Looks great! However I'd argue that you have more of a "crossover" than a "suv".
How's the acceleration and braking compared to the stock tires?
Lift for TDI Sportwagen (for oversize tires)
- Thread starter BioDieselLover
- Start date
How's the acceleration and braking compared to the stock tires?
TNriverjet
Veteran Member
Ok "Crossover" will work. ;0)
I'm actually surprised that acceleration and braking seem pretty normal. I think if it were pushed a bit it would show some reduction over stock. However, the benefits of increased ride height and smoother ride outweigh the minor performance losses for me personally. I'm too old to be racing around like a teenage boy anymore. <grin>
I can't seem to show the after pic. Any chance you could post again?Seems like I can't waste down time at home without tearing into installing the front springs. Here are photos of the car before and after.
In this photo only rear towing springs are installed, stock wheels and tires.
This is the "after" photo. Rear towing springs, front Tiggy springs. Passat Sonoma wheels with 225/55R17 Conti Pure Contact tires.
I've only driven 10-15 miles so far the ride is much better over bumps with the taller profile tire. The ride is also much more SUV-like. This is not for the performance-minded person, but fits my tastes well. It sits about 2.5" taller overall. I now have a manual tranny diesel SUV :0).
TNriverjet
Veteran Member
Scott02
Veteran Member
Does anyone have the remainder of the spring rates for the tiggy springs?
Earlier posts have the 4motion spring rates, but I do not see the FWD spring rates. Unless I missed them?
Earlier posts have the 4motion spring rates, but I do not see the FWD spring rates. Unless I missed them?
Carphuntin_god
Veteran Member
I remember spring rate recording this was sort of haphazzard between here and various posts on vortex...
AlanTDI
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2002
- TDI
- 1996 Passat wagonTDI, 02 jetta sedan, on the dark side 2017 Rav4
Hello:
I just got my goodwill visa cards;
and am seriously thinking about going ahead with the lift springs most likely
from idparts http://www.idparts.com/sportwagen-lift-springs-set-p-5101.html, for my 2012 JSW-DSG
Has anyone with the lift springs had any problems with axles breakage/clicking, front bearings/bushings premature wearing out?
my tech from Mavis says don't mess with it,
it will mess with the abs.
thank you
Alan
I just got my goodwill visa cards;
and am seriously thinking about going ahead with the lift springs most likely
from idparts http://www.idparts.com/sportwagen-lift-springs-set-p-5101.html, for my 2012 JSW-DSG
Has anyone with the lift springs had any problems with axles breakage/clicking, front bearings/bushings premature wearing out?
my tech from Mavis says don't mess with it,
it will mess with the abs.
thank you
Alan
Scott02
Veteran Member
I guess I also haven't seen the spring rates of the suplex spring set from IDparts as well. Again, unless I missed it.
http://www.idparts.com/sportwagen-lift-springs-set-p-5101.html
unorganizedplan
Veteran Member
Hey all, it's been quite some time since I visited this thread. My how it has grown!
I currently have tow springs in the rear of my Sportwagen. Stock shocks, and ask stock up front.
I am soon planning to add the lift springs up front. But, I am torn whether or not to replace the shocks at this point in time. The car has about 114,xxx Km on it, (71,000 miles). If cash was plentiful, if do it in a heartbeat. However, I have to keep this suspension upgrade budget friendly. I currently notice no symptoms needing replacement. What day you all, in regards to the average expected lifespan of stock shocks?
Speaking of budget friendly, this makes the KONI orange STR.t set very attractive. However, my only concern is max extension with the shocks, due to the stiffer/taller lift springs.
Had anyone successfully used the STR.t set with a lift?
Any and all feedback is appreciated!
Jason
Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk
I currently have tow springs in the rear of my Sportwagen. Stock shocks, and ask stock up front.
I am soon planning to add the lift springs up front. But, I am torn whether or not to replace the shocks at this point in time. The car has about 114,xxx Km on it, (71,000 miles). If cash was plentiful, if do it in a heartbeat. However, I have to keep this suspension upgrade budget friendly. I currently notice no symptoms needing replacement. What day you all, in regards to the average expected lifespan of stock shocks?
Speaking of budget friendly, this makes the KONI orange STR.t set very attractive. However, my only concern is max extension with the shocks, due to the stiffer/taller lift springs.
Had anyone successfully used the STR.t set with a lift?
Any and all feedback is appreciated!
Jason
Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk
Carphuntin_god
Veteran Member
I used the str.t rears in my Golf with the JSW tow springs.... they are too short and top out a lot (at least in the Golf config) I put in Tig Rear shocks to fix the problem.
on the other hand.. if you want to buy some str.t rears or suplex rears to try... im me... i happen to have some in the garage
on the other hand.. if you want to buy some str.t rears or suplex rears to try... im me... i happen to have some in the garage
frugality
Top Post Dawg
Assuming you mean struts.....
When cracking open the strut assemblies, it's normally tempting to replace the struts at the same time as springs. But the Mk5+ suspensions are proving to be much more robust than previous VWs. The shocks and struts last a long time. I replaced mine with Koni FSDs at 165k miles (264k km) since I had a broken front spring. The dampers really weren't all that worn, and the FSDs really don't handle much differently than the stock dampers. I just did it because "it was probably time" and it'd be the once-and-last time I'd need to do it to this car. Now with dieselgate, I'm regretting the expenditure, because my high-mileage 2010 will likely be bought back, I think.
The stock dampers are probably good to 200k miles / 320k km, or even more.
unorganizedplan
Veteran Member
hmmm... I wonder if the added weight of the wagon would help that.I used the str.t rears in my Golf with the JSW tow springs.... they are too short and top out a lot (at least in the Golf config) I put in Tig Rear shocks to fix the problem.
on the other hand.. if you want to buy some str.t rears or suplex rears to try... im me... i happen to have some in the garage
I'll keep your spare parts in mind, where are you located?
i can never get shocks/struts right. maybe i'll just call them dampers, ha! i thought a strut included the spring, and shocks did not?
i'm glad to hear your thoughts on the dampers. this helps with budget too. based on that, i think i'll leave them alone for now. if they start going to max extension, then i'll revisit it at that time. thanks for the info!
gonna go back to page 1, and re-read this thread to catch up from a few months back.
TNriverjet
Veteran Member
I had the front top out once and the rear 2X in the first week or two. Now that things have settled in, I've had no problems with stock length shocks and struts.
unorganizedplan
Veteran Member
great feedback. i'll just go ahead with spring replacement ONLY. if i find they are maxxing out on extension, i'll cross that bridge when i get there, with replacement shocks.
Scott02
Veteran Member
Who's running the 1K0411105DN ?
Are they violet pink brown? Two springs above are listed with those colors?
Scott02
Veteran Member
I was told in an email reply from IDparts the following:
The lift spring set combines the two following products:
http://www.idparts.com/tiguan-front-springs-pair-p-4932.html
http://www.idparts.com/sportwagen-rear-towing-springs-pair-a5-p-5084.html
The paints codes are:
Front: 1 Green, 2 Red
Rear: Suplex does not provide the paint code for this item.
So they sell two different JSW rear towing springs, one OEM and one SUPLEX. Might this be a reason for the variations in the reported lift amounts? Hmmm.http://www.idparts.com/sportwagen-rear-towing-springs-pair-a5-p-5084.html
The paints codes are:
Front: 1 Green, 2 Red
Rear: Suplex does not provide the paint code for this item.
Last edited:
Ubetcha
New member
I finished lifting my Sportwagen last night and found this thread to be very helpful. Thanks to everyone who contributed all the info. Below are some details on what parts I used and links to where I got them. Top image is lifted; bottom image is stock.
Front:
Koni Sport (Yellow) Struts, http://www.idparts.com/koni-sport-yellow-strut-and-shock-set-a5mkvi-p-2157.html
Tiguan Springs, P/N 5N0-411-105-T, http://stores.revolutionparts.com/newvwparts.com/oe-volkswagen/5n0411105t
Rear:
Koni Sport (Yellow) Shocks, http://www.idparts.com/koni-sport-yellow-strut-and-shock-set-a5mkvi-p-2157.html
Sportwagen Towing Springs, P/N 1K0-511-115-CT, http://stores.revolutionparts.com/newvwparts.com/oe-volkswagen/1k0511115ct
Front:
Koni Sport (Yellow) Struts, http://www.idparts.com/koni-sport-yellow-strut-and-shock-set-a5mkvi-p-2157.html
Tiguan Springs, P/N 5N0-411-105-T, http://stores.revolutionparts.com/newvwparts.com/oe-volkswagen/5n0411105t
Rear:
Koni Sport (Yellow) Shocks, http://www.idparts.com/koni-sport-yellow-strut-and-shock-set-a5mkvi-p-2157.html
Sportwagen Towing Springs, P/N 1K0-511-115-CT, http://stores.revolutionparts.com/newvwparts.com/oe-volkswagen/1k0511115ct
peytah
Well-known member
Awesome!
Have you had an alignment done on it yet? I'm interested to see if other have had the alignment problems that I've had. I'll write another post about my experiences.
Have you had an alignment done on it yet? I'm interested to see if other have had the alignment problems that I've had. I'll write another post about my experiences.
unorganizedplan
Veteran Member
Hey, very curious about this. I now have my front springs (OEM triple pink) in-hand, ready to install. Please fill us in on your specifics, or link to a different thread....
Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk
peytah
Well-known member
peytah
Well-known member
1-year with a lift update
So here's my almost 1 year, 11,xxx mile update on my lift, 89,xxx total miles on the car. Sorry it took so long.
Quick recap of what I have going on, http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=4803009&postcount=253
It is my only ride, so reliability is important as I have no backup. I DD it with a 36 mile, mostly highway, round trip commute. Then weekends I'm usually in the mountains, which could mean paved highway to a dirt/snow/rutted/whatever parking lot or forest roads that range from paved to I can't make it even with the lift because of clearance issues and everything in between.
So far so good on the reliability front. CVs aren't clicking, all 4 boots are intact. In Seattle, we have lots of tight roads and parking lots that require full lock to navigate at times, so I feel like I have put the axles through their paces. I do take care not to put down lots of torque near full lock. I have no doubt that their life will be shortened by the lift, but so far so good. These are the originals axles.
The ride is noticeably harsher when the road is buzzy and the load is light. Think I-5 solo commuting for you PNWers. Kudos to VW for making a rattle free interior. The only rattles I ever hear come from the pano roof, and then mostly just on really cold days. However, put a few people with their gear in it and the suspension feels perfect. I took it on a 1,100 mile RT to interior BC in early Feb. and it kicked ass. Completely packed with 3 guys, ski gear, food and beer for a week with a packed ski box on top. Suspension felt great. Hours and hours of twisty, sometimes snow covered or slippery highways and it just felt solid. One of the other guys in the car has a MKIV TDI wagon and was amazed when he was driving. He was scaring me with how fast he was carving corners. Averaged ~34 mpg both ways BTW, which is only so low because of many hours doing 75-80 on I-90. The ski box is a real drag. I had done trips like that before with the stock suspension and it felt dangerous at times. Car always felt super top heavy because of how much it would lean in corners. Rear suspension near bottoming all the time. Just wallowy.
Yesterday, I did a solo rally/hiking session which involved 26 miles of forest road each way to get to the trailhead. What a blast. I might have rallied it at little harder than a forest ranger would approve of. Even the paved part of the road has big dips and water bars in it. I hit some of them at 50 mph and the suspension just took it. No bottoming out, no topping out. The dirt part was in pretty good shape, but still had a few badly potholed sections. Before the lift I would have had to take these sections at 5 mph in first gear and woven back and forth to avoid the big ones, occasionally scraping. Now, I slow to about 10-15 mph and just roll it. Didn't bottom out once. After the hike, on the way back to the main road, I took it up a steep forest road branch that just dead ended ~1000' vertical up, with switchbacks. Drove over a bunch of 2-3" downfall that hadn't been cleared yet. Made it to the end of the road where I found a couple guys in a pickup shooting at the dirt. Let's just say they were confused about how/why I was there.
So that's the good. Issues to come shortly in part 2.
So here's my almost 1 year, 11,xxx mile update on my lift, 89,xxx total miles on the car. Sorry it took so long.
Quick recap of what I have going on, http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=4803009&postcount=253
It is my only ride, so reliability is important as I have no backup. I DD it with a 36 mile, mostly highway, round trip commute. Then weekends I'm usually in the mountains, which could mean paved highway to a dirt/snow/rutted/whatever parking lot or forest roads that range from paved to I can't make it even with the lift because of clearance issues and everything in between.
So far so good on the reliability front. CVs aren't clicking, all 4 boots are intact. In Seattle, we have lots of tight roads and parking lots that require full lock to navigate at times, so I feel like I have put the axles through their paces. I do take care not to put down lots of torque near full lock. I have no doubt that their life will be shortened by the lift, but so far so good. These are the originals axles.
The ride is noticeably harsher when the road is buzzy and the load is light. Think I-5 solo commuting for you PNWers. Kudos to VW for making a rattle free interior. The only rattles I ever hear come from the pano roof, and then mostly just on really cold days. However, put a few people with their gear in it and the suspension feels perfect. I took it on a 1,100 mile RT to interior BC in early Feb. and it kicked ass. Completely packed with 3 guys, ski gear, food and beer for a week with a packed ski box on top. Suspension felt great. Hours and hours of twisty, sometimes snow covered or slippery highways and it just felt solid. One of the other guys in the car has a MKIV TDI wagon and was amazed when he was driving. He was scaring me with how fast he was carving corners. Averaged ~34 mpg both ways BTW, which is only so low because of many hours doing 75-80 on I-90. The ski box is a real drag. I had done trips like that before with the stock suspension and it felt dangerous at times. Car always felt super top heavy because of how much it would lean in corners. Rear suspension near bottoming all the time. Just wallowy.
Yesterday, I did a solo rally/hiking session which involved 26 miles of forest road each way to get to the trailhead. What a blast. I might have rallied it at little harder than a forest ranger would approve of. Even the paved part of the road has big dips and water bars in it. I hit some of them at 50 mph and the suspension just took it. No bottoming out, no topping out. The dirt part was in pretty good shape, but still had a few badly potholed sections. Before the lift I would have had to take these sections at 5 mph in first gear and woven back and forth to avoid the big ones, occasionally scraping. Now, I slow to about 10-15 mph and just roll it. Didn't bottom out once. After the hike, on the way back to the main road, I took it up a steep forest road branch that just dead ended ~1000' vertical up, with switchbacks. Drove over a bunch of 2-3" downfall that hadn't been cleared yet. Made it to the end of the road where I found a couple guys in a pickup shooting at the dirt. Let's just say they were confused about how/why I was there.
So that's the good. Issues to come shortly in part 2.
Last edited:
peytah
Well-known member
1-year with a lift update, part 2
So yeah, I like it a lot, but it's not all upside. First issue that popped up right away was the difficulty in getting the alignment right. I drove the car for about 150 miles before doing the alignment to let things settle in and it didn't feel right the whole time. Pulled to the right bad just generally felt wonky. The shop that did the suspension work doesn't have the equipment to align a MKVI, so he recommended another suspension/tuner shop in Seattle. I did not take it there because its location is just a giant PITA for me to get to during business hours. Instead, I went to the Les Schwab near my workplace and talked to them about it before I agreed to let them do it. Dude I was talking to was confident that they could get it right. They managed to improve it, but its not perfect. Still pulls to the right a little bit and several of the ranges are out of spec. I actually went back to Les Schwab in December and got them to try again. I told them not to do it if they couldn't improve it. They just went for it and didn't charge me for it. Doesn't pull to the right anymore, but still not in spec. The steering feels pretty good, but certainly not as good as stock.
Here are the results of the second alignment.
It also has a bit of steering shimmy between 65-70 mph with heavy throttle. Steering wheel just shakes. I can't feel any shimmy if I'm in the passenger seat, but the driver feels it in the wheel for sure. Goes away with gentle or no throttle. Normally I would blame tire balance, but these snow tires are brand new, just balanced. I haven't brought them back to the tire shop to check. Could be axle related...?
Last issue is a very slight clunk in the front end. It is quite repeatable. Back out of the parking spot, turn hard one way, then put in first, let out clutch and start turning the other way, clunk. I've also heard it just switching directions at low speeds. Left, then right, not super hard, but with moderate lateral acceleration. It might be happening at higher speeds too, but I can't hear it. This happened immediately upon adding the lift and has been remarkably consistent since then... doesn't get worse, doesn't get better. I've been all over underneath looking for something loose and can't find it. I paid the shop that did the suspension for an hour of diagnosis to find it and they heard it, but couldn't find it either. Wheels bearings all spin smoothly without play.
I've talked to a few folks about how to fix the alignment and the consensus seems to be a camber correction kit, then have someone who really knows suspensions do the alignment. I wonder if they are all symptoms of the poor alignment. I don't have enough experience with this to tell.
Anyone else have any ideas? Have any of the other folks with lifts had these issues?
Otherwise, I'm just waiting to see how Dieselgate shakes out before dumping any more time and money into the car to fix these other issues. Of course I did the lift 5 months before and purchased 2 new sets of tires (AS and winter) just 1 month before 9/18/15. Just enjoying what I have for now and putting up with its quirks. What's a few more?
So yeah, I like it a lot, but it's not all upside. First issue that popped up right away was the difficulty in getting the alignment right. I drove the car for about 150 miles before doing the alignment to let things settle in and it didn't feel right the whole time. Pulled to the right bad just generally felt wonky. The shop that did the suspension work doesn't have the equipment to align a MKVI, so he recommended another suspension/tuner shop in Seattle. I did not take it there because its location is just a giant PITA for me to get to during business hours. Instead, I went to the Les Schwab near my workplace and talked to them about it before I agreed to let them do it. Dude I was talking to was confident that they could get it right. They managed to improve it, but its not perfect. Still pulls to the right a little bit and several of the ranges are out of spec. I actually went back to Les Schwab in December and got them to try again. I told them not to do it if they couldn't improve it. They just went for it and didn't charge me for it. Doesn't pull to the right anymore, but still not in spec. The steering feels pretty good, but certainly not as good as stock.
Here are the results of the second alignment.
It also has a bit of steering shimmy between 65-70 mph with heavy throttle. Steering wheel just shakes. I can't feel any shimmy if I'm in the passenger seat, but the driver feels it in the wheel for sure. Goes away with gentle or no throttle. Normally I would blame tire balance, but these snow tires are brand new, just balanced. I haven't brought them back to the tire shop to check. Could be axle related...?
Last issue is a very slight clunk in the front end. It is quite repeatable. Back out of the parking spot, turn hard one way, then put in first, let out clutch and start turning the other way, clunk. I've also heard it just switching directions at low speeds. Left, then right, not super hard, but with moderate lateral acceleration. It might be happening at higher speeds too, but I can't hear it. This happened immediately upon adding the lift and has been remarkably consistent since then... doesn't get worse, doesn't get better. I've been all over underneath looking for something loose and can't find it. I paid the shop that did the suspension for an hour of diagnosis to find it and they heard it, but couldn't find it either. Wheels bearings all spin smoothly without play.
I've talked to a few folks about how to fix the alignment and the consensus seems to be a camber correction kit, then have someone who really knows suspensions do the alignment. I wonder if they are all symptoms of the poor alignment. I don't have enough experience with this to tell.
Anyone else have any ideas? Have any of the other folks with lifts had these issues?
Otherwise, I'm just waiting to see how Dieselgate shakes out before dumping any more time and money into the car to fix these other issues. Of course I did the lift 5 months before and purchased 2 new sets of tires (AS and winter) just 1 month before 9/18/15. Just enjoying what I have for now and putting up with its quirks. What's a few more?
peytah
Well-known member
I was just reading back in the thread a bit and saw the questions about dampers. My stock dampers were still A-OK when removed at 77k miles. I have no idea how they would do with increased spring rates, but I figured beefier dampers couldn't hurt, just do it right the first time.
The only time I have had the Koni sport yellows top out is when hitting speed bumps too fast. They compress nicely when hitting it, but then top out on the backside. Usually those narrow, steep suckers that they bolt to the ground.
The only time I have had the Koni sport yellows top out is when hitting speed bumps too fast. They compress nicely when hitting it, but then top out on the backside. Usually those narrow, steep suckers that they bolt to the ground.
unorganizedplan
Veteran Member
hmmm, anyone else seeing these alignment issues with the triple pink springs, or springs with similar lift??
peytah - is it bad enough you are noticing abnormal tire wear??
i'm a little worried now, damnit. i'll see if i can find a shop that has good experience with MK6 alignments before proceeding....
peytah - is it bad enough you are noticing abnormal tire wear??
i'm a little worried now, damnit. i'll see if i can find a shop that has good experience with MK6 alignments before proceeding....
peytah
Well-known member
I haven't noticed any tire wear but not that many miles spread over 2 sets of tires.
unorganizedplan
Veteran Member
Ok, so then to sum up your experiences (so far), you have noticed:
- slight pull to the right
- alignment out of spec on paper
- I feel I missed an item?
By the way, my front end is stock, and I always seem to have a slight pull to the right.... Maybe the wife smacked a curb and didn't tell me, ha!
Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk
peytah
Well-known member
- shimmy under heavy throttle at highway speeds, doesn't do it below 60 mph
- front end clunk when switching direction
I wouldn't write off the lift until you get some more feedback from others. I could be an outlier.
unorganizedplan
Veteran Member
That's right, I remember reading those points you mentioned now.
I'm not going to write it off. I'll just be sure to keep an eye on the points you mentioned.
Also, sound like you drive your car pretty hard, well, harder than most anyway... Not abuse, but far from babying it sounds like!
Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk
I'm not going to write it off. I'll just be sure to keep an eye on the points you mentioned.
Also, sound like you drive your car pretty hard, well, harder than most anyway... Not abuse, but far from babying it sounds like!
Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk
johngfc
Active 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.
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.
Carphuntin_god
Veteran Member
unless idparts changed the suplex... the suplex rears are't towing springs i don;'t think... they are just identified as tiguan rears. from my experience in a golf... they are just slightly less lift than the jsw towing, and are softer.
your mileage is gonna vary on stock suspension struts and shocks... mine were shot at 70k. and if you've got all that crap apart...why not throw new mounts up...they're relatively cheap?
also on golfs... with jsw rears... get some tiguan shocks so they don't top out.
I'm also gonna speak to Peytah's comment about shimmy under load. I noticed when i did the golf (and get confirmation from another golf owner who lifted their car in a similar fashion), we believe we have a slight "buzz"....under heavy throttle when above say 40 mph. (buzz doesn't seem like the right word...it's a lower frequency feeling than that) Now... without putting the car back to stock to compare...we can't say for sure... we just both thought we perceived this. I have to guess i have at least 20k on my lifted golf and haven't run into any issues with it.
your mileage is gonna vary on stock suspension struts and shocks... mine were shot at 70k. and if you've got all that crap apart...why not throw new mounts up...they're relatively cheap?
also on golfs... with jsw rears... get some tiguan shocks so they don't top out.
I'm also gonna speak to Peytah's comment about shimmy under load. I noticed when i did the golf (and get confirmation from another golf owner who lifted their car in a similar fashion), we believe we have a slight "buzz"....under heavy throttle when above say 40 mph. (buzz doesn't seem like the right word...it's a lower frequency feeling than that) Now... without putting the car back to stock to compare...we can't say for sure... we just both thought we perceived this. I have to guess i have at least 20k on my lifted golf and haven't run into any issues with it.