sway bars on a mk6 TDI jetta worthwhile?

[digdug]

I just got a new mk6 jetta and was considering getting front and rear sway bars for it - any opinions on whether or not its worth doing? thanks

 

[Dirtracr95]

Do you have a sedan or wagon?

 

[chaoscreature]

Share your expecations of the car with us. Asking if a sway bar is worth it is a little like asking if paying for extra toppings is worth it on a pizza. it just depends.

If the MK6 you are talking about is a 2013 Sedan then you have a torsion beam rear suspension and there are no sway bar kits available AFAIK.

 

[digdug]

sorry: it is a sedan - would like to get a bit more spirited handling out of it.

I didnt think they made rear sway bars for mine but one shop sent me this>>



Yea we have sway bars for the 2013 TDI.


Front
http://www.moddedeuros.com/products/whiteline-24mm-bwf19xz

Rear
http://www.moddedeuros.com/products/whiteline-24mm-bwr20xz

 

[oilhammer]

Those won't fit your car. The 2011+ Jetta sedan rides on a different platform than the previous Jettas (which were essentially a sedan version of a Golf), or the Audi TT, Audi A3, or Jetta/Golf wagon.

If you want better handling, you can:

Get stiffer shocks.

Swap in the GLI's IRS and springs/shocks (or at least the base 2014+ Jetta's IRS)

Trade for a Golf.

I'm not sure how well of a platform the solid beam NCS Jetta would be as a starting point for a sporty car. And we may disagree on what feels sporty and of course it is subjective as to what you are after. In some cases, swapping to bigger wheels with lower profile tires and stickier rubber will make a big difference, at the expense of practicality of every day use of course.

 

[bl00tdi]

Agree with oilhammer. If you are serious about upgrading your suspension, you should start with the dampers.

 

[chaoscreature]

Your budget is going to be the real limiting factor to try and get you what you want.

FWIW, my car is my DD so I want to keep it civilized but still be able to go the track once in a while. All I have done so far is H&R Sport springs, 18" tires/wheels off a GLI and the ESP switch addition. The difference is night and day in the handling. The shocks are now slightly under-damped but really not bad at all. When they blow out I will switch to something more sporty.

IMO start with tires. Tires are by far the one thing you can change on your car that will have the biggest impact on the cornering capabilities of your car.

 

[bl00tdi]

It depends on what he wants....actual cornering speed vs ??. Reason I suggested dampers is because from what I gleaned from his post, he wants his car to "feel" more sporty. Sway bars don't necessarily make your car any faster through a corner, they just change the front/rear grip balance and can add an athletic feel. For competitive, 10/10 driving sure tires come first assuming all the other bases are covered; healthy shocks, bushings and performance oriented alignment. But for a improved daily drive and all-around composure, dampers are king. Then everything else after that. It wouldn't make sense for me, personally speaking, to drop $800+ on some sticky tires that will probably have unfavorable wear, noise, and riding resistance characteristics, while riding on the stock (relatively) sloppy suspension. So it necessarily all comes down to individual priorities but IMO the dampers are usually the weakest link in most suspension setups, coilovers included.

 

[chaoscreature]

It depends on what he wants....actual cornering speed vs ??. Reason I suggested dampers is because from what I gleaned from his post, he wants his car to "feel" more sporty. Sway bars don't necessarily make your car any faster through a corner, they just change the front/rear grip balance and can add an athletic feel. For competitive, 10/10 driving sure tires come first assuming all the other bases are covered; healthy shocks, bushings and performance oriented alignment. But for a improved daily drive and all-around composure, dampers are king. Then everything else after that. It wouldn't make sense for me, personally speaking, to drop $800+ on some sticky tires that will probably have unfavorable wear, noise, and riding resistance characteristics, while riding on the stock (relatively) sloppy suspension. So it necessarily all comes down to individual priorities but IMO the dampers are usually the weakest link in most suspension setups, coilovers included.

Well put.

OP, give us some feedback on what you want to do. We love spending other peoples money
A lot of shop have bad information about the MK6 jettas. I am glad you didn't order the sway bars based on their word.

 

[digdug]

Well put.

OP, give us some feedback on what you want to do. We love spending other peoples money
A lot of shop have bad information about the MK6 jettas. I am glad you didn't order the sway bars based on their word.

thanks guys; I would like to throw this car around a bit during my commute to make more interesting at times. I wish it had more power but its ok for me as a commuter. That same shop that said those sway bars would work suggested coilovers.

Last jetta tdi I had (MKIV) I put on 17" wheels along with Koni adjustables and neuspeed sofsport springs. Helped it a bit .

thanks

oh yeah : forgot to add - - I dont want to ruin the ride too much

 

[chaoscreature]

I would go the same route you did with your MK4. Springs, shocks, 17" wheels and call it a day.
You need to do the ESP switch if you want to toss the car around. Without it the ECM will start cutting power in corners which exacerbates the inherent understeer.
When you need more power see talk to Malone tuning.

 

[Dirtracr95]

Keep with 17" wheels and get some stickier tires. These cars definitely understeer but with my stock everything the car really lets you know when your at the limit the front tires will start to make noise. The front will still hold right when they start making noise but if you push it further it just barely starts pushing and pushes more in a linear manner.

Stiffening the rear would help with the understeering but no one makes anything for the rear beam yet.