MK5 Golf GTI suspension refurbishment

[Bodyboarder81]

Don’t get me wrong the ohlins are sensational..... I’ve had my set of the S2k for a couple of years now and love them ! That’s why I bought another set for the golf but just didn’t work out . I’ve since been told by a number and of people that ohlins are very difficult to deal with when it comes to issues ect . When you are spending big money it’s not what you want in the back of your mind if things don’t go to plan . I also think that although they are very good they don’t offer 4x the gains of said other kits available that do a very good job .

I’m also in the market for suspension for my z4m coupe at the moment and looking at the kw v3’s

How are you finding the Z4M?  Great car!  Often overlooked.  I had a soft spot for the Z3M coupe back in the day, but the 5 speed box and the super twitchy E30 rear end put me off.   I had KW V3s on my Corrado and they weren't all that, imo.  Rubbish damper tuning and pretty unsophisticated ride.   Very robust and long lasting though. Things may be different on the Z4 platform though.

Didn’t like the z4m coupe to begin with if I’m honest ! Engine note to my ears sounds very agricultural , gear shifts not great , handling a bit vague..... but it does have a old school charm and is full of character. It’s what I wanted , something that is a occasion every trip . I have made a few mods already to address the above issues ( clutch delay valve delete , zhp gear stick/ boot , gruppe m ind kit , eibach springs that came in the car , the rear bush’s with a limiter kit , also have on order a brembo BBK for the front and looking into further suspension options )

With the few mods I’ve made already, it’s just brilliant fun . The Pirelli I had would more than likely beat it down a B road but the M is just bursting with n/a character and drama , which the golf could never match in my opinion

[gixerben]

Any of you guys had dealings or know about the relentless coilover kits?

[pudding]

They are rebranded BC Racing I believe.

A bit of BC Racing info for you - https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiKzMbCsszdAhUPW8AKHWENBM8QwqsBMAV6BAgAEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DD96cTipz0NQ&usg=AOvVaw1p7MfAI-q0uOdAyH7sIb1F

[gixerben]

cheers pudding, but i'm still drawn towards the Ohlins!!

[DaveMsport]

I've BCs in my E46 M3 and a friend thought it still had standard suspension in it the ride quality was so good when he got a spin and was saying I'd ruin it with coilovers. He was shocked when pointed out it already had them lol.

I'd love to upgrade to something else as more track focused now but for any decent improvement, it would be the price of what I paid for the GTI 

Going with B12s and H&R arbs on the GTI soon as its more or a daily with it being for my other half and just a toy for me at the weekends and occasional trackday

[pudding]

Yeah same experience with the Ohlins.  Suspension doesn't need to be rock hard to make a car handle well.  Don't get me wrong, if I wind the damping up to near maximum, it's ridiculous around corners, but equally ridiculous over bumps 

Every time I see a Focus RS on the move, I see the driver's head bobbing up and down like an old BL Mini.  SavageGeese's review says it all really    There's just no need for that. It's borderline unusable on most of Britain's B roads.

[gixerben]

has the Ohlins improved overall grip would you say? reduction in body weight transfer front to back?

My Pirelli has a stage 1 R-tech map pushing out 300bhp and 340 lbs ft torque and to say it showing up the handling is an understatement.
It has newish Pirelli P-zero's all round and whilst there are better tyres available I felt the need to stick with the Pirelli theme.

It does launch like a speed boat and the usual wheel hop, so have also been reading your posts on the vibratech engine mounts and WALK kit.

so really looking for the best set up for fast road use without too much effect over ride quality, a big ask I know!

[pudding]

Suspension alone won't fix wheel hop/traction issues, although decent damping does go some way to improving it.  It's the sum of a few upgrades which solves that, namely - ALK, stiffer mounts, damping and tyres.  There isn't a lot you can do about rearward weight transfer in a FWD car, other than making the rear suspension stiffer to compensate, but that would come with ride quality and grip penalties.

In terms of cornering grip, ultimately you're always going to be limited by tyre width but quality suspension + ARBs gets you closer to the limits without excessive body roll and tyre screeching    Flat cornering reduces TC intervention as well   

I can fully endorse the Ohlins kit + Eibach 26/23mm ARBs, but that is nearly 3 grand's worth of suspension on a 10+ year old car.  Very hard to justify for a lot of people, which I totally get.  If budget isn't an issue, then I can't think of a reason not to go for that setup, other than the recommended 30,000KM damper rebuild interval.  I am well past that mileage on mine though, and the damping is still just as tight now as it was when new