How heavy is the rear Haldex unit in an R?

[Jim_mk7.5]

When and how often do you notice this lightness of the rear in your GTD? On the track? Round town?

Can't for a minute understand why putting a bag of sand in a car would be deemed as beneficial or necessary?

Surely VW's engineers set the spring/dampers for the weight of the car...  I am missing a point here?

[fredgroves]

What I was talking about is why is the R so much more planted over bumpy roads than a GTD/GTI.

If you have never been in one or driven one you might not understand what I mean, but its absolutely a different ride and its almost certainly not anything to do with 4 driving wheels and has to be the weight.

Its obvious a GTI/GTD is superlight at the rear - how do you get 55k+ out of a set of rear tyres if the back end isn't light as a feather.

[golfdave]

When and how often do you notice this lightness of the rear in your GTD? On the track? Round town?

Can't for a minute understand why putting a bag of sand in a car would be deemed as beneficial or necessary?

Surely VW's engineers set the spring/dampers for the weight of the car...  I am missing a point here?

I have the estate & notice the difference when given the same spec in the hatch as a courtesy car...

my estate is way better/planted...& I have a way lighter engine..

What you are forgetting is nothing to do with springs/dampers...but everything to do with weight balance/distribution...

GTD hatch heavy nose, feck all out back....

the best MK7 golf for weight balance is the "R" estate....I know a few years ago I did some calcs over on MK7 forums about this...

[kalimon]

What I was talking about is why is the R so much more planted over bumpy roads than a GTD/GTI.

If you have never been in one or driven one you might not understand what I mean, but its absolutely a different ride and its almost certainly not anything to do with 4 driving wheels and has to be the weight.

Its obvious a GTI/GTD is superlight at the rear - how do you get 55k+ out of a set of rear tyres if the back end isn't light as a feather.

Probably something to do with the Bridgestones

[fredgroves]

Well, having tyres made from the same things they stick on the outside of the space shuttle probably is one factor yes

[bgbazz]

When and how often do you notice this lightness of the rear in your GTD? On the track? Round town?

Can't for a minute understand why putting a bag of sand in a car would be deemed as beneficial or necessary?

Surely VW's engineers set the spring/dampers for the weight of the car...  I am missing a point here?

You are missing the point for sure! How differently does the hatch handle when you have a couple of hefty chaps on the back seat? All about ground pressure and that will alter the handling for sure.

You used to see Mini Coopers being driven at speed on a winding road, lift the inside rear tire completely off the road surface..2x25kg bags of sand would stop that happening.

[fredgroves]

Golf's used to cock a leg too... probably not any more, the ESP I suspect prevents it!

[bgbazz]

Heaps of footage on the tube showing comparisons...some pretty scary stuff involving Mk7s...hard cornering showing only the inside 5mm of the inside rear tire touching the road...one or two showing it cocked completely! Surely they can't perform properly on 3 wheels.

No doubt that ESP helps the situation, but does everyone have that option?

[I wanted a GTi]

Heaps of footage on the tube showing comparisons...some pretty scary stuff involving Mk7s...hard cornering showing only the inside 5mm of the inside rear tire touching the road...one or two showing it cocked completely! Surely they can't perform properly on 3 wheels.

No doubt that ESP helps the situation, but does everyone have that option?

Look at any kind of hatch racing like the Clio cup and you will see them doing it all the time, if it made that much of a difference to the wheel doing feck all the cars wouldn't be set-up that way.

[bgbazz]

Heaps of footage on the tube showing comparisons...some pretty scary stuff involving Mk7s...hard cornering showing only the inside 5mm of the inside rear tire touching the road...one or two showing it cocked completely! Surely they can't perform properly on 3 wheels.

No doubt that ESP helps the situation, but does everyone have that option?

Look at any kind of hatch racing like the Clio cup and you will see them doing it all the time, if it made that much of a difference to the wheel doing feck all the cars wouldn't be set-up that way.

I take it that you are happy to go around corners on 3 wheels in a car not prepared, or set up for scorching around a race track. May as well drive a Reliant if that's the case!