Beef on a Budget. VR6/Wagon springs

Fix_Until_Broke

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 8, 2004
Location
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, USA
TDI
03 Jetta, 03 TT TDI
The weight is pretty well balanced front/rear.

Tranny, clutch and steel skidplate are on front axles, hitch and trunk junk are behind rear axle, exhaust is relatively central with a little bias to the back. Fuel is just ahead of the back axle.
 

1.9 TDI Awd

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Location
Marquette, Michigan
TDI
2000 TDI Golf 5spd
either i need to add weight to the driver or the front end to balance my heavy stereo. yeah i know stereo removal is an option, but not for me hehe:D.
 

ldogbrass

Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2011
Location
Denver
TDI
02 Jetta TDI wagon - Bosio 1019's - Lifted and stiff sprung - 2012 Passat TDI SEL
This may be a silly question, but will the Moog springs mentioned on page 1 of this thread also fit my mk3 (1998) Jetta? If not, what is a suitable replacement?
So I am looking to do the same thing to my 98 jetta TDI.

I am a bit stuck.

I can find the strut kit for the Mark3 at Blau sports for $199.99
Vw Jetta Strut Shock Absorber Kit - Mark III - 1996-99 w/ 6 Cylinder Engine part # MGR1001-B
Product Part Number:MGR1001-B

I can also find the front springs for the 1998 V6 jetta at ROCKWELL Part # SC20113 for $54.79

Problems:

1. I don't know if the front springs are for automatic trans
2. I dont think VW made a wagon jetta my year so what should i do about stiffer rear springs? I plan to hall a trailer.
 

mech644

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2007
Location
Blue Hill, Maine
TDI
'00 Golf, '14 Touareg
You might be better off asking these questions in the MKIII forum. This thread is specific to MkIV's, post '99.5 cars. Certainly some helpful info but nothing that directly addresses MKIII.
 

mikev18

Well-known member
Joined
May 3, 2010
Location
Connecticut
TDI
2002 Jetta TDI
Im bringing this thread back. Because I had my Moog springs and Bilstien TC's installed today. After instalation I was running 27 FTG up front and 28 FTG rear. The ride quality is amazing, no body roll, corners great. I love driving the car again. Couldnt be happier!
 

\/\/0J0

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2010
Location
Knoxville, TN
TDI
Sadly, none anymore
I, too, have the beef on a budget with TCs and TT LCR bushings. Awesome ride! Although it may be a little too firm for some folks, I like feeling the road under my tires.
 

mikev18

Well-known member
Joined
May 3, 2010
Location
Connecticut
TDI
2002 Jetta TDI
How many years/miles on the springs and shocks? Any performance issues? Or just rusting?
Also interested in this. And I forget what you used for struts/shocks. Some people on here are using Bilstien TC's and some are using the Blausports?
 

1.9 TDI Awd

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Location
Marquette, Michigan
TDI
2000 TDI Golf 5spd
Hehe, check my sig, its right next to my picture, well a line in or so.

i am on Blauparts. i need to post the pics to show you what im talking about. not bad, just not a good look for such new material. maybe im being a baby, but looks to be to much wearing through the paint for 6months old
 
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1.9 TDI Awd

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Location
Marquette, Michigan
TDI
2000 TDI Golf 5spd
from what i hear Michigan uses beet juice alot more than salt. but im not MDOT, so i really wouldnt know. but i am guesing yeah alot more road salt even with this mild winter.
 

1.9 TDI Awd

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Location
Marquette, Michigan
TDI
2000 TDI Golf 5spd
How many years/miles on the springs and shocks? Any performance issues? Or just rusting?
my last post fell short with words as my professor creeped up behind me in class while i was on the forum hahah...
well i took some pictures of the sad sight, well in my opinoin shouldnt be so rough. maybe due to my habbits of driving, where i drive, no garage, winters, daily driver, etc
the moogs are all losing the paint, the blauparts are rusting or showing through at the welds and joints(needs better/heavier paint imo) i took pictures ill load to photobucket and post.
i want to say only 8k on the setup, installed
 

mikev18

Well-known member
Joined
May 3, 2010
Location
Connecticut
TDI
2002 Jetta TDI
I have Bilstiens so i'm not to worried about those rusting out anytime soon. My car is also garaged and i wash the underside when i wash the car. The Moogs I got seemed to have a pretty good paint quality...
 

mikev18

Well-known member
Joined
May 3, 2010
Location
Connecticut
TDI
2002 Jetta TDI
Here are some of my pictures after ~400 miles. The cars in all of these pictures (including mine) look to be pretty high, but in person I think the setup sits great. I love the height.







 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2015 Sportwagen; Golf GLS 2002 (swap from 2L gas); 2016 A3 e-tron
I did a refresh on the suspension on my '02 Golf over the past few days, and three of the wheels took a combined 4-5 hours or so, but the passenger side front took about 24 hours of work because I decided I'd replace the LCA bushings, and the nut inside the subframe for the front bushing decided to let go, and...…many expletives and hours later, with a big hole cut into the subframe, I got it put back together. Ugh!

One question on the rear Moog springs (81055): On the ones that I got, (what I'm assuming is) the top had a small diameter that fit the rubber bushing/seat perfectly, but the diameter of the bottom one is larger and doesn't fit oh-so-nicely around the "mount" down there. Is that normal? I did install them correctly, right?
 

Fix_Until_Broke

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 8, 2004
Location
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, USA
TDI
03 Jetta, 03 TT TDI
After a month or so of having the moog springs installed, I was getting some strange noises from the rear. After getting it up on the lift and checking things out, I found that the bottom coil of the spring was contacting the "cup" and rubbing causing the wierd metallic sound.







If I would have been paying attention when I was installing them I probably would have caught this, but I wasn't and didn't. To solve this I just rotated the springs so that the smaller diameter part of the end coil was in these close clearance areas. I used a huge slip-joint pliers and just twisted the springs in the perches. If you dont' have one of these you'll probably have to un-bolt the rear shocks to let the axle assembly down enough to be able to clock the springs.

You can see on some of the pictures below where it was rubbing.

All better now








Hope this helps someone in the future
 

Broukanádrž

Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2011
Location
Reno,NV
TDI
2003 Beetle,Platinum Grey
Thank you Miketoth1979

So I have been following this thread for sometime and I have been wanting to do new springs and a lift kit on my 03 NB, Well I did just that I took your part numbers I ordered the springs and then I ordered a 1" lift kit from Kerma. While I was in Portland, OR this past week I had Rich over at Fixum-Haus do a great job of installing my Bilstein TC and Moog Springs and the Evolution 1" lift and what I got back was a nice lifted NB. It is very stiff yet it drives very smooth. I can't wait to put bigger tires on the NB, but so far I'm happy with the outcome and I think I have gained about 2.5-3.0" in clearance. Very Happy and I wish to thank this thread along with Rich at Fixum-Haus for the awesome install.
 
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1.9 TDI Awd

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Location
Marquette, Michigan
TDI
2000 TDI Golf 5spd
Here are the pictures of my BlauParts Vr6 kit and moog Springs

One, yes its upside down.
Two, currenty cutting more VWs
Three, sad at the resistance to corrosion.


front strut pass side. wiped it up alittle to show ...


pass rear



driverside rear




rear with Blauparts VR6 shocks, jetta moog wagon springs and shine RSB(rear sway bar). surprisingly stiff! ifted the driverside untill i had 2" pass side gap.

 

mikev18

Well-known member
Joined
May 3, 2010
Location
Connecticut
TDI
2002 Jetta TDI
I am more worried about the springs. how can they be that rusty after 8 months... my stock springs were on for 10 years and didnt look that bad when they came out....
 

TDI_bubble

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2010
Location
phx
TDI
98 tdi bubble
Just different coatings on the springs, as for the shocks they will rust at the welds first because that is where they flex the most. I would just hit it with some spray paint if it really bothers you.
The springs will lose capacity after long term exposure to rusting, has it dropped any since? It just looks like you have a lot of salt or beet on the roads there.
 
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1.9 TDI Awd

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Location
Marquette, Michigan
TDI
2000 TDI Golf 5spd
i would recomend to anyone else that uses the blauparts to maybe buy a can of clear coat, blast the welds and spots that seem like they may wear.

i will do what i can to tear down, wirebrush, clean up and respray over. may change shock body color while im at it. cover up the blue and add ontop. cant hurt, spray over another blue layer.
Very disapointed with the springs holding paint. i really dont know if its the frequency or location of my driving that made it loose paint so fast. also agree with Mikev18, my oem springs that had 168k on em had less wear visible. not to concerend about the looks, but as long as they hold up. still a Amazingly priced kit. under $500 for Shine RSB, Blauparts Full VR6 refresh kit, and Moog springs. now onto a stiffer FSB.

Just wondering, anyone else have similar wear on the Blauparts? Moogs?
 

miketoth1979

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 21, 2010
Location
Ohio
TDI
2001 Golf TDI GLS
I was surprised looking at those pics, too. My MOOGS and Blausports have been for over a year and they look pretty much the same as when I put them on, except a lot dirtier.....just like Fix_Until_Broke's pics above. Ohio salts the crap out of our roads, too. Do they use that Potassium Chloride stuff in your part of Michigan?
 

miketoth1979

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 21, 2010
Location
Ohio
TDI
2001 Golf TDI GLS
I have heard a lot of people saying that the potassium chloride eating up their cars way faster than the normal sodium chloride road salt used to, but I don't really know if that is true or not.
 

where2

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 29, 1999
Location
North Palm Beach, FL, USA
TDI
One '13 JSW_TDI & One '04 Variant_TDI
Just installed my Koni red rear struts along with the Moog 81055 springs on the back of my MkIV Wagon this morning. I've only put ~5 miles on it so far, so it is obviously still settling things in. I think I'm going to like this setup on Monday morning when I take the first clover leaf, and the second. From the short little trip I took, it already feels as if I added a mild rear anti-sway bar to the rear end. Not sure whether to blame that good feeling on the springs or the Koni's. Whatever it is, I like it. The wagon is feeling less like driving a marshmallow now. I just wish I'd done the front struts, but after reading the comments about that job, I think I'll wait for a different weekend, and line up an appointment with the alignment shop for first thing Monday morning.

The more I see of undercarriages where roads get salted, the more thankful I am that my MkIV came from inland south florida.
 
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