't note any posts documenting these issues actually occurring other than Peyah's recent posts about alignment.
For torque specs and pictures: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=273002
Questions:
- For a car with less than 100k driven relatively "softly", will the strut mounts likely need to be replaced? I.e., are the mounts prone to failure? I haven't noted posts on this elsewhere so they seem pretty robust.
- Is there any functional difference between SUPLEX and OEM springs? I.e., is there a reason to spend more for OEM?
- Are the single-tightening (TTY) bolts supposed to be replaced with an alignment? I.e., might these be left slightly loose when installing the suspension parts and then tightened up at the shop doing the subsequent alignment?
I'll probably do a lift this spring. Most of my miles are me and my wife, usually with a couple hundred pounds of lightweight toys (bicycles, camping gear, kayaks, etc.), and maybe 20% of miles with a full load (4 folks, rocket box and/or racks full of stuff, we're often on dirt roads). We've repeatedly been stopped by lack of ground clearance.
Summary of preferred lift options:
Springs for all options:
Front: Tiguan 2WD springs (SUPLEX or OEM)
Rear: Towing springs for ~ 2" lift (SUPLEX or OEM). Tiguan 4WD rear for ~1.5" lift and slightly stiffer(?) ride.
Bolt kit
Cost not in issue; most robust:
Koni FSD (adjustable and potentially best for light and heavy loads)
Heavy duty mounts
(maybe Bilstein HDs? Perhaps a bit stiffer)
24 mm rear sway bar
Value:
Koni STR.T struts/shocks
Regular duty mounts
Economy:
Stock struts/shocks
Replace mounts if more than 100k miles
Does this seem about right? Recommendations? Comments? Seems like a good time to summarize the last couple years of experiences.
This needs to be stickied somewhere. The amount of back and forth and incorrect springs, struts, etc on this page makes it very hard to see clearly and this post is just SO clear.