WHITE JAMES: Suspension & Wheel Reviews

Operation: 'Install DG Sport Spring'

Operation Install Volkswagen Driver Gear Sport Spring into my Mark 6 Golf GTI 4 door DSG with DCC was completed today. In time a review will follow. Happy so far with the Volkswagen geniune lowering Driver Gear Sport springs - even though they are essentially a OEM VW Golf TDI aftermarket accessory spring - I like them. Some teaser pics of my GTI with DG Sport Springs during the first of several review drives:

A few more pics of the VW Driver Gear Sport springs on GTI

A few more pics as another teaser for an upcoming review of the geniune lowering Volkswagen Driver Gear Sport springs made by Eibach. Springs are cold wound so should not sag as much over time as the OE spring. Spring part no. is actually an Driver Gear aftermarket accessory spring for the VW Golf 2.0 TDI - so I have a set of sports diesel Golf springs in my GTI. Not complaining ... TDI and GTI weigh the same (1380kgs in 4 dr DSG form). See teaser pics:

Ride Height: Volkswagen Driver Gear Sport Springs

The stats you'll waiting for ... how much lower is my GTI 4 dr DSG with the Driver Gear Sport Springs with over 200km driving?

Front: 65.1cm
Rear: 65.9cm

Front has lowered 12mm and rear 3mm.

Happy with ride height atm.

Cheers.
WJ

hey there White James, thanks a heap for this thread.
I was interested in the Driver Gear springs, however a friend of mine told me that these do not drop the Australian Mk5 golfs, only the US ones because they are generally higher up.

I have a 2008 Golf GT Sport TDI.
Would these springs lower the car at all? If so how much, and where can I source these springs for the best price.

Apologies if I am asking to be spoon fed, but there is just an ocean of information here, and I am struggling to find what I am looking for.
Regards, v

DG Sport Spring - MKV

^Best do a few searches here and on vwvortex.com for ride height of MKV DG Sport springs. From what I've seen on MKV with DG Sport springs ... they appear offer very limited lowering like my MK6 GTI, perhaps a bit more than my MK6 from pics I've seen. If you're worried about the ride height and on strict budget ... look at the HPA Motorsport KW SHS coilovers or ST coilovers as best BYFB coilovers with good quality. You don't want to go too low ... upsets the OE suspension values/angles that VW built into the chassis design.

WhiteJames said:

^Best do a few searches here and on vwvortex.com for ride height of MKV DG Sport springs. From what I've seen on MKV with DG Sport springs ... they appear offer very limited lowering like my MK6 GTI, perhaps a bit more than my MK6 from pics I've seen. If you're worried about the ride height and on strict budget ... look at the HPA Motorsport KW SHS coilovers or ST coilovers as best BYFB coilovers with good quality. You don't want to go too low ... upsets the OE suspension values/angles that VW built into the chassis design.

Click to expand...

Hmm thanks mate,
I am not looking for a huge drop, just want to fill the arches a little bit, I think coil overs are out of my price range, but also maybe too much for what I am looking for. that's why i thought maybe just some slightly lowered springs would be fine.

Review: Volkswagen geniune OEM Driver Gear Sport Spring

REVIEW: VOLKSWAGEN DRIVER GEAR SPORT GENIUNE OEM LOWERING SPRING

Product:

• Volkswagen genuine lowering OEM Driver Gear Sport Spring.
• Linear Spring with progressive dead end coils.
• Made by Eibach with cold wound alloy metal and powder coated.
• Aftermarket springs as a VW accessory for the MK6 Golf TDI 2.0 weighing in at same weight at GTI (1380kgs).
• Stated to be about 0.5” lower & 10-15% firmer than OE standard GTI springs.

Product Code for 4 door DSG: [5K4071677B].

Vehicle: 2010 MK6 Volkswagen Golf GTI 4 door DSG with Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC).

Drive Route:

The Royal National Park between South Sydney and Wollongong including Boat Shed run from toll booth to Boat Shed, Garie Beach, Waterfall, Old Princes Hwy, Princes Freeway, Woronora Dam. Drive also includes cross Sydney City run from Mona Vale to Cronulla. 230kms covered in about 6 hours of driving for this initial assessment of the Volkswagen Driver Gear Sport springs.

Aim:

Assess the pros and cons of fitting a set of Volkswagen genuine lowering OEM Driver Gear Sport Springs made by Eibach with linear spring rate (DG Sport) to a 2010 MK6 Volkswagen Golf GTI 4 door DSG with Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC). How will the DG Sport spring affect the actuation of the DCC electronic suspension system on the Mark 6 Golf GTI?

Installation:

After having drama with warranty & installation issues when constantly changing suspension systems on the old MKV Golf GTI, I decided to source out the most experienced & reputable Volkswagen – Audi (VAG) specialist to conduct the installation of the DG Sport spring with DCC. When it comes to adding premium upgrades to Volkswagens, Master APR Tuner Derek Smith of European Autotech, Polo Ave, Mona Vale is at the top of his game. http://europeanautotech.com.au/contact. It meant driving 55kms across Sydney to ensure that I received my Golf GTI in as good as or better condition after handover. Derek Smith has been working on VAG vehicles for a long time now and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to Volkswagens. European Autotech (EA) is able to source the DG Sport springs as they have a supplier account with ECSTuning.com. Derek Smith is also looking at opening another workshop around Neutral Bay area for those that live around the Sydney CBD. The first thing I inspect when collecting the GTI after a suspension upgrade is the plenum cover that joins the base of the front windscreen to the under bonnet area. A fine fitting plenum cover is a good sign that the installer has taken care when conducting the spring upgrade. In my case, the plenum had been refitted like brand new. It was also reassuring to see Derek Smith’s crew enthusiastically fuss over my GTI as if they were the owner of the vehicle – shows pride in their handy spanner work. Very happy with the installation job thus far.

Drive 1 : Initial Impressions

Drive 1:

Immediate Observations

The park assist sensors where initially disorientated when reversing out European Autotech’s driveway. Once moving forward, they sorted themselves out. Driving out of the driveway there was an added sense of that secure feeling with the spring making the chassis tighter with less bounce. Full steering lock showed no issue with tug’n’release that can plague many progressive rate aftermarket springs on the MKV/MK6 Golf platform. The MK6 Golf GTI with the correct 4 door DSG product DG Sport springs lowered the front about 12mm and rear 3mm. The Golf GTI is symmetrical in that the front left & right and rear left & right ride height match each other for height measurement. Same thing after fitting the DG Sport springs. I initially had the driver’s seat lumber support turn up to 2/3rds and could immediately feel the extra support of the more securely sprung chassis moving through the vehicle and into the lumber support through palpitations into my back. I turned the lumber support down to 1/3rd of max after DG Sport spring installation, which softened up the ride comfort on my back, which was aching after the L90 bus ride from the City to Mona Vale for over an hour to EA’s workshop.

Drive 2: Mona Vale to Cronulla

Drive 2:

City Drive – Mona Vale to Cronulla

All three modes of the DCC were used. The drive from Cronulla up to Mona Vale with OE Springs had me changing DCC modes to account for the harder portions of concrete roadway up north. The OE springs felt as wearing lose fitting shoes when driving over larger undulations, showing a lack of spring rebound rate. The changes in the DCC into Comfort & Sport really had a noticeable effect on the way the chassis rode – with comfort wallowing & repeatedly bouncing after bumps and DCC Sport mode becoming jittery not allowing the spring to optimally compress far enough. The DG Sport springs filtered out the minor bumps & irregularities keeping the chassis at greater ease and improving the very low speed compression ride comfort, in addition to adding a secure nuggetty feeling around the 50-70kph mark with the chassis bobbing up & down in the higher low speed compression range on lower speed city roadways. This is in no way a bad feeling, but a more planted sporty feeling that brings the GTI closer to the suspension tune of the Golf R/R32 and Renault Megane RS250 for ride compliance.

The DG Sport springs bring the GTI up a notch in terms of chassis stability. DCC Comfort all but totality eliminates that wallowing after trampolining bounce after striking bumps & dips in the roadway. At times, the OE spring would bounce once or twice after compression with the softer damping rate and poor rebound rate in the OE spring. The DG Sport spring added the much needed rebound rate to the spring in DCC Comfort range, which reduces that trampolining bounce remarkably – from 1-2 second, one-two vertical upwards and downwards movements to one 0.5 second single half-movement with only the occasional half bounce between 50-70kph speed range.

Throwing the DCC into Sport mode in the city dramatically reduces the jittery restless uneasy ride often encountered especially on concrete roadways. This improves the ride comfort in Sport. The DG Sport springs do wonders for filtering out the sharper concrete edges all but eliminating that restless and uneasy chassis feeling telegraphed into the cabin. DCC Sport adds preciseness and crispness without adversely affecting ride compliance and comfort. This makes for a much more relaxing drive with less driver effort required to manoeuvre the GTI around the city. Roundabouts show the DG Sport equipped GTI with DCC to have greater at apex and corner agility on powering out.

DCC Normal mode with the DG Sport springs in the city appear to be the least varied to the OE spring setup as the OE spring was ideally designed to work in this range most effectively. The DG Sport spring does add firmness and still filters out many of the smaller roadway high frequency undulations reducing the unwanted minor vibrations into the chassis and seat. The 55km city drive home was less taxing with less driver input for greater effort with that greater Golf R feeling of surety and connectedness.

The city drive showed that the dampers do not lose any of their effectiveness operating the same as the OE spring combination. The trampoline effect was drastically reduced. The driver can feel the lower ride height at the front of the GTI and the extra rebound and lower ride height of the DG Sport spring does appear to have detracted in the chassis adjustability with less articulation and a slightly heavier feeling front end on city turns, but with greater composure and slightly improved steering weight and feel just off centre and during turns.

Drive 3: Old Princes Hwy and Princes Freeway

Drive 3:

Old Princes Hwy & Princes Freeway

The DG Sport springs enhanced driver confidence and was less taxing on the driver with a greater directness from driver inputs to chassis response. Less chassis fidget on high frequency minor roadway undulations ironed out from the very low speed compression ride were a feature of the DG Sport springs. There appears to be a tad more understeer on corner entry and the DG Sport springs have caused the chassis to lose some of its adjustability inherent in the OE spring setup. The DG Sport springs do make the GTI a sharper instrument, like sharpening a knife when the driver is cutting into a corner, reminding me of my old KW V3 kit on the old MKV GTI. At 50-60kph there is an added nuggetty chassis terseness with the body of the GTI having a fair amount of vertical body movement driving over the peaks & troughs in the roadway at the higher end of the low-speed compression range of damping. The nuggetty ride smoothes out once you hit 80kph and at 100kph and above improving ride comfort and control over that of the OE springs. This makes it much more relaxing for the driver on the freeway at higher speeds, reducing the chassis nervousness in any DCC mode. The steering is improved and feels less inclined to return to centre after minor steering adjustments coupled with much less chassis restlessness and that overdamped feeling present in the OE spring setup.

DCC Comfort mode is dramatically improved on the B-grade roadway of Old Princes Hwy and faster Princes Freeway that run parallel to one another. DG Sport springs all but totally abolish that floaty bouncing after affect after striking roadway dips, bumps and bridge joints.

DG Sport springs are a better match to DCC Sport mode damping range that makes the Golf GTI with DCC feel lower and longer, adding driver control and confidence that comes with well planted & secure chassis control. The minor coarse chip bitumen high frequency waves are filtered out to a greater degree with the DG Sport springs. Slightly larger small low to mid speed compression bumps and dips does offer added body control and a reduction in the GTI body bobbing and dipping up and down following the roadway peaks and troughs. The driver is cognisant of the heavier front spring rate inducing a heavier feeling front axle into the chassis dynamic and slightly heavier steering wheel feel. This seems to instil a feeling of greater understeer in the entry part and around the apex of corners on this Old Princes Hwy single lane B-grade bitumen roadway and higher speed Princes Freeway dual carriageway drive. The DG Sport springs offer a more direct and precise chassis and driver control at all speeds in all DCC modes and feel to be a more fitting match to the OE DCC electronic dampers.

In contrast, the OE Spring DCC combination felt likes wearing shoes that were one or two sizes too large with inadequate spring rebound rate that moved around more so than the DG Sport Spring that offer tighter body control. The DG Sport springs dispensed with bridge joints and railway joints faster, with shorter vertical chassis movement and in less time versus the OE spring combo. DG works fantastically with the DCC dampers in any of the DCC modes – whether it be Comfort, Normal or Sport.

Introducing a lower and firmer DG Sport spring adds precision, but can detract from driver fun & involvement at highway speeds in terms of driver adjustability. It’s like going from a non-DCC Golf GTI to a DCC equipped GTI and then another notch up to DG Sport spring with DCC in that the driver has to lean on the chassis harder to achieve the same chassis movement as that of the OE sprung DCC Golf GTI, especially in the case of the rear sway bar. There is an inherent aspect of fun in the instability of the lower level non-DCC Golf GTI and lesser DCC equipped OE sprung GTI making harder work for the driver to control the chassis movements and demanding greater driver input into the less secure OE sprung DCC Golf GTI.

The added feeling of understeer of the DG Sport spring into corners and around apex of appears to stem from the rear sway bar having less effect on the lower and stiffer DG Sport front springs during cornering. In this regard, the less body lean does not actuate the rear sway bar to the same degree as the softer sprung OE sprung GTI, adding in a slighter higher degree of understeer with the front end feeling a bit heavier on initial turn into corners, especially around the lower 50-80kph speed turns of the Old Princes Hwy. The front heavy feeling and slightly induced understeer on corner entry and around apex does dissipate as speed rises out on the 100kph Prince dual carriage Freeway. The DG Sport spring in this regard has induced a similar more planted but less driver adjustable feeling as that of the big brother Golf R and Golf R32.

Drive 4: Boat Shed Run

Drive 4:

Boat Shed Run – Royal National Park (RNP)

DCC Comfort mode with DG Sport springs has moved the chassis tune up a notch to somewhere in between OE spring DCC Comfort and OE spring DCC Normal modes on this steep and hilly 3 km climb and descent through the RNP. DCC Comfort mode with the addition of DG Sport spring has seen a dramatic improvement in terms of sharpening up the chassis control, but still maintaining the OE spring fun factor and chassis adjustability. I found this setting to be the most driver friendly and fun out of all three modes of DCC at public roadway speeds. The OE spring DCC Comfort bounciness, where the body of the GTI takes an inordinate amount of time to settle trampolining up and down several times before returning to its natural steady state is almost all banished with the addition of the lower DG Sport springs with added rebound spring rate. The vertical movements of the chassis are shortened and speed up the return of the GTI to its steady natural state is dramatically improved, especially in Comfort DCC mode on this mainly rough coarse bitumen hill climb and descent into the valley and over the river. The steering just off centre feels more natural with less inclination for the DG Sport springs to return to self centre as with the OE springs. The DG Sport springs did dish up a bit more noise over sharper, deeper and harder bumps and depressions in the roadway, although only to a slight degree. There is definitely no spring bind as progressive rate springs tend to exhibit, rather just the sound of a shorter firmer DG Sport spring compression faster and harder with the damper working harder.

DCC Normal mode with DG Sport springs offers added understeer into corners on the downhill drive into the valley by virtue of the firmer DG Sport springs keeping the chassis flatter into turns and around apex, resulting in less movement of the rear sway bar due to less body roll around corners. Leaning on the GTI a little harder in the tighter turns with DCC in Normal mode shows a later but faster progression from slightly understeer to almost neutral handling characteristic. This can make the DG Sport sprung GTI in DCC Normal less fun than in Comfort mode (Comfort has really improved that much), although added benefits of the DG Sport springs are the greater composure around the hill climb and descending corners and faster more sure footer directional changes from bend to bend. The steering becomes more direct than the OE springs and the GTI seems to carry the understeer on downhill runs more noticeably than driving the same route up-hill. The front tyres never scrub wide as the larger MK6 rear sway bar and XDS provide a positive effect to keep the chassis tune always slightly understeer biased with the GTI always steering from the front with a bit of help from the rear sway bar. What you lose in adjustability on the 60kph steep winding route, you gain in precision and composure. The DG Sport springs still exhibit a bit more big-hit bump noise than the OE springs, but only an incremental increase in noise. You definitely feel the spring working harder, vertically shorter, and faster with greater alacrity. In contrast, the OE spring always seemed to be a bit recalcitrant into turns with greater driver effort required to point the GTI into the corner and maintain a smooth accurate line through the bends.

DCC Sport mode further reduces the driver ability to adjust the chassis on the gas or with trial braking and induces a greater amount of understeer into and around the apex of corners on the downhill Boat Shed run. Front tyre scrub is not an issue, but the front end does push a little having the driver fighting a bit of understeer, waiting for the rear sway bar, which now has reduced effect due to the firming up of the Sport DCC mode dampers and less chassis body roll. The DG Sport springs do offer a notable advantage in adding supreme control with a reduction with the annoying OE spring low speed overdamping over the pimply coarse chip bitumen texture. The ride comfort, even in harder DCC Sport mode, is relaxed and the minor roadway imperfections are filtered out of the cabin with DG Sport springs. The ride is less jittery than with the OE springs and the body control starts to resemble the higher spec aftermarket KW coilovers for that planted feeling. Noise level is still higher than the OE spring, but not by too much. Definitely no spring binding with these springs. No rubbing on the Boat Shed low laying bridge to roadway corner entry high speed compression big bump in any DCC mode. Can’t help but wonder if the addition of a H&R 22mm solid rear sway bar on either soft or hard would aid in correcting some of the corner entry and apex understeer issue on downhill runs where the rear sway is not worked as vigorously. The less adjustability of the more focussed and composed chassis tune in DCC Sport and understeer is much less pronounced on the up-hill drive along this short steep route. On uphill runs, from apex to corner exit, the DG Sport springs work a treat with added grip levels and surefooted pull out of the corners necessitating less requirement for EDL/XDS electronic diff or ESC to intervene. The lower ride height also aids in keeping the DG Sport sprung GTI on line through turns, making for easier steering effort on behalf of the driver.

Drive 5: Woronora Dam Road

Drive 5:

Woronora Dam

The Woronora Dam Road was a concrete roadway built in the 1930’s to service the building of the dam. The old section of the concrete roadway, which comprises about half the route, is about the best test for low speed 60kph and low speed compression damping –v- spring rate you’ll likely to get anywhere. It has kilometres of highly undulating short frequency bumps with a bunch of medium tight corners thrown in for good measure. The other half of the roadway has the single lane each way divided into old rough concrete on the driver’s side of the GTI and slightly smoother, but also high frequency undulating concrete waves on the passenger’s side of the GTI. It quite unlike any other roadway I’ve seen in Australia and about as close as you will get to corrugated rut ridden dirt tracks, only with a concrete base.

The OE spring on the Golf GTI with DCC in Normal mode was too taxing on ride comfort, with the entire chassis of the GTI incessantly bobbing up and down feeling literally like you’re sitting in a vibrating massage chair set to 8/10. There is no way you could run this route in DCC Sport – the gyrations would be far too severe bouncing you out of your jacky-cloth GTI seat. Even on the half old/half new concrete section that comprises about half the journey, the DCC Normal mode was far too taxing on ride comfort with the dampers failing to allow the softer OE spring to properly articulate. The OE spring DCC Comfort mostly eliminates the incessant bobbing up and down gyrations, but has the OE spring causing the GTI to float, wallow and excessively bounce up & down on the slightly larger medium bumps, feeling like you’re at sea on boat.

The addition of Volkswagen DG Sport springs that are about 10-15% firmer and about 0.5” lower than the OE spring eliminates the over damping in DCC Normal mode. This route is where the DG Sport springs really shine. DCC Normal ride over the single skin old 1930’s corrugated concrete roadway was quite acceptable. It was a little rough on the worst of the old section of roadway, but totally acceptable on the half old/half new concrete section of the Woronora Dam route. DCC Normal with DG Sport spring dramatically reduced the vertical low speed compression incessant bobbing up and down, filtering out the minor high frequency corrugations, only telegraphing the important information through the chassis and steering.

DCC Comfort mode with the addition of DG Sport springs created the opposite chassis response on this roadway. The ride comfort was still acceptable over the myriad of small high frequency latitude ruts with a notable reduction in the medium size bump trampolining bounce that lasts for 2-3 bounces after striking a low to mid sized bump in the roadway. The DG Sport springs do not totally eliminate the DCC Comfort mode bounciness, but mostly rid the GTI of this tendency, and when it did occur on slight larger mid speed compression bumps, the bounce was only for half a bounce, not 2-3 bounces as in the case of the OE Golf GTI springs. The DG spring in DCC Comfort mode drastically reduced the slow and wallowing vertical movement of the GTI chassis. DCC Normal mode reduces that slight bounce in Comfort mode without inducing too much ride discomfort. The DG sprung GTI with DCC in Normal offered ride comfort somewhere between the old OE Spring Comfort and Normal mode.

Putting DCC into Sport mode with the DG Sport springs showed the GTI to still offer acceptable ride comfort with another step up in handling agility. DCC in Sport with DG Sport springs offered a much improved ride comfort than the OE spring in DCC Normal mode. This stems from adding a firmer spring that counters the overdamping of the OE factory spring. After driving this route with OE springs and DG Sport springs, it is difficult to fathom what sort of mandate Volkswagen had when sorting the suspension dynamics on the Mark 6 Golf GTI with DCC on concrete routes like Woronora Dam, the DG Sport springs offer that much step up in low speed ride comfort, while at the same time improving chassis response and creating that planted feeling in the softer DCC Comfort mode.

Tackling the mostly medium tight flowing corners around the dam on DG Sport Springs shows to the GTI to be more go-cart like in the chassis agility and movement for less effort in driver steering input. The chassis is more planted and composed at the same time filtering out the unwanted minor roadway corrugations in all DCC modes with the DG Sport springs. The understeer experienced on the Boat Shed run the day prior was not as prevalent on this route, although the DCC equipped GTI does want the driver to work the chassis up to 7/10ths to activate use the rear sway bar for added front end steering. This route was run with a full tank of gas, as opposed to the day before on ½ to 2/3rds tank plus a set of OE springs in a box sliding around in the trunk. For those with non-DCC Mark 6 Golf GTI, a set of Koni FSD dampers with the DG Sport springs (or Ohlins DFV if budget allows) would be supreme on the Woronora Dam route.

The steering feeling and response on the DG Sport springs has been improved just off centre and does not want to self centre as quickly as with the OE Springs and the chassis has taken onboard a relaxed, but surefooted ride/handling mix that wants to track more true-fully around the more open flowing corners, with less positive camber roll onto the outside front tyre. Traction around apex and on corner exit has improved on this 60kph roadway drive and introduces more of that Golf R chassis composure.

Drive 6: Old Princes Hwy & Princes Freeway (Again)

Drive 6:

Old Princes Hwy and Princes Freeway – again

Another run along the Old Princes Hwy towards Helensburg showed that DG springs in DCC Comfort mode provides a fun chassis tune that moves around a lot more than the other two modes, but offers much more agility and composure compared to the DCC Comfort with the original OE Spring. The fidgeting on faster roadways has been reduced significantly, with the second days drive showing there to still be some DG Sport spring fidget that is speed dependant around the 70-80kph mark. Hit 90kph and above and the ride comfort improves noticeable over the original OE springs ironing out the restlessness and uneasy fidgeting.

Throwing the Golf GTI gearbox into DSG mode and taking off from junctions shows a reduction in torque steer in the higher end of 2nd and early 3rd gear in all settings of the DCC when riding on the DG Sport springs. The whole shebang is that much more settled during acceleration on both freeway and B’grade roadways. Driving through the township of Helensburg in DCC sport mode showed a tight nuggetty response to the chassis without the overdamped fidgeting that offers an acceptable ride. The higher spectrum of the low-speed small compression bumps does cause some chassis movement with the DG Sport springs, but ride comfort is totally acceptable. The OE spring usually felt overdamped and often jittery in contrast.

Entering the Royal National Park at Bald Head Hill towards Garie Beach has the GTI riding on DG Sport springs offering acceptable ride comfort in all modes. Having DCC Sport mode on for a while without any compliant of terse, jittery or overdamped ride. The old MKV on KW V3 on soft settings at times would feel over sprung and over damped when driving over medium sized bumps – this is not the case with DCC Sport mode and the damping with DG Sport springs neither feels overdamped on small to medium bumps or underdamped over large compression hits, which is a welcomed. The drive up to Garie Beach on DG Sport springs was much more relaxing for the driver with the chassis easier to manoeuvre around the bends with less effort my part as the driver. The DG Sport springs do not change the fact that the GTI is tuned to steer from the front and offer slight understeer all the way around corners (sway bars in that regard may help). I have also noticed that the interior squeaks from the plastic panels have been reduced over the past two days now the GTI is riding on the Driver Gear Sport springs. Previously ... the OE springs would induce all sorts of squeaking and buzzing noises on these roadways.

Drive 7: Garie Beach

Drive 7:

Garie Beach Road – From Sea to Summit

Garie Beach offers a mix of roadway surfaces, sometimes four different surfaces in a series of a couple of corners snaking into each other as it winds its way from the Pacific Ocean towards the Summit of the hill. Most of the surface is coarse chip bitumen with some very notable degradation in several parts. The roadway texture is not known for offering very good levels of grip. This drive also offers great exit corner peaks & bumps that does a great job of unsettling unsorted chassis tunes around bends. This route has a corner infamous for creating some front top screw fender rub on stock Golf’s let alone Golf’s with slightly lower ride height. The roadway was damp for about half the route due to some light drizzle earlier in the day, mainly the areas covered by trees.

DCC Sport mode on the DG Sport spring again carried greater understeer on the downhill run of this drive review. This is due to greater stiffness in the spring not allowing enough chassis movement and articulation. The chassis offered greater agility and response and was more precise than with OE Springs in DCC Sport. There was fantastic control over the larger hit mid to exit corner bumps and one wheel troughs. The chassis control was great, but the OE DCC dampers do not offer that aftermarket Koni or KW premium feel as exhibited on past drive comparisons. Negotiating my way upwards from sea to summit had DCC Sport on DG Sport springs exhibit added understeer compared to the stock OE Springs in the same conditions. The understeer is not as pronounced on the up-hill run. The front end push is due to the firmer DCC Sport damping and the lower grip damp and cool roadway. The firmer linear spring does not allow for excessive body lean as is the case with a progressive rate coilover kit.

The driver effort is reduced to the point that using a finger and thumb to steer the GTI in DCC Sport is all that is required for the desired chassis effect on the tarmac. DCC Sport and DG Sport spring is up there with the off-the-shelf coilovers for agility and big hit adroitness, keeping the chassis well planted in adverse roadway imperfections. Composure is the key with DCC Sport and DG Sport springs and the chassis offers no unwanted tendencies such as lift off oversteer, preferring to steer from the front end. I did manage to induce a front outside inner fender screw rub in DCC Comfort and Sport modes with the GTI suspension fully loaded on downhill tight mid corners bumps on one corner, which is not uncommon for the Golf GTI / R / R32.

DCC Normal mode on the DG spring was the pick for the Garie Beach drive. The reduction in damping force allowed for additional chassis adjustability on the throttle and brake with a notable improvement in ride quality that is as good as stock OE springs, only with improved steering response and alacrity. The lower firmer spring help in the chicanes for manoeuvrability. The DG Sport springs did offer a bit more mechanical noise than the original OE springs on the bigger hits.

DCC Comfort mode is much improved over the stock OE springs with a reduction in ESC intervention and seem-less EDL/XDS interaction. In slightly damp conditions, DCC Comfort mode on DG Sport springs was most fun from sea to summit and return. The distinction between the DCC Comfort body roll and lean and intervention of that electronic big-brother DCC invisible hand intervening to then hold up the chassis for any further body roll and lean in corners has been dramatically reduced. The effect is still present, but it has become progressive and mostly undetectable to the point it’s practically seem less. The shorter and firmer DG Sport spring forces the DCC electronic damper to intervene in a less apparent way, making it feel like you have a really good off the shelf damper. DCC Comfort mode has gone from being an ill-considered setting to a favourite setting for driver engagement and fun factor. The other two modes have moved closer to the sheer business end of the chassis handling spectrum on this lower grip roadway. DCC Comfort still offers a bit of chassis bounce, but it is drastically reduced with the DG Sport springs.

Drive 8: Waterfall

Drive 8:

Waterfall – From River to Plateau

Waterfall is another hill climb and descent, albeit a mild version than the Boat Shed run and Garie Beach Sea to summit drive. Waterfall climbs about the same height as the others, but over a slightly longer distance. There are some super tight corners that turn into themselves with a tightenig radii infused into this route and the straights have deep sunken depressions that are sure to cause spring bind in not so sorted spring/damper combos. Progressive rate springs generally have a tough time on this route with spring bind issues and after the recent deluge of rain in Sydney, some of the roadway shoulders have totality disappeared - a number of pot holes are so deep they appear bottomless. The roadway was damp in some places where the trees cover the roadway. Otherwise it was generally dry. Only two return runs were conducted on this route as the cloud cover began to look threatening - one in Normal and Comfort return run and another with Dynamic Chassis Control in Sport for an each-way return drive .

Whereas on the low grip roadway texture of the previous Garie Beach run, where the DCC Sport with DG Sport springs lacked a bit of articulation compared to the stock original OE spring and some progressive rate coilovers (namely my prev. KW coilovers), the Waterfall River to Plateau clamber upwards had the DCC in all modes working better than any previous suspension combo I’ve had on the previous MKV and OE MK6 chassis tune. The noise, vibration & harshness (NVH) was by far the better than the aftermarket gear. The deep sunken depressions in the roadway did not perturb the OE spring DCC combo and does not agitate the DG Sport spring either. The DCC electronics know exactly what to do to preserve ride height, chassis control and ride comfort in concert with each other. The DG Sport springs did not exhibit any more or less noise than the original OE springs and the lower ride height, esp. at the front end, did not detract from the Golf GTI’s ability to absorb the peaks and troughs in any way. Other kits I’d run in the past like Eibach Prokit Progressive rate spring would spring bind with a crash – bang – wham sound that was far from OE quality and less than ideal for a $50,000 Golf GTI.

DCC Sport mode with DG Sport springs surprisingly, after driving Garie Beach, showed excellent tractive ability on the hill climb, in particular, on the smoother fine grade bitumen asphalt. The additional rebound rate of the DCC damper has the tyre pushing harder into the tarmac for added level of grip, even on the greasy smooth bitumen corners. There is slight understeer bias all the way up and down the Waterfall route and the ride is noticeably rougher than the Normal DCC mode, but no worse than the ride with original OE springs, with the exception of a few skittish moments of ESC intervention on a couple of short- sharp one wheel hits into pot holes where the harder rate of the DG Sport spring wash-boarded over the set-back in the roadway. One wheel upsets on larger sections of scarred patchword and divots in the roadway may have the tendency to upset one side of the Golf GTI, slighly shifting the GTI offline when in Sport mode and only very occassionally in Normal mode with Driver Gear Sport springs - this is not an issue with the softer Comfort DCC mode, that allows the greater spring compression to soak up the roadway irregularities in a similar fashion to a Koni FSD with its internal high frequency amplifing FSD valves - makes for a more low flying carpet smooth ride and less upset to the straight line trajectory of the Golf GTI.

DCC Normal and Comfort mode used on the first run showed that even Comfort DCC mode handled the big compression hits with utmost finesse with no unwanted tendencies. The vertical action is faster & a little harder than the stock OE springs, but DG Sport still offer enough ride height to compensate and the DCC self adjusts to the speed of the compressing spring to determine the necessary damping force. Comfort and Sport modes are dramatically improved with the DG Sport springs. DG Sport spring also improves DCC Normal mode, but it is not as a tangible improvement as that of the DCC Comfort and Sport modes. There was no issue with any rubbing on a couple of the really fully loaded downhill corners in any DCC mode where in the past the progressive rate aftermarket springs have rubbed on occassion.

I’d rate the DCC Sport mode with DG Sport springs the best suspension setup I experienced on this route as the bitumen offers higher levels of grip and the linear rate DG Sport springs offer fantastic driver feedback and feel in addition to chassis stability and agility. The linear spring rate was surely an advantage on this route and offers a more visceral driver experience than even the KW V3 and H&R sway bars combo on the previous MKV Golf GTI. The progressive sprung Eibach Prokit/Koni FSD and progressive rate KW coilovers in the past would take time to lean then settle into their harder spring rate, taking a bit away from chassis agility, reducing crispness and response and taking longer to negotiate the corner. The Driver Gear Sport springs, having basically linear rate taughtness, offer agility from the instant that you turn into a corner, creating greater chassis response and reducing time for the vehicle to negotiate the bend as the spring is not taking that extra time to lean the chassis into a harder progressive spring rate such as that of an Eibach Prokit or similar. The linear Driver Gear Sport spring rate taughtness creates an immediate effect from steering wheel to chassis response, making for faster & harder cornering and and a thrilling drive experience - esp. on Waterfall route where a number of corners have a tendency to tighten their radii closing in on themselves. The Driver Gear Sport springs make for a linear and direct race car taught feel, provided the roadway offers a half decent texture & level of grip for the tyres to bite into.

The Golf GTI with EDL/XDS working unobtrusively under the DG Sport springs with DCC in Sport has really brought the GTI up a notch or two in terms of chassis control with little or no loss in comfort levels. The basic chassis tune of the GTI is the same as that of the original OE sprung version, although the firmer DG Sport springs can exacerbate the positives and negatives of the original OE spring set-up in terms of the Golf GTI steering predominately from the front. A trade-off in loss of lower speed adjustability on the brake and gas at lower speeds at the expense of dishing up a notable improvement in higher speed precision, directness, taughtness and chassis control that makes the GTI an even easier and more rewarding proposition to muscle around.