bilstein hd vs sport

Disaster!!!!

Hey Junker, I could really use your help on this one. My GTI was totaled on the way back home from a Hooked on Driving event at the Pocono Race Track in Pennsylvania. I don't know what I hit since I was really dazed after impact. I found a cop and he drove me around for a while, but we still couldn't find anything? Maybe a deer, but I just don't know. I'm very upset for loosing the car I've spent so much time and money, but I'm glad I didn't hurt anyone. It was my first event and I have to admit that a day at the track takes a toll on the mind and body. I should have stayed at a motel.

My insurance company has been non responsive for 2 weeks and I think they are suspicious that the damage happening at the track. Anyway, I am out of a car and looking at pre-owned Golf R's. Do you know if my Bilstein HDs and DG springs would be a good match for an R 6?

Thanks for any advice!

Radler13 said:

Hey Junker, I could really use your help on this one. My GTI was totaled on the way back home from a Hooked on Driving event at the Pocono Race Track in Pennsylvania. I don't know what I hit since I was really dazed after impact. I found a cop and he drove me around for a while, but we still couldn't find anything? Maybe a deer, but I just don't know. I'm very upset for loosing the car I've spent so much time and money, but I'm glad I didn't hurt anyone. It was my first event and I have to admit that a day at the track takes a toll on the mind and body. I should have stayed at a motel.



My insurance company has been non responsive for 2 weeks and I think they are suspicious that the damage happening at the track. Anyway, I am out of a car and looking at pre-owned Golf R's. Do you know if my Bilstein HDs and DG springs would be a good match for an R 6?



Thanks for any advice!

Click to expand...

Getting good rest around track events is crucial. Avoid late nights in the parking lot hanging out drinking (from experience).

Bummer on your car, but now that you mention it, your incident does sound suspicious. Unless the incident really did happen at the track, I would not have told the insurance company anything about being there, it's none of their business where you were earlier. They are likely going to check that out as they'd no doubt love to deny coverage, it's what they do.

The MK6 R has a nice suspension from VW, partly why it cost $35k. Try driving it for a bit first. I seriously doubt the car will perform any better installing DG springs, likely worse.



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Oh I know the insurance company is going to investigate, and that's exactly why I was completely honest with them. I was pretty sure they would contact the police department that was involved, and I had already told them where I was prior to the accident. I make it a habit of not lying to the the police.

Thanks for the info about the R. I took one for a test drive the other day and it just didn't feel as good as my modded GTI. I lost my Lexus IS 350 to Sandy and originally wanted the R in the first place, but there were non availible at the time in my area due to the demand for cars. I'm starting to think I would be better off just buying a pre-owned Mk 6 GTI in order to transfer the equipment. But if I do go the R route, I guess the only things I can salvage are the anti-sway bars, Chasis braces and boost gauge?

-------VW MODS------

-PERFORMANCE

>APR K04 Turbo with tune

>APR Carbonio Cold Air Intake system stage 1 and 2

>APR Exhaust Downpipe.

>APR DSG TCU Flash stage 2 (for K04 turbo)

>Neuspeed Front Mounted Intercooler.

>Go Fast Bits diverter valve.


-BRAKING

>Stoptech brake pads front/ Hawk High Performance Street pads rear

>Tyrolsport brake stiffening set.

>ECS Tuning SS Brake Lines

>Motul 600 Brake fluid (8/6/15).


-SUSPENSION

>Continental ExtremContact DWS winter/fall.
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position Summer/Spring.

>H&R Anti-sway Bars, 26mm front set to soft and 24mm rear set to firm.

>Whiteline KCA316 Anti-Lift/Caster Kit (WALK)

>Audi TT front Strut Mount Kit from ECS Tunning

>Bilstein B6 HD shocks/struts

>Driver Gear sport springs
5K3071677BVA (Front)
5K3071677HA (Rear)


-CHASSIS STIFFENING

>Unibrace XB

>Unibrace UB

>Stern Subframe ReBar

>034motorsports engine mount

>003motorsports transmission mount

>>HPA dogbone engine mount.

> Front and rear Tyrolsport dead-set ridged collar kit front and rear.

All the insurance company needs to know is you were driving along on a public highway and hit something - that is not lying, and I wasn't implying you should.

If you are building a track car find a good used E36 or E46 M3, used Miata, RX8, Honda S2k etc. A new BRZ good too. RWD is more rewarding and a better driving experience. If you must stay VW for tracking I'd do Mk6 GTI. AWD VW's are heavy, GTI more nimble, I blew R32's away at the track with my MK5 GTI, wasn't even close.




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One thing I'd add to your list of mods is a limited slip front diff. Edit to say it will go reasonably well without it, but way better with it. The LSD will uncork powering out of corners big time. I ran a K04 and LSD and the two made the car respectably fast at the track.


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GTIRaider said:

Based on all the feedback in this thread and speaking to others through PM I've made the choice to go with the Bilstein Sport shocks. I picked up the front struts from Neuspeed to get the MKVI versions and then just going to grab the MKV rear struts. I'll post up thoughts on the setup compared to the Koni Yellows I'm currently running.

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I'm thinking of doing this myself, that is install mk6 Bilstein B8 sport up front and mk5 bilstein B8 sport on the rear. Would this combo, with increased stiffness on the rear shock, work similar to running a mild rear sway bar upgrade? At the moment I'm running stock sway bars all round with H&R springs.
What are your experiences GTIRaider, and any input would be great from anyone else.
Cheers

pulse63 said:

I'm thinking of doing this myself, that is install mk6 Bilstein B8 sport up front and mk5 bilstein B8 sport on the rear. Would this combo, with increased stiffness on the rear shock, work similar to running a mild rear sway bar upgrade? At the moment I'm running stock sway bars all round with H&R springs.
What are your experiences GTIRaider, and any input would be great from anyone else.
Cheers

Click to expand...

You are absolutely correct.
I recently re-installed my MKV Bilstein HDs, which I had re-valved for my car.
I have an Audi A3 3.2, basically a heavy R32.
I had been running an H&R 26mm RSB. The shock guy who did the calculations on my car for the Bilsteins suggested going back to the stock RSB with these shocks.

I disconnected the H&R bar, and the hard cornering is much improved, (WITH NO RSB!) over the stock shocks and big RSB. Pretty amazing actually, and more compliant with the bad roads in the Northeast.
Bilsteins will totally transform the turn in and corner grip over stock shocks.

I have also had Koni Yellows, and they just dont dig into the corners the way Bilsteins do, IMHO. Konis do ride "calmer" set to soft, however.

Good evening to all,
I possess a GTI 35 anniversary (4 doors + DSG), I installed(settled) further to the information of the forum springs: 5K4071677B.
Installed(settled) to Volkswagen.
Since the installation the front squashed well and it corresponds to what I wanted but the back had a gap of height enter highly-rated right(straight,straight ahead) and highly-rated left, VW checked(controlled) everything and replaced the shock absorber, since then, the back height is almost the same that of origin.

VW suggests me changing springs (I can order the model which I want) under guarantee, what models to set to be lower behind? 4 doors? 2 doors? Manuel? DSG?

Have you other ideas?

Excuse my English I am French!

Beforehand thank you!

Hey everyone. I've been an MK5 owner for a very long time, and intend to keep mine for a very long time. Over the years, when wear items are to be replaced, I always upgrade them. My oem suspension has been a little on the soft side recently, so I've been doing my research for a proper suspension setup I could live with for a while. I settled on DG springs (MK5 4d auto) and for shocks I think I read every single thread about mk5 shocks on the internet, this thread being the one I paid most attention to.

Given that I drive aggressively, I settled on monotube Bilsteins. Since I don't use my Jetta for family duties, solely as my personal commuter, I decided to go with the stiffer MK5 bilstein B6 instead of the softer Mk6 version .

I've been driving it around for a few days now, and yes it's a little rough over bad roads, but it's NOWHERE near as rough as I thought it would be, based on how some users here described them. They are definitely firm, but they are not tooth rattling rough. If your car is in good order with good bushings, it's fine. In the city it's definetaly choppier than OEM, but nothing anyone who is lowering a car couldn't handle, and on the highway it's much smoother than my Oem suspension.

My wife took it to work today, she was curious to see how it drives, and she didn't think the stiffness was overwhelming.

And yes they are indeed MK5 struts, I didn't mix up part numbers, they are 108177 and 172936.

Maybe the spring choice has something to do with it, but so far I love them!

^^^^ good deal and good feedback!

6 month update.

Love the MK5 Bilsteins even more each day. I thought I would grow tired of it, but the opposite has happened. These shocks are fantastic, especially on the highway, and for taking onramp/offramp at completely obscene speeds.

They stiffen up a bit on colder days, we've had some zero degree days, but they are still perfectly fine.

I started bringing my daughter to daycare every morning with my Jetta(wife started working earlier), with shocks that have been described in this thread as ''brutal''. My 9 month old baby is just as content in our Jetta as our RAV4 hybrid.

My wife occasionally takes my car for errands, and always takes it to the airport parking lot when she has a business trip (we'd rather not park our new car there for days at a time). She likes the way it rides. Our aging parents have ridden in my car multiple times and haven't commented on the suspension.

I think alot of the comments in this thread might be either grossly exagerated, or maybe these shocks don't work well with certain springs, or maybe they become brutal when you hit the stiffer part of progressive springs.

In my case, with the linear DG springs, they are ABSOLUTELY fantastic. My new suspension has renewed my love for my MK5, and I continue to enjoy driving it everyday. I couldn't imagine getting anything softer than this:thumbsup: