JSW still handles like doodie. Sway Bar options...

Rear sway bar only makes a huge difference. I used a H&R 22mm bar.

Did you say that you have Conti DWS tires? Those things handle like doodie. They have a very soft tread compound, and sidewall. Ditch them for something like Conti DW (I have a set now) and things should be better.

Yea its been over 4 months since I've installed the sways & I'm not overly impressed but I can tell the bars helped make the car feel neutral when cornering at a steady speed.

I think the tires are definitely the culprit. I was storming through a traffic circle yesterday and the front end completely lost grip for no apparent reason. My 100% stock Pontiac Vibe with all-seasons can take that same corner just fine under the same circumstances but my JSW just plowed through it and lost grip. Really pisses me off that I spend that much $$$ and see little results.

I wish I had a set of 5x112 rims w/summer tires to try out just to see how the car feels with better grip but my stock 17's have crappy michelins on them.

I'm now thinking about the whiteline anti-lift kit or super-pro's. As previously mentioned the LCA kit that someone installed transformed the directness of the steering & the whiteline ALK is basically the same thing minus the actual control arms. I might make the $200 investment & see how it feels after.

Compared to every other car I've ever owned, this car is proving the most difficult to get the handling/ride to 'feel right'.

Tires make a huge difference on these cars. I'd invest in those before more suspension mods. I've had three different Michelin tires (not including snows) on my wagon over the years and they were all dramatically different from one another. The worst were Energy Savers, the Best are the Pilot Exaltos.

totitan said:

Rear sway bar only makes a huge difference. I used a H&R 22mm bar.

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Front sway bar is a waste of money a piece of **** to install and hurts performance over a stock front bar and upgraded rear bar, just get the rear...

Easy fix to handling problem: slow down.

Quality tires always make a huge difference, more than suspension upgrades, and the amount of pressure is critical also.

There is a right front fender for a 2013 Golf TDi in my body shop's recycling bin that is evidence of genuine under steer. My front end broke loose minutes after a hard rain on an old carriage drive that now serves as a major through street in Philadelphia. Hard left corner, I was on the inside,
I hit a Corrola, just a tap, but damage to both cars, police report, insurance claim, the whole 9 yards.
I had the understeer resolved on my 2012 Jetta with Koni yellows, cranked up hard in the rear, rode like a truck on that set up. I found the H&R rear sway bar I added to my 2009 Jetta Wofsburg (gas) balanced the handling with in sacrifice in ride.

on stock suspension plus neuspeed rsb and 235/45/17 conti DWS my car handles quite well. The contis have decent grip but do roll and squirm quite a bit making it feel a little unstable. I have very little under steer unless I turn in late and try to hit the same exit point. The same is true in the rain but must watch the throttle on hard corners or it will push but its fairly predictable.

DogParkGuy said:

Easy fix to handling problem: slow down.

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Slowing tends to boost fuel numbers as well.

For handling, I take the coupe with the 6M snick-snick.

ez

I personally have a mostly stock golf 4dr. The stock ProContacts tended to roll and generally feel like the tires were marsh mellows. Replaced them with 225/45-17 v-rated Continental's PureContacts. PSI set to ~39-40psi. I get a not too aggressive ride while at the same time it feels MUCH more sure footed. I picked these tires up in the early spring at the local merchant tire and haven't had the chance to mess with winter driving so far. But in the past 6-7k miles they have been through heat & rain with no problems at all. MPG seemed to actually go up ~1-2mpg as well. Can't really ask for better all seasons in the Maryland area.

If you have the extra funds, you could get a set of winter tires now along with a set of winter wheels. Something like 16" wheels would be best for the wagon as 15" wheels won't clear the brake calipers.

That said all seasons will likely be the best bet since we don't typically have crazy amounts of snow or ice in the winter here. and when we do everyone tends to stay home and play it safe.

I wanted to put my .02 on the no front sway pile. I feel like, in some circumstances, sways are sold in pairs to reduce mfg liability. A stiffer rear end will cause rotation, which means better laptimes or snap oversteer and a crash. Rather than putting on a pair, and then going full tight, go softest in the front (it's still plenty stiff over stock) and go medium in the rear.

I had a stupid wrx with everything I could throw money at done from a built motor and big turbo to expensive coilovers, etc etc. Everything whiteline made was on my car. Then I drove a stock sti of the same year. Makes way less power, had less sticky tires, and just an upgraded rear sway. Amazing how well it did. I reset my sways on the wrx to full soft in the front and went stiffer in the rear and it became the car I was looking for.

Last night I had the opportunity to try to hang with a friend in his heavily setup wrx and my 14 JSW. Honestly, my lines were better and the jetta surprised us both. Your car can't be tuned around less than awesome driving, and how you turn and allow the tires to work is very important. I'm a novice with 1000's of miles on the track. It's taught me that investing in the driver is the best investment.

Rear sways, suspension that makes you happy, tires with good sidewalls and go. I have DWS on my B5 A4 2.8 tuned by 034. They suck, but I can still get the car through the hills very fast. Driver driver driver... Then more driver.

Your car's handling qualities are directly proportionate to the quality of your tires. All seasons aren't the answer, they're the problem. Put a proper set of max performance summers on there & you'll have higher traction & "handling" thresholds than you'll ever have the balls to exceed on public roads. But if you've gotta run A/S's then you've gotta except the compromise.

Next is driver's input. The JSW is a heavy front drive car. Fluid inputs always, especially steering & shifting. Smooth in > throttle lift > settle chassis > smooth out throttle on after apex. If you stay on it through a corner or upset the drivetrain mid apex the front axel will plow wide every single time regardless of how your suspension's sorted. Traction/stability control contributes to this as well.

Then there is unsprung weight, alignment, spring/dampening rate, inflation, tire temp etc. + their relation to driver's inputs.

Perhaps the only cure to your handling concerns is buying a vehicle that's more aptly designed, such as a BMW M3, Mazda MX5, Lotus Elise, or Ariel Atom. LoL.

I don't have any relevant experience with aftermarket sway bars to share.

relegate said:

...
I'm a novice with 1000's of miles on the track. It's taught me that investing in the driver is the best investment.
...

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And that investment automatically transfers to every car you own for the rest of your life, unlike most "mods."

Very happy with my H&R 24mm bar on the Jetta sedan, wouldn't waste the money on the front bar, this is regardless of tires, winter or summer.

I wouldn't dream of spending the money on a bar for the Passat, it feels just right as is.

I have the 24mm h&r rear with the 26mm front on my 14' jsw done at different times, and I can say with this configuration the front was as drastic as the rear bars improvement. I did the rear first and while it was infinitely better, it seamed as if it transferred some unwanted body roll to the front or made it become more apparent. Which was completely cured by the front bar. I would recommend this setup to anyone looking to ditch the roll. Everything else is stock, I'm tempted to do the walk kit or the super pro version. Anyone installed one of these on a jsw yet?

camboscams said:

I have the 24mm h&r rear with the 26mm front on my 14' jsw done at different times, and I can say with this configuration the front was as drastic as the rear bars improvement. I did the rear first and while it was infinitely better, it seamed as if it transferred some unwanted body roll to the front or made it become more apparent. Which was completely cured by the front bar. I would recommend this setup to anyone looking to ditch the roll. Everything else is stock, I'm tempted to do the walk kit or the super pro version. Anyone installed one of these on a jsw yet?

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I'd be interested to see if the MkV GTI rear bar is an upgrade, since it should fit and is probably available for cheap as a take off from the GTI fanboy racers

JonD-2.7tDallas said:

I'd be interested to see if the MkV GTI rear bar is an upgrade, since it should fit and is probably available for cheap as a take off from the GTI fanboy racers

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I put a MK5 rear bar on my JSW, it is an upgrade, only cost me $50, and made a noticeable improvement in handling. Then I added 17" tires, and it got even better.

I'm running sticky tires (Bridgestone S-04) on 18x8's and a hotchkiss rear sway on the middle position with Bilsteins and Neuspeed JSW springs. It's awesome. I'm not feeling like I need a front sway. It blasts through the corners well. The front lag I feel seems to be bushings and not spring rate. I believe these cars handle very well with some alignment and these simple upgrades.

I've heard Passat Alu control arms fit. I've considered a mild camber increase.

relegate said:

I'm running sticky tires (Bridgestone S-04) on 18x8's and a hotchkiss rear sway on the middle position with Bilsteins and Neuspeed JSW springs. It's awesome. I'm not feeling like I need a front sway. It blasts through the corners well. The front lag I feel seems to be bushings and not spring rate. I believe these cars handle very well with some alignment and these simple upgrades.

I've heard Passat Alu control arms fit. I've considered a mild camber increase.

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If you are going to do lower control arms do yourself a huge favor and get the SuperPro units... they are awesome - they transform the feel of the car due to their bushings and by increasing caster too. They are a few pounds lighter than the OEM units as well.