2003 Golf with lift kit

TDI in MT

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2013
Location
Montana, USA
TDI
none, sold it.
Here's what my 2003 Golf GL TDI looks like with a 2 inch (5 cm) lift kit from Metalnerd.




 
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shadowhand

Veteran Member
Joined
May 14, 2011
Location
Grand Marais, MN
TDI
2001 Golf TDI
Looks eerily similar to a Subaru Forester... pretty cool. If I lived just a little bit further in the woods, I'd seriously consider the 1in kit.
 

TDI in MT

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2013
Location
Montana, USA
TDI
none, sold it.
Looks-wise, I think I'd prefer the 1" lift, or maybe none. There seems to be too much air between the wheel wells & tires. It looked even more 'rad' :cool: when I bought it; the guy I bought it from had 4 studded snow tires on it that were relatively new as well as one size taller and one size wider than OE spec (which is what's on the car in the pic.)

But there is one definite advantage of a 2" lift: easier access. I'm 6'1" and for the past ~13 years my daily driver has been various flavors of Ford E-150 cargo van - you step up to get in! I'm still training myself to get in and out of the Golf.
 

craby1925

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 20, 2011
Location
Colorado
TDI
2003 Jetta Tdi
I don't think that's a 2 inch, because I have a 3 inch lift (which you can see in the jetta pics gallery) and it looks way lower than yours. That looks much more like a 4 inch. I know mine is a 3 inch because I made my life kit (machined the blocks that sit under the springs myself) and I swear yours looks taller. But I think if you got some bigger rims and maintained the tire to rim ratio, it would look really awesome. I always love the gold look, and with this forester look yours has, I love it just that much more.

Sent from my Amazon Kindle Fire HD using Tapatalk HD
 

TDI in MT

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2013
Location
Montana, USA
TDI
none, sold it.
I don't think that's a 2 inch, because I have a 3 inch lift (which you can see in the jetta pics gallery) and it looks way lower than yours.
Well, the installation instructions that the previous owner gave me say that they're for 1.5 and 2" lift kits. I can't read the handwritten part number on the actual installation sheet & can't find anything equivalent on Metalnerd.com.

In looking at that info though, I did find that it got new Monroe Reflex struts on the front and OEM VW on the rear.
 
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TDI in MT

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2013
Location
Montana, USA
TDI
none, sold it.
One thing I learned today: when you have a lift kit, your stock vehicle jack is close to the end of it's travel if you don't have a lift kit for your jack!

For me, a piece of 2x4 will probably work.

I didn't have a flat; I just wanted to learn the VW way of doing it, learning in my garage as opposed to the highway.

Unfortunately, I damaged the underside of the car in the process. I put the jack under the left rear door and lifted it up. Then I realized I hadn't broken the torque on the studs, so I lowered it back down. All ok so far.

Two of the studs must have been put on at oh, 200 ft-lbs I'd guess, so I had to set the parking brake. I then freed the studs, and started to jack it up, forgetting to look at the jack again to see if it's still in the steel edge under the car. (It was, but barely, as I would later find out.)

The car came down on the jack after the holder slipped out of the steel edge. :eek: As a reward, I now have some 1/4" tears in the plastisol where the car hit the jack. Dented the metal a bit too. With the help of a bottle jack from the van, I was able to raise the car enough to pull the jack out.
 
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shaunclark_sc

New member
Joined
Apr 18, 2013
Location
Leeds United Kingdom
TDI
MK1 Jetta
Hi all,

Probs the only UK reply on this topic.....

I've got a 2000 Golf tdi and want to raise it!! Its not really something thats done over here!

Does anyone have a description of parts or maybe a part list required?

Or even the dimensions of certain things that I could have fabricated?

Thanks in advance guys............. :)
 

JB05

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Location
Il.USA
TDI
Golf,2005,anthracite blue
I used one inch, course threaded nuts and a few 7/8 washers to lift my front struts. That was all my cheapo spring compressor would allow. I can just about crawl under my car now.
 

duwem

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2012
Location
Wi
TDI
2002 Golf GLS TDI 5 Speed
This is the only car forum I have ever seen where people are talking about lifting cars...
 

Thomas83

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2013
Location
Ontario, CA
TDI
'02 TDI Golf 5-spd
A wagon with some BFG's, General Grabbers, or other aggressive tread patters would look pretty awesome. All you would need to do then would be to transplant the Audi AWD kit...hmmm, a true rally edition TDI?? I think I'm on to something here.
 

3L3M3NT

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Location
Sturgeon Bay, WI
TDI
04 Jetta GLS TDI, 04 RTDI

JB05

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Location
Il.USA
TDI
Golf,2005,anthracite blue
As was mentioned earlier, raising the suspension will make the OEM jack useless. You might consider a vintage, used scissor jack, like the ones I've seen on E-bay Motors where I recently purchased mine. It's actually from an Audi and has a larger base than the OEM jack. Seems to have more lift, but I have yet to try it. Stay away from the local auto parts stores.
 

dropnosky

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Location
RI
TDI
2000 Jetta 6 speed, 2012 Passat DSG
I scrape my 01 stock jetta all the time using it for work purposes. I think i will be doing this as well. Actually ripped off the front fairing. The mk4s have very limited ground clearance.
 

dropnosky

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Location
RI
TDI
2000 Jetta 6 speed, 2012 Passat DSG
I scrape my 01 stock jetta all the time using it for work purposes. I think i will be doing this as well. Actually ripped off the front fairing. The mk4s have very limited ground clearance.
Finally had mine done too, ride height looks same as OP with 2 inch kit

so far I love it
 
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Andrew Dale

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 26, 2018
Location
Chilliwack BC
TDI
MK4 TDI Golf
I'm rocking a 2" lift, regular size tires, no difference in mileage. moog beef springs and 1.5" metalnerd spacers to remove the forward rake.
 
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