DIY: 2" Lift Kit for Under $40 - EASY!

79TA7.6

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May 8, 2006
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Live: Wilbur/Creston; Work: Moses Lake Washington
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2003 TDI Jetta, 2002 TDI Golf, 2005 TDI Golf
Thank you. That would make sense as M10 would be the equivalent to a 3/8" bolt. Now I just need to check on the thread pitch, either M10x1.5 or M10x1.25. I think most automotive stuff is fine thread. I was just trying to make it so that someone could reuse the original bolt, but maybe that is not such a good idea. They would have to go to a hardware store in order to get a longer bolt for the original hole anyway, so they should just pick up a new bolt for the new mount too.

I think I will make it M10x1.25 unless someone says otherwise. I will try to fix it tomorrow night as I have lots to do tonight. So if anyone has input please let me know by tomorrow sometime.
 

TDIJetta99

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Joined
May 17, 2005
Location
Port Jervis, New York, USA
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03... Faster than yours =]
The shock hardware is M10X1.5 where it bolts to the beam and where the mount attaches to the body.. the top of the shock is a real fine thread on the OE shocks, and different on most replacement ones..
 

79TA7.6

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May 8, 2006
Location
Live: Wilbur/Creston; Work: Moses Lake Washington
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2003 TDI Jetta, 2002 TDI Golf, 2005 TDI Golf
Thank you 99, 1.5 it will be. Since you work on these cars a little bit, ;), what do you think about the 3/4" cavity for the perch mount and the 3/4" nub for the spring? Is it too much or should it be good? I am assuming you have dropped the suspensions from your advice you gave for the bolt.
 

coalminer16

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Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Location
Central Wisconsin
TDI
Golf 2004
Through the grape vine the 2 inch lift does not affect the ESP much. Going around hard enough on a curve you do set it off some so you have to hit the button to disable it but that is harder then a lot of people drive. The grape vine wouldn't go with out the lift and not adverse effects over 40K miles so far. Also with one inch of lift the rear shock doesn't really need to be extended up (or down) as the metal nerd kit doesn't touch the shock, just the spring with the 1 inch. Also the metal nerd kt works with raising the bottom of the shock up so it's 2 inches is 2 inches since there isn't any angle. I was curious is the wagon shocks will work the same as the Golf rear shocks as well. By that I mean will they bolt up to the metal nerd lift. I ask this as the disclaimer if I remember says you have to have the oem rear shocks for the wagon as his kit won't work on the wagon otherwise. I haven't bought the rear shocks yet but would like to know that.
 

coalminer16

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Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Location
Central Wisconsin
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Golf 2004
Through the grape vine the 2 inch lift does not affect the ESP much. Going around hard enough on a curve you do set it off some so you have to hit the button to disable it but that is harder then a lot of people drive. The grape vine wouldn't go with out the lift and not adverse effects over 40K miles so far. Also with one inch of lift the rear shock doesn't really need to be extended up (or down) as the metal nerd kit doesn't touch the shock, just the spring with the 1 inch. Also the metal nerd kt works with raising the bottom of the shock up so it's 2 inches is 2 inches since there isn't any angle. I was curious is the wagon shocks will work the same as the Golf rear shocks as well. By that I mean will they bolt up to the metal nerd lift. I ask this as the disclaimer if I remember says you have to have the oem rear shocks for the wagon as his kit won't work on the wagon otherwise. I haven't bought the rear shocks yet but would like to know that.
 

shizzler

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2005
Location
Ann Arbor MI
TDI
05 BEW Wagon
Thanks coalminer. I'm going to go ahead and not worry about a 1" lift, in terms of keeping ESP, and not extending the rear shock mounts.

Now to figure out how it would be possible to still use bilstein HDs on the front...
 

Growler

Got Soot Vendor
Joined
Nov 24, 2003
Location
Millersport, Ohio
TDI
Schmutz, 2015 Golf Sportwagen DSG & Schnurren, 2001 Golf GL 2 door 5M
send indigobluewagon a PM. he probably has a set of billy HDs on the shelf.= he could measure.
 

shizzler

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Joined
Jun 25, 2005
Location
Ann Arbor MI
TDI
05 BEW Wagon
Quick search on Bilstein's website found this:

http://cart.bilsteinus.com/product/F4-VE3-4407-H1/1418723#

36mm Monotube Strut Assembly


Part Number: F4-VE3-4407-H1
MSRP: $310.00

Setting: B6 Heavy Duty (HD)

36mm? Stock rod is 22mm.

Is that this diameter? 36mm must be the internal piston diameter, right? Not the rod diameter....


Sorry if this is off topic, but I imagine many people will be interested in combining the best strut available with a lift kit (plus the gas charged strut gives another .5" of lift !)
 

TDIJetta99

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Joined
May 17, 2005
Location
Port Jervis, New York, USA
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03... Faster than yours =]
the front HD's actually do have a 36mm rod with the upper end turned down to accommodate the factory mounts and whatnot..

I'm not sure what you're referring to as far as the 3/4".. The little piece that sticks up off the axle beam to locate the spring?
 

79TA7.6

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May 8, 2006
Location
Live: Wilbur/Creston; Work: Moses Lake Washington
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2003 TDI Jetta, 2002 TDI Golf, 2005 TDI Golf
I'm not sure what you're referring to as far as the 3/4".. The little piece that sticks up off the axle beam to locate the spring?
Yes, that is what I am talking about. In my drawing I made that piece 3/4". I am not sure if this would be too tall or not. I do not think it would hurt, but I do not know without tearing my car apart. I am not at that point yet. I was thinking on the new part, having this taller would mean more engagement into the spring. I am not sure about the bottom side though.
 

JMynes

Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2007
Location
Maine
TDI
'03 Jetta Automatic
Bilstein HD and wagon springs

After reading through the various schemes for lifting a Jetta I decided to do it once and not make it too complicated.
The rear Jetta wagon springs fit perfectly in the sedan. Jack it up, support it, and remove the shock. The spring practically falls out and two guys can wrestle the new one in without spring compressors. I put the new Bilstein shock in without using any spacers. I read that the wagon spring will raise the rear about 2", but I did not measure before and after.
The front was tougher, but I was replacing control arm bushings, tie rod ends, and ball joints as well, so that added to the profanity level.
Bilstein struts do have a larger diameter rod, so stock bump stops don't fit. Since that's all I had, it didn't get any bump stops. Jetta wagon front springs are, surprisingly, shorter OAL than stock sedan springs, but the spring rate is significantly higher. Again, from what I've read, the wagon spring raises the front end .75", and the Bilstein strut raises you .5", so my math tells me I raised the front 1.25". The car used to look slightly squatted in the rear, now it looks like it leans forward a tad. There is a noticable difference in 'getting in and out of the car' effort, less grunt both ways, so I'm sure it's higher than before.
So, bottom line is Bilstein HD 4-pack, Jetta wagon springs front and rear, suspension rehab kit, and a four wheel alignment. The car rides firmly, but all the creaking and groaning is gone. I have yet to "top out" on the rear shocks, I doubt that will be an issue. And I've yet to rub the skid plate, which used to be a fairly common occurence.
The old shocks and struts had 150K miles on them and compressed easily by hand, the new ones took lots of effort.
One unpleasant surprise was the driver's side front control arm bolt. After considering all the options, the easiest thing to do was drop the pan off the automatic transmission, as the bolt clinked into it and couldn't be removed. That required yet another trip back to the house for Pentosin, some vinyl tubing, and a laser temp gun.
 

TDIJetta99

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May 17, 2005
Location
Port Jervis, New York, USA
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03... Faster than yours =]
The HD's are limited internally... No bump stops needed in the front..

The control arm bolt is easy... take the lower engine mount off and rotate the engine/trans out of the way... the 2 small bolts ("one time use") can be had at any parts/hardware store, just make sure to get grade 8.8 or better...
 

TDIJetta99

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 17, 2005
Location
Port Jervis, New York, USA
TDI
03... Faster than yours =]
Yes, that is what I am talking about. In my drawing I made that piece 3/4". I am not sure if this would be too tall or not. I do not think it would hurt, but I do not know without tearing my car apart. I am not at that point yet. I was thinking on the new part, having this taller would mean more engagement into the spring. I am not sure about the bottom side though.
3/4" is more than enough.. the lower piece on the beam axle isn't all that high, maybe 3/8"-7/16" tall.. I'll measure it tomorrow on a beam I have out.. Problem is I need to actually remember to do it..
 

shizzler

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2005
Location
Ann Arbor MI
TDI
05 BEW Wagon
the front HD's actually do have a 36mm rod with the upper end turned down to accommodate the factory mounts and whatnot..

I'm not sure what you're referring to as far as the 3/4".. The little piece that sticks up off the axle beam to locate the spring?
Damn, so no chance of bilstein HD fronts with a lift kit then. Bummer.
 

JMynes

Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2007
Location
Maine
TDI
'03 Jetta Automatic
Damn, so no chance of bilstein HD fronts with a lift kit then. Bummer.
I don't see why not. The OP used a piece of 1" iron pipe cut to the desired length, so it should be simple enough to go with the next size up.

If I were going to go this route, I would try to find a piece of stainless (I hate rust) rod of the desired outside diameter and drill it to fit the Bilstein rod. Cut to length, and there you go.

But then, what do I know? I took metal shop in high school many years ago. The fact that I have a lathe and a welder just makes me dangerous.
 

TDIJetta99

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Joined
May 17, 2005
Location
Port Jervis, New York, USA
TDI
03... Faster than yours =]
the only way you can do it with the HD's is to extend the rod with something threaded on top of it, or engineer something to go up into the strut tower and re-locate the upper mount down some which would leave the strut un-touched..
 

TDIJetta99

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Joined
May 17, 2005
Location
Port Jervis, New York, USA
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03... Faster than yours =]
thanks for the reminder.. It's about 7/16" right where the lip comes up, but it has sort of a weird contour around it.. it's not exactly a flat plate with the lip sticking out of it..
 

turbocharged798

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May 21, 2009
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Ellenville, NY
TDI
99.5 black ALH Jetta;09 Gasser Jetta
What I did for our 99.5, I just got wagon rear springs from a junkyard and VR6 springs + 2 sets OEM spacers for the front. Massive lift. Car will go over anything now. This + ASR/EDL + good snow tires = unstoppable in major snow storms.:D
 

mountainfair

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Joined
Oct 25, 2009
Location
CO
TDI
00 jetta gl
gioTDI 79TA7.6 shizzler NewTdi -

Anyone made some of these spacers up yet and tried them? Cant wait to see the results!
 

shizzler

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Jun 25, 2005
Location
Ann Arbor MI
TDI
05 BEW Wagon
Nope, not yet. I am still trying to decide how to incorporate bilstein HDs up front. I suppose I could run two simple spacers and keep things otherwise OE. That seems too easy though (and under an inch of lift - before the extra lift from the HDs, anyway).

Forum member rperks appears to have built HD compatible front lift spacers:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=3140664&postcount=273

But I don't really understand the difference. Having not rebuilt the suspension myself already makes this whole planning process very difficult!
 

Pugsley

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Apr 7, 2008
Location
Valparaiso IN
TDI
2003 Beetle
I have a wrecked NB that I have to take the engine out of. When that happens ill take a look at the way it all mounts up and see if I can't come up with a good solution to do a proper front lift. I have never worked on a cars suspension as new as this. All my experience is on 80's full sized GM sedans/wagons.
 

coalminer16

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Location
Central Wisconsin
TDI
Golf 2004
By proper are you talking about not compressing the front spring for a lift and actually dropping the shock down somehow. You have to watch the axle (the pass side the most) from hitting the control arm or frame of the car at full extension. Otherwise some modified top shock mounts would be the easiest way to go doing this. I just can't see how to get around not hitting the front right axle under full extension unless keeping the shock as the limiter and it OEM position. Solve that issue my friend at a good price and you will have some costumers.
 

turbocharged798

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Joined
May 21, 2009
Location
Ellenville, NY
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99.5 black ALH Jetta;09 Gasser Jetta
Hence the spacers that go inside the strut. It keeps the strut hight the same but makes the car ride higher on the spring. The maximum extension will be no greater than stock.
 

TDIJetta99

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Joined
May 17, 2005
Location
Port Jervis, New York, USA
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03... Faster than yours =]
you can get away with about 1" more extension without the axle hitting the subframe on the passenger's side.. 2" will be cutting it VERY close, ant it might hit on some people's cars.. I would suggest doing a 1" spacer inside the strut like the VR6/1.8T cars have, and another 1" on the top.. this way the max extension is only 1" more, and the 1" shift in strut functioning area won't be enough to make it "top-out" under even moderately extreme driving conditions.. You would pretty much have to come over a high intersection fast enough to get the wheels off the ground to top it out..
 

Pugsley

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Apr 7, 2008
Location
Valparaiso IN
TDI
2003 Beetle
I never thought about the passenger side shaft being an issue... again, I haven't really looked at how everything sits on my beetle in that regard. If that is a huge issue I don't have a problem with only doing a 1" lift using the spring compression method. That and some taller tires should get me to a point that I would be happy with.
 

MudBug

Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2010
Location
Idaho
TDI
2002 Beetle
lift kit

Anyone find someone to make these yet? I did some checking locally and think i will keep looking...lol

Also in the OP what is the red rubber looking piece on the bottom of the back spacer?

Sorry for the stupid questions...i've had several baja's of the old style and would love to get this new Beetle up in the air. hehehehe :D
 
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