Best spring/shock combo for sporty MK4

I put FSDs with stock front and rear load springs on my wagon. I'm very happy with the way the car handles.

I have a new set of Bilstein TCs with vr6 wagon front and the old tdi rear springs from my wagon on my 03 GLI (vr6) and it feels soft in comparison to the wagon. However, the wagon with FSDs doesn't feel any harsher. I'm not sure which springs are the right answer but I'm fairly certain the FSDs are the best option for the magic mix of handling and ride quality.

TimDI said:

Riding Bilstein TC Sports with Vogtland sport springs and absolutely love the ride, alot stiffer than stock but I consider it to be a comfortable ride that isn't bone jarring in the least.

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That's the dampener/spring set up I have any yes they handle very well when driven very hard. Also not bad on comfort. I have the lowest springs you can go with on my Jetta ( they were for a Golf ).

I was looking for exactly that on my car but I'm on a budget. My set up consists of Shine #225 front springs,Moog Vr6 rear springs minus 2 coils, Koni Orange struts/shocks and a Nuespeed 28mm rear bar. The car is firm yet compliant with turn in vastly improved. I was hoping to duplicate the full Shine Real Street kit but on the cheap. I think it was a good compromise, not as firm as the Bilstein HD's but it lacks the harshness over rough surfaces.

I use the Bilstein SP/Eibach Pro (VW Eurosport) VR6 setup on my wife's MkIV wagon. It gives enough stiffness to do the job well, and enough ride height to keep the pan from getting whacked (about stock front height, much lower = almost dead level at the rear). It has been on the car for 200,000 miles, and is still tight and comfy. I can't say how they compare with Koni FSDs, only that from a ride and handling perspective, it is spot on for our likes. Would dearly love to try FSDs with this much spring to see how it works, but since the Bilsteins seem to last forever, I guess I will never know.

I have neuspeed sports on oem struts/shocks. I'll be going to bilstein HD soon but really like the handling thus far.

Clamb, consider the Koni SRT,Ts to pair with your springs. Firm but on reasonable roads the thing handles like a go kart. Also with my current alignment the car tends to under steer much less.

If I'm not to late to the party, but I'm extremely happy with how my Koni Coilovers ride on the street, yet still perform great on the track. I have them setup in the middle of the rebound and setup as high as they will go in the rear with the front to match that ride height.

Here is a picture of my car and its ride height.


At a dyno day.


Another brand to consider is KW.
http://www.kw-suspension.com/us/

http://www.uspmotorsports.com/KW-Coilover-Kit-V1-VW-MKIV.html
http://www.uspmotorsports.com/KW-Coilover-Kit-V2-Volkswagen-MKIV.html

Good luck and hope that helps.

Mk4 jetta TDI suspension options

I haven't tried every available option out there, but I have the Eibach pro kit springs all the way around. Koni Yellow Sports up front (one full turn firm) with the Koni FSD's in back. The ride is really nice and the handling is as well. Feels good on the highway and I get no jarring when rolling thru city side streets that are rough with all the uneven pothole patches. Also the ride height looks just right with the GLI 18" BBS wheels.


2004 Jetta TDI