Ride Height, Is It Just Me But .............

[Dully]

Day 2 of ownership and you start to look things in a bit more detail.

I have had numerous GTI's, also currently driving a MK5 GT Sport and always end up scuffing my wrists while washing and scrubbing under those wheel arches due to lack of clearance.

I was stood admiring the new wheels in the garage tonight and thought that to the eye, both parked side by side, the MK5 looked lower.

I got a metal rule across the flat of the tyre and measured the distance to the arch, GTI was 50mm, the GT Sport was 40mm

Both cars are on the same size wheels and tyres (18" wheels, 225/40/18 tyres) and the GT Sport had a new set of front tyres 2000 miles ago so are as new.

It's doing my head in now as the GTI looks like a 1.4 SE sat next to the low slung GT Sport 

Anybody have any comments or care to have a quick measure of their wheel arch gaps 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mzqyn8bc4fo8l4l/2013-10-01%2019.30.52.jpg

[GrahamFR]

I'm surprised your Gti is higher than your GT, but I'm not surprised you can still fit your fist inside, I've always needed a set of eibachs to correct my leons and I expected the golf to be no different

[Dully]

I'm surprised your Gti is higher than your GT, but I'm not surprised you can still fit your fist inside, I've always needed a set of eibachs to correct my leons and I expected the golf to be no different

It's surprised me as well, just compared some pictures I got of it when it first rolled off the transporter and it looks no lower, hope it's not still sat on its transport blocks 

[Dully]

It must just be me then, unless you are all in the garage measuring up 

[Bill_the_Bear]

Have they definitely removed the transport blocks?

Are suspensions supposed to settle over the first few weeks?

[Jimble]

Have you had a look at some of the cars in the new arrival thread to compare? It does sound like the blocks might still be in unfortunately?

[Dully]

Have you had a look at some of the cars in the new arrival thread to compare? It does sound like the blocks might still be in unfortunately?

I have had a quick look but it's quite difficult to tell really. I would greatly appreciate somebody measuring theirs. I attached a picture of how I did it, metal rule horizontal across the tyre then measure up with a tape.

Is there anybody out there with 18" wheels, on a GTI that has seen 100 percent that the transport pucks are out?

If these pucks are not out then I am going to ape sh!t, I had numerous discussions with the dealer about this and they said they had one last look on the morning  I picked it up.

The more I think about it something is not right, surely it's not sitting 10mm higher than a GT Sport

Help please guys

[Sootchucker]

Whilst I'm no expert, but won't a coil spring on a car some years old naturally be slightly shorter than when it was new due to normal wear and constant loading, vs. a brand new car with new coil springs ?

Just a thought ?

[Dully]

Whilst I'm no expert, but won't a coil spring on a car some years old naturally be slightly shorter than when it was new due to normal wear and constant loading, vs. a brand new car with new coil springs ?

Just a thought ?

yeah it did pass my mind, the GT Sport is over 6 years old and done 120,000 miles, i think its this transport puck thing that is making me obsessed with suspension. A direct measurement comparison from another car will put my mind at rest a little.

On the puck subject, i am going to borrow the borescope from Engineering Department tonight and stick it up that gaiter and see whats still up there, think i will be able to do that without jacking it up, it records video and takes pictures so if there is anything there then the dealer will be getting it sent via E Mail copied to VW HQ 

[Sootchucker]

To be honest Dully, if you have some suspension travel I doubt all the pucks are in there (bouncing the car), then worst case if there is still a puck in there it's probably like everyone else just one piece.  If that's the case, then there is more than enough suspension travel to allow the car to find the correct ride height even with one puck remaining, so unless you are really unlucky and all three pucks are still in there, then the ride height is probably fine.

Also remember that the pucks are fitted only to the fronts, nothing at the rears so the back end should already have it's correct ride height.