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Model specific boards => Golf mk5 => Topic started by: Winky on 20 August 2009, 12:01
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Hi all. I'm a newbie to this forum. I just bought a Golf GTI Mk V (re-chipped to Stage 1). It's a great car but there is a hint of "body roll" which I'm not too happy about and a bit too "bouncy" over humps. I will be changing the suspension to the KW Variant 3 suspension and am thinking whether I should also install the KW ARBs (front and back). I don't intend to take the car on the track but do enjoy a spirited drive now and then on B roads. It's my daily ride so I would not want it to be too hard either. So in trying to balance performance and comfort, I am not sure if I should just stay with the stock ARBs. It has been suggested, as an alternative, that I just change the rear ARB (23 mm) which, apparently, will already make a significant difference in cutting down the "body-roll" problem. Does any one out there have any opinions or advice ? Grateful for any feedback.
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Hi all. I'm a newbie to this forum.
Welcome to the forum. :smiley: :afro:
I just bought a Golf GTI Mk V (re-chipped to Stage 1). It's a great car but there is a hint of "body roll" which I'm not too happy about and a bit too "bouncy" over humps.
How old is the car? How many miles on the clock?
I will be changing the suspension to the KW Variant 3 suspension and am thinking whether I should also install the KW ARBs (front and back). I don't intend to take the car on the track but do enjoy a spirited drive now and then on B roads. It's my daily ride so I would not want it to be too hard either. So in trying to balance performance and comfort, I am not sure if I should just stay with the stock ARBs.
If anything, maybe the first option would be to just fit uprated ARBs. ARBs will improve body roll, but shouldn't really affect the comfort at all, because they don't affect the spring and damper rates.
Though if it is a bit 'bouncy', that is usually a strong indication that your dampers are shot. In terms of 'aftermarket' suspensions, you generally get what you pay for. Cheaper ones will generally produce a much more inferior ride quality, whereas the more expensive ones such as Sachs, Bilstein and KW are generally much more refined. Probably the most important advice when fitting new suspension, and particularly adjustable coilovers, is to find a specialist who can correctly set up 'corner weights'.
It has been suggested, as an alternative, that I just change the rear ARB (23 mm) which, apparently, will already make a significant difference in cutting down the "body-roll" problem. Does any one out there have any opinions or advice ?
If you just upgrade the rear ARB, then yes, you will gain improvements with body roll, but you will then find you lose traction in corners. :sad: The Golf 5 GTI seems to be pretty evenly balanced between front and rear roll rates, so I would personally advise to updgrade both ends. :nerd:
HTH. :smiley:
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Exactly as T_T says :afro:
I cannot emphasise enough that getting your coilover suspension set up by someone who knows what they are doing will make all the difference.
You don't have to be on track to feel the benefits of ARB's - Your car simply doesn't differentiate where you are driving her, but only responses directly to what she's being subjected to.
KW-V3's are hard but not harsh and personally I think that enhancing the GTI's handling is more important than power. Though ideally you want both! It's a slippery slope though and you'll be considering brakes next!
:cool:
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I already have the R32 brakes which are pretty good. Thanks for advice.
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Exactly as T_T says :afro:
I cannot emphasise enough that getting your coilover suspension set up by someone who knows what they are doing will make all the difference.
You don't have to be on track to feel the benefits of ARB's - Your car simply doesn't differentiate where you are driving her, but only responses directly to what she's being subjected to.
KW-V3's are hard but not harsh and personally I think that enhancing the GTI's handling is more important than power. Though ideally you want both! It's a slippery slope though and you'll be considering brakes next!
:cool:
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Hi TT,
In answer to your questions :-
1. My car is only 2 months old and has less than 3,000 km on the clock.
2. My dampers are pretty new but I guess I drove over some humps at speed and felt they were "bouncy".
3. I am likely to install the KW V3s AND the ARBs just so I won't keep wondering - just hope the ride won;t be too hard.
My car was called the "V50" which was only available in Singapore - go google it for full specs. It's fast but I think it's got more speed than the suspension can handle.
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Winky - just googled it . . . :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool:
Anyway, so if you go over speed bumps, do you notice any particular end of the car which is bouncy? And are the speed bumps full width ones?
I'm sure you understand that ARBs only really work when cornering - 'stiffer' ARBs help keep the car 'flatter' during hard cornering - but will not make any difference when going over a full width speed hump. So if it is genuinely 'bouncy' when going over full width speed humps, then uprated dampers would be a good start, or else slow down when going over them! :tongue:
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Maybe I should just drive slower over humps. Problem is that I used to have a Porsche 911 and that car would "eat" the humps. Anyway, will be sending car in tomorrow for the KW V3s and ARBs to be installed. Thanks all for input. Might revert with views after installation.
Winky - just googled it . . . :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool:
Anyway, so if you go over speed bumps, do you notice any particular end of the car which is bouncy? And are the speed bumps full width ones?
I'm sure you understand that ARBs only really work when cornering - 'stiffer' ARBs help keep the car 'flatter' during hard cornering - but will not make any difference when going over a full width speed hump. So if it is genuinely 'bouncy' when going over full width speed humps, then uprated dampers would be a good start, or else slow down when going over them! :tongue:
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Maybe I should just drive slower over humps. Problem is that I used to have a Porsche 911 and that car would "eat" the humps. Anyway, will be sending car in tomorrow for the KW V3s and ARBs to be installed. Thanks all for input. Might revert with views after installation.
....I've noticed how the Porsches "eat" the kerbs at The Ring too! Quite amazing to pull off line to let one through and they just thunder across the red and whites.
I have KW-V3's (bespoke and setup by VWR) and couldn't be happier - Hard but not harsh but I always go ridiculously slowly over speed bumps due mostly to my front splitter.
Enjoy! :afro:
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I've got the KW V3s and ARBs installed - it's been 3 days and I am reasonably happy. The V3s are set on default and I don't find them any firmer than stock. I drove over some speed humps at speed and the car stayed relatively "level". Around corners at speed, there was less lean than before. So all in all, I guess there is improved handling although I read in some other forum, that the V3s are a little "bouncy". I need to try them out on some "rolling" roads. Curiously, although the sideskirt is level with the road, the gap between the front tyres and front wheelarch is greater (maybe 1 cm) than the rear. The mechanic told me that the front wheelarches are actually bigger and if I wanted the gaps to be the same both front and back, the car would, from the side, be "nose-down". Of course, we are talking about a pretty insignificant difference but am wondering if anyone else has this experience and what they decided in the end.
Maybe I should just drive slower over humps. Problem is that I used to have a Porsche 911 and that car would "eat" the humps. Anyway, will be sending car in tomorrow for the KW V3s and ARBs to be installed. Thanks all for input. Might revert with views after installation.
[/quote]
....I've noticed how the Porsches "eat" the kerbs at The Ring too! Quite amazing to pull off line to let one through and they just thunder across the red and whites.
I have KW-V3's (bespoke and setup by VWR) and couldn't be happier - Hard but not harsh but I always go ridiculously slowly over speed bumps due mostly to my front splitter.
Enjoy! :afro:
[/quote]
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^^^^
Winky,
1 - Don't drive over any speed bumps at speed - It's no good for the car and no good for road safety - They're there for a purpose.
2 - Get your suspension professionally setup and, if possible, corner-weighted. Linky : - Center Gravity Review.... (http://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2490.0)
:afro:
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^^^^
Winky,
1 - Don't drive over any speed bumps at speed - It's no good for the car and no good for road safety - They're there for a purpose.
2 - Get your suspension professionally setup and, if possible, corner-weighted. Linky : - Center Gravity Review.... (http://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2490.0)
Hi Redrobin, don't worry, I don't usually drive over speed bumps at speed - just did it to test the new suspension and compare it to my old 911. The "corner-weighted" adjustments look interesting but I'm not sure we have this technology in S'pore. Thanks for feedback.