Suspension differences between 17" and 18" wheels?

[david25]

Hi everyone, I'm still pondering the choice between the factory 17" and 18" wheels...

One question, is there a difference in suspension setup made when the factory build a 17" or 18" inch car?

I remember reading somewhere that ETKA does indicate a difference.

I would like to know so that I can swop wheels without worring about the car looking too low/high or paying for yet another suspension alignment.

Does anyone have a definitive answer?

Many thanks

[Steve30]

The 17's look a bit drab TBH, 18's are perfect even better with ACC

[Dawnskaybug]

No but from what I have read the 17s handle better

[Steve30]

No but from what I have read the 17s handle better

Think your splitting hairs now

Not with ACC in sport mode!!

[herbie911]

If you got a racing licence like Michael Schumacher, you can tell which one handles better

Even an OAP can tell the difference in ride quality between the two (17s in comfort mode rides better than most Beemers!)

Unless you are blind 18s look better than 17s!

[Steve30]

If you got a racing licence like Michael Schumacher, you can tell which one handles better

Even an OAP can tell the difference in ride quality between the two (17s in comfort mode rides better than most Beemers!)

Unless you are blind 18s look better than 17s!

What he says^^^^^

[Snoopy]

No but from what I have read the 17s handle better

Think your splitting hairs now

Not with ACC in sport mode!!

Sport mode just makes it hard very hard. Try going down an English country road in sport mode at a reasonable pace and the wheels spend more time skipping and not in contact with the poor road surface. Normal is much better and adapts to the road surface much better. People often seem to have this idea harder is better its not the case in real life imo on smooth roads maybe, but how many of them do we have?. Theres many a car i have ruled out due to certain back roads i regular travel they just become uncontrolled as there suspension is too hard.
17s were faster on the mk5 according to evo(iirc) mag track test no idea about on the mk6. But the mk6 imo with standard suspension is harder than the mk5 was.

[Steve30]

No but from what I have read the 17s handle better

Think your splitting hairs now

Not with ACC in sport mode!!

Sport mode just makes it hard very hard. Try going down an English country road in sport mode at a reasonable pace and the wheels spend more time skipping and not in contact with the road. Normal is much better and adapts to the road surface.
17s were faster on the mk5 according to evo(iirc) mag track test no idea about on the mk6. But the mk6 imo with standard suspension is harder than the mk5 was.

On my motor Snoops sport mode improves the handling by far, just trying to get my point over about 17's to 18's and handling diffirance mate with Acc of course

[Snoopy]

ACC in normal mode adapts the dampers to the road conditions and uses its range of adjustment. Comfort or sport setting just sets it at its extremes iirc. (excluding how it changes the steering weight too).
ACC imo is a complicated, but to most people also a worth while option.
I found that 18s gave steering kickback on roads i drive.

To answer the original question im not sure. I too remember a difference back in 2005 of the mk5 iirc. I remember a debait about it as someone on an american forum started a question about it on a uk forum. It had something to do with bumpstops IIRC. I remember the arguments
 It would not suprise me if the mk6 just has a single setup, to reduce the amount of parts and costs especially as there is the ACC option on the mk6.

[Ess_Three]

Sport mode just makes it hard very hard. Try going down an English country road in sport mode at a reasonable pace and the wheels spend more time skipping and not in contact with the poor road surface. Normal is much better and adapts to the road surface much better. People often seem to have this idea harder is better its not the case in real life imo on smooth roads maybe, but how many of them do we have?.

This is true...it is often too hard to make smooth progress...
However, find a smooth twisty road (yes they do exist) and try Sport, and not only is wheel control more finely controlled, but the electro-hydraulic steering setting is adjusted to give a  sharper turn in...so much that it's fairly easy to get the rear end moving about.
It's far more rewarding a drive is Sport...just too harsh for many roads.