V
WHITE JAMES: Suspension & Wheel Reviews
- Thread starter WhiteJames
- Start date
gti20t
New member
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
Hey guys i have a set of the HPA SHS coilovers for sale. Still in the box and recently imported from Germany.
Just posted in the For Sale thread. PM me for details
Just posted in the For Sale thread. PM me for details
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DSC04597 (450 x 600).jpg
YouSnooze
You won't feel a thing ;)
- Car(s)
- 2006 Mk V GTi
Anyone that's interested in a set of Koni FSDs plus either Neuspeed Sport springs [both have done about 22000Km, which is peanuts for aftermarket stuff] or brand new Eibach ProKit springs; I will have these available soon as I'm changing to coilovers. Drop me a PM to discuss. They will be a bargain, though.
order last 1
Passed Driver's Ed
- Location
- ACT
- Car(s)
- GTI Pirelli
Nice review
Hi James, you did so many nice reviews about GTI. I was reading them these days and got a better understanding of the car. I am wonderring whether you have tried GTI Pirelli? What do you think of that in term of handling and power. Thanks in advance.
Hi James, you did so many nice reviews about GTI. I was reading them these days and got a better understanding of the car. I am wonderring whether you have tried GTI Pirelli? What do you think of that in term of handling and power. Thanks in advance.
YouSnooze
You won't feel a thing ;)
- Car(s)
- 2006 Mk V GTi
HPA SHS :thumbsup:
Maluko GTI
Ready to race!
- Location
- SYDNEY
- Car(s)
- MKV Gti
Great Reveiws WJ...
These HPA SHS seem like they are the way to go atm. Considering an upgrade in suspension on the Gti and not sure if i want the ability to adjust dampening or not...
These HPA SHS seem like they are the way to go atm. Considering an upgrade in suspension on the Gti and not sure if i want the ability to adjust dampening or not...
WhiteJames
Fun Nazi
- Location
- Sydney
- Car(s)
- VW Golf GTI MKV
HPA KW SHS coilover height only adjustable kit imported from HPA for @ $1700 - $1800 is the best I've sampled for a daily driver comfort/sports suspension system; esp on outback country roadways. Bear in mind what your intentions are when upgrading.
Dampers for stock GTI springs:
Bilstein Black
Koni Red
Comfort/Sports:
Koni FSD-Koni Sport/Eibach Prokit (Strut Damper)
Tein Euro Coilover
HPA KW SHS Coilover
Street Sports (Occassional Track - Targa - Hillclimb)
H&R Sports Spring/Eibach Sportline Spring + Bilstein Sport/Koni Sport (Strut/Damper)
KW Variants (V1-V3) coilovers
KW Clubsport Coilovers
Weitec Coilover (cheaper version of KW coilover)
Bilstein PSS/PSS9-10 coilovers
H&R Coilovers
Sachs Coilovers
Koni/Eibach Coilovers
Very Frequent Track Use:
H&R Race Springs/Koni Sport (Strut Damper)
KW Competition Coilover
Cross Coilover
Custom made coilovers
What is the primary use of you're Volkswagen Golf?
Guys like DanGSR complain that the Bilstein PSS10 are too soft for targa/track/auto-X; but recommend the Cross coilovers with much higher spring rate & dampening. Others complain that the Bilstein PSS10 are too firm for street use when ferring around the family including kids, and are looking to move towards a comfort/sports kit like HPA KW SHS or Koni FSD/Eibach ProKit. In a nutshell, determine the primary use of your ride and what you & your passengers expect in terms of ride/handling mix.
Sorry: No idea what a Pirelli drives or handles like; but I'd imagine it would be about 10% stiffer than the regular GTI. Ride height looks identical to the reg GTI.
Cheers.
WJ
Dampers for stock GTI springs:
Bilstein Black
Koni Red
Comfort/Sports:
Koni FSD-Koni Sport/Eibach Prokit (Strut Damper)
Tein Euro Coilover
HPA KW SHS Coilover
Street Sports (Occassional Track - Targa - Hillclimb)
H&R Sports Spring/Eibach Sportline Spring + Bilstein Sport/Koni Sport (Strut/Damper)
KW Variants (V1-V3) coilovers
KW Clubsport Coilovers
Weitec Coilover (cheaper version of KW coilover)
Bilstein PSS/PSS9-10 coilovers
H&R Coilovers
Sachs Coilovers
Koni/Eibach Coilovers
Very Frequent Track Use:
H&R Race Springs/Koni Sport (Strut Damper)
KW Competition Coilover
Cross Coilover
Custom made coilovers
What is the primary use of you're Volkswagen Golf?
Guys like DanGSR complain that the Bilstein PSS10 are too soft for targa/track/auto-X; but recommend the Cross coilovers with much higher spring rate & dampening. Others complain that the Bilstein PSS10 are too firm for street use when ferring around the family including kids, and are looking to move towards a comfort/sports kit like HPA KW SHS or Koni FSD/Eibach ProKit. In a nutshell, determine the primary use of your ride and what you & your passengers expect in terms of ride/handling mix.
Sorry: No idea what a Pirelli drives or handles like; but I'd imagine it would be about 10% stiffer than the regular GTI. Ride height looks identical to the reg GTI.
Cheers.
WJ
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order last 1
Passed Driver's Ed
- Location
- ACT
- Car(s)
- GTI Pirelli
Thanks WJ! Very useful stuff.
For a Pirelli, should I upgrade the Koni FSD damper first? or the sway bar? I reckin Pirelli's springs are quite firm for daily comfort driving but I do like nice handling around the corner.
BTW, do you know whether the sway bar in Pirelli are the same as in normal GTI?
For a Pirelli, should I upgrade the Koni FSD damper first? or the sway bar? I reckin Pirelli's springs are quite firm for daily comfort driving but I do like nice handling around the corner.
BTW, do you know whether the sway bar in Pirelli are the same as in normal GTI?
WhiteJames
Fun Nazi
- Location
- Sydney
- Car(s)
- VW Golf GTI MKV
^^I have updated the very first post #1 to include a list of websites and installers for the Sydney area. You should be able to source items much cheaper from the net than locally. Check post #1.
^order last 1: Pirelli suspension - springs, dampers & sway bars - I believe are firmer than the regular GTI. 1st: I'd drive the Pirelli for a while before any upgrades. 2nd: I'd upgrade the spring & damper (a) Comfort/Sports for daily street driver - HPA KW SHS (HPA KW SHS should improve your ride in most cases; except very slow speed); (b) Sports suspension - (i) Ease of adjustment: Bilstein PSS/H&R/Sachs (ii) Superior refinement with no issues of spring bind or tug-n-release - KW V1 - V2 - V3 (these are harder to adjust). Once the spring/damper/coilover has been installed; then look at sway bars - two sway bars (f&r) are better than rear only; although you could start with rear only if on budget. H&R sway bars are way to go if budget allows or Whiteline for budget upgrade.
^order last 1: Pirelli suspension - springs, dampers & sway bars - I believe are firmer than the regular GTI. 1st: I'd drive the Pirelli for a while before any upgrades. 2nd: I'd upgrade the spring & damper (a) Comfort/Sports for daily street driver - HPA KW SHS (HPA KW SHS should improve your ride in most cases; except very slow speed); (b) Sports suspension - (i) Ease of adjustment: Bilstein PSS/H&R/Sachs (ii) Superior refinement with no issues of spring bind or tug-n-release - KW V1 - V2 - V3 (these are harder to adjust). Once the spring/damper/coilover has been installed; then look at sway bars - two sway bars (f&r) are better than rear only; although you could start with rear only if on budget. H&R sway bars are way to go if budget allows or Whiteline for budget upgrade.
funky_chilli
Go Kart Champion
- Location
- Hong Kong/Melbourne
good work WJ :thumbsup:
i agree should be a sticky
i agree should be a sticky
Have been scouring the net for suspension info, particularly for spring rates - see GTI linear suspension rate comparisons.
Interestingly it seems PSS10s in their working range aren't that much softer than Cross, which i found interesting. The progressive nature is the obvious reason for the difference, apart from the possibility of altered travel between the 2 when lowered.
Not sure what settings Dan would have used, but there's also the possibility that the Cross dampers could be firmed up more than the PSS10s.
Nice "compilation" BTW.
Seriously looking at Cross now, just looking to tweak the F&R rates without leaving myself overdamped. The interplay between suspension geometry, rates, damping and static droop are making decisions somewhat involved.
Have caught up heaps on Suspension 101!!
Interestingly it seems PSS10s in their working range aren't that much softer than Cross, which i found interesting. The progressive nature is the obvious reason for the difference, apart from the possibility of altered travel between the 2 when lowered.
Not sure what settings Dan would have used, but there's also the possibility that the Cross dampers could be firmed up more than the PSS10s.
Nice "compilation" BTW.
Seriously looking at Cross now, just looking to tweak the F&R rates without leaving myself overdamped. The interplay between suspension geometry, rates, damping and static droop are making decisions somewhat involved.
Have caught up heaps on Suspension 101!!
Will have to see if I can get away to take a ride as I think he's working weekends.
Apart from bigger bars, etc. he also has an R which is heavier.
He's used the same rates as for GTI so in essence he has gone softer than recommended, although the bars wil make up for it.
I've been emailing cross re: rates and damper range and though you can go softer, they don't recommend it (well not too much). Despite the email recommendation from the techo at the other end, i'm not sure aussie roads are necessarily up to US spec for the standard ride.
In any case, I think the other reason might be shorter travel in the setup, which if made softer allows more droop thus reducing suspension travel. No good having freedom of height adjustability if you still have much less travel even at stock height.
So catch 22 - make it too soft and you lose too much travel (defeating one of the advantages of Cross in the first place), too firm and you lose ride comfort but get full travel.
Otherwise, if you wanted to come back a lot closer to stock, it'd be custom rates + custom dampers and it'd work out cheaper and simpler to just go with SHS, although you'd lose on the camber plate and adjustable shocks.
At least Cross has more damper adjustability than PSS10 (15 vs 10 clicks) and you can (yet to fully confirm) get rates close to PSS10. Not yet sure on travel.
Apart from bigger bars, etc. he also has an R which is heavier.
He's used the same rates as for GTI so in essence he has gone softer than recommended, although the bars wil make up for it.
I've been emailing cross re: rates and damper range and though you can go softer, they don't recommend it (well not too much). Despite the email recommendation from the techo at the other end, i'm not sure aussie roads are necessarily up to US spec for the standard ride.
In any case, I think the other reason might be shorter travel in the setup, which if made softer allows more droop thus reducing suspension travel. No good having freedom of height adjustability if you still have much less travel even at stock height.
So catch 22 - make it too soft and you lose too much travel (defeating one of the advantages of Cross in the first place), too firm and you lose ride comfort but get full travel.
Otherwise, if you wanted to come back a lot closer to stock, it'd be custom rates + custom dampers and it'd work out cheaper and simpler to just go with SHS, although you'd lose on the camber plate and adjustable shocks.
At least Cross has more damper adjustability than PSS10 (15 vs 10 clicks) and you can (yet to fully confirm) get rates close to PSS10. Not yet sure on travel.
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