VWR springs on an american TDI?

quattrothatcould · Jun 21, 2016

TenaciousTDI said:
Having always been a staunch advocate for only purposeful car modifications, I recently took the plunge and put a set of sport springs (5G4-071-677-E) on my 2015 SEL. I really liked the car's original setup, but in corners it left me feeling like the 18" wheels and Pirelli P7's were far more capable than the suspension. I also didn't want to spend a small fortune updating the entire suspension so springs seemed like a good place to start. So far the update has been a pleasant surprise. The ride feels firm but not too much so. The rebound limit on deep undulations is fairly linear as the suspension keeps the car planted and cornering is greatly improved. As far as looks, which are not a big concern of mine, the car appears a bit more buttoned down and serous which is indeed the case.

And that PN fit the beam axle? The dealer told me that PN only fit the IRS cars, but they can't figure out which one would fit the cars with the rear beam.

quattrothatcould · Aug 13, 2016

So I took the plunge and ordered the VWR springs; I installed them last week and put ~400 miles on the car since then. I'm still undecided, but I think I'm going to pull them back out. The front is sitting really low (tire is tucked; I bought spacers but genuinely don't think they'll fit), and the car is very crashy feeling over anything more than a minor bump - definitely harsher than the coilovers I had on my A4 - which isn't great on the commute into Philadelphia every day. On smooth roads its fine, and handles infinitely better around turns, but even slightly depressed manhole covers result in a huge bang feeling in the cabin.

Matt927 · Aug 16, 2016

Mine developed the strut bearing pop when turning the steering wheel. About 3000 miles after install.

adjat84th · May 25, 2017

D15SEL said:
thanks for the info on my post....I had heard that they were inverted. However, the B8's looked exactly like the stock shock it replaced as far as orientation. The housing is larger and the "item" that I assumed was the piston was beautiful and shiney and looked like a piston, yet twice the size of the stock.....maybe I'm just dense.
But, the bottom line is that the ride and handleing is awesome and I'm very happy I made this mod.

Bumping this thread to say that the VWR springs on stock dampers (with 60k miles mind you), are very harsh on some bumps. I took a gamble to see how they'd work, but am not too pleased. So...I've ordered some Bilstein B8s to throw on there and hope to have the same good results as D15SEL. Clever username there, haha!

krebsy75 · May 26, 2017

Thanks for the update!

So far there doesn't appear to be a slam-dunk suspension solution for these cars. All of the drops that I've seen are too excessive (greater than 1"). And there doesn't appear to be a spring solution that's compatible with the stock dampers.

My soon-to-be-handed-in '14 Golf is running with stock dampers and the DriverGear springs. It's been perfect for my needs.

adjat84th said:
Bumping this thread to say that the VWR springs on stock dampers (with 60k miles mind you), are very harsh on some bumps. I took a gamble to see how they'd work, but am not too pleased. So...I've ordered some Bilstein B8s to throw on there and hope to have the same good results as D15SEL. Clever username there, haha!

Blue_Hen_TDI · May 26, 2017

adjat84th said:
Bumping this thread to say that the VWR springs on stock dampers (with 60k miles mind you), are very harsh on some bumps. I took a gamble to see how they'd work, but am not too pleased. So...I've ordered some Bilstein B8s to throw on there and hope to have the same good results as D15SEL. Clever username there, haha!

I put VWR springs on my GTI and they were nice for about 10,000 miles, but I think the stock dampers are almost shot now.

It's a recurring theme. Buy once, cry once. Wish I'd have done coilovers from the get-go.

davidch · May 26, 2017

quattrothatcould said:
So I took the plunge and ordered the VWR springs; I installed them last week and put ~400 miles on the car since then. I'm still undecided, but I think I'm going to pull them back out. The front is sitting really low (tire is tucked; I bought spacers but genuinely don't think they'll fit), and the car is very crashy feeling over anything more than a minor bump - definitely harsher than the coilovers I had on my A4 - which isn't great on the commute into Philadelphia every day. On smooth roads its fine, and handles infinitely better around turns, but even slightly depressed manhole covers result in a huge bang feeling in the cabin.

Yes... too low for me also. I really just want to install the factory OEM sport springs which would only drop it about 1/2 in and improve cornering w/o any significant change in ride comfort... similar to what was stock on the US MK6 Golf TDI. It is my understanding these came stock on the 2015 Canadian Golf MK7 TDI Highline... but having trouble determining the PNs. I have access to ETKA but just need a CA Highline VIN...

davidch · May 26, 2017

TenaciousTDI said:
Having always been a staunch advocate for only purposeful car modifications, I recently took the plunge and put a set of sport springs (5G4-071-677-E) on my 2015 SEL. I really liked the car's original setup, but in corners it left me feeling like the 18" wheels and Pirelli P7's were far more capable than the suspension. I also didn't want to spend a small fortune updating the entire suspension so springs seemed like a good place to start. So far the update has been a pleasant surprise. The ride feels firm but not too much so. The rebound limit on deep undulations is fairly linear as the suspension keeps the car planted and cornering is greatly improved. As far as looks, which are not a big concern of mine, the car appears a bit more buttoned down and serous which is indeed the case.

Tenacious... it was my understanding those were only intended for IRS models and would not work on the US TDI Golf due to the rear torsion beam. They did have a factory OEM sport spring set on the CA Highline but need to determine the PN's or get a VIN.

krebsy75 · May 27, 2017

How about the H&R sport kit with Bilsteins? I don't think I've seen this setup on a '15 hatch.

adjat84th · May 27, 2017

krebsy75 said:
How about the H&R sport kit with Bilsteins? I don't think I've seen this setup on a '15 hatch.

I believe the H&R and VWR have the same height drop. Putting my Bilstein B8s on this coming week and will report back how they feel with the VWR springs. I took a rather large dip last night, and boy did the stock dampers bottom out quick!

adjat84th · Jun 1, 2017

Installed the Bilstein B8s yesterday and am very pleased with the outcome. The VWR springs do lower the car just a bit more than I was hoping for, but the ride is now where it should be. It feels almost exactly like a previous stock '13 GTI I owned as far as ride feel and how low it sits. My floor jack just barely gets under my jack pads, and I'm back to using my 2"x8" boards for the car to get up on ramps as the bumper hits the ramps before the tires do.

These struts being shorter by 1" made for a slight glitch when it came time to get the end links reattached. I had to use a 2x4 block on my jack to raise the link enough to slip through the hole in the strut. I also had to cut all of the bump stops which was somewhat expected.

For anyone looking to do struts themselves, a list of all one-time use hardware follows:
WHT005437 x2 Front axle bolts (IMO, easier to do this one bolt on each axle than the six bolts at the axle/transmission connection) Only loosen 90deg with car on ground and tighten to 147ft/lbs before lowering car to fully tighten an additional 180deg. Wheel bearing damage can occur if not tightened or loosened properly.
N10127707 x6 Front strut upper bolts (11ft/lbs + 90deg)
N90954802 x2 Front strut pinch bolt (51ft/lbs + 180deg)
N10106402 x2 Front strut pinch nut
N10332002 x6 Front balljoint nuts (30ft/lbs + 45deg, tighten fully only with car on ground)
N90648402 x4 Rear strut upper bolts (37ft/lbs + 45deg)
N10628601 x2 Rear lower strut bolts (51ft/lbs + 180deg)

krebsy75 · Jun 2, 2017

adjat84th said:
Installed the Bilstein B8s yesterday and am very pleased with the outcome. The VWR springs do lower the car just a bit more than I was hoping for, but the ride is now where it should be. It feels almost exactly like a previous stock '13 GTI I owned as far as ride feel and how low it sits. My floor jack just barely gets under my jack pads, and I'm back to using my 2"x8" boards for the car to get up on ramps as the bumper hits the ramps before the tires do.

These struts being shorter by 1" made for a slight glitch when it came time to get the end links reattached. I had to use a 2x4 block on my jack to raise the link enough to slip through the hole in the strut. I also had to cut all of the bump stops which was somewhat expected.

For anyone looking to do struts themselves, a list of all one-time use hardware follows:

WHT005437 x2 Front axle bolts (IMO, easier to do this one bolt on each axle than the six bolts at the axle/transmission connection) Only loosen 90deg with car on ground and tighten to 147ft/lbs before lowering car to fully tighten an additional 180deg. Wheel bearing damage can occur if not tightened or loosened properly.

N10127707 x6 Front strut upper bolts (11ft/lbs + 90deg)

N90954802 x2 Front strut pinch bolt (51ft/lbs + 180deg)

N10106402 x2 Front strut pinch nut

N10332002 x6 Front balljoint nuts (30ft/lbs + 45deg, tighten fully only with car on ground)

N90648402 x4 Rear strut upper bolts (37ft/lbs + 45deg)

N10628601 x2 Rear lower strut bolts (51ft/lbs + 180deg)

Thanks for reporting back. How much did the VWR springs lower you car?

adjat84th · Jun 2, 2017

krebsy75 said:
Thanks for reporting back. How much did the VWR springs lower you car?

They lower the car easily the claimed 1.3".

krebsy75 · Jun 2, 2017

The H&R sport springs claim 1.3" as well. I don't believe I've seen a pic of those on a hatch.

adjat84th said:
They lower the car easily the claimed 1.3".

Blue_Hen_TDI · Jun 2, 2017

1.3" is correct for VWR, at least on a GTI. Make sure you get an alignment done after spring install.

krebsy75 · Jun 2, 2017

I'm beginning to think that a set of B6 dampers with stock springs will be the best choice for me. The car handles fairly well riding on stock rubber. I would just like to firm things up a little.

adjat84th · Jun 4, 2017

Blue_Hen_TDI said:
1.3" is correct for VWR, at least on a GTI. Make sure you get an alignment done after spring install.

Alignment was done the day after installing the shocks, though there really is very little that can be adjusted without a camber kit. My steering was out equally just a bit, but all the camber and caster for the front remained the same before and after. As well, the rear camber and toe was the same before and after.

Here are a couple shots of how it looks.

TDI-newbeetle · Jan 31, 2018

I just want to thank most everybody (not grumpy wagon man) for all of the great post in this thread.
If you are like me and owned a GTI, you love the handling, but diesel rules!
So why do I have to forgo handling if I like and want torque and millage. I don't.
Sounds like I should get the combo spring and b8 struts right from the start. In reading, wish they made an even 1 inch drop spring instead if the 1.3 but, if that is the given choice it's better than grandma's car.
Thank again most everybody.

VWR springs on an american TDI?

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