All Things Mk5 > Performance Modifications

Aluminium wishbones

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WolfsburgEd:
I'm trying to pull together various bits of info about swapping over to aluminium wishbones - hopefully there are a few who have done it.

I've just read through:

https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=111885.0

and

https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,9263.0.html

and am still a little confused about how much extra work is involved in fitting the TT arms and which ball joints to use with which arm.

I have a 2005 GTi with 90k on it. Another original spring has just broken, this time on the front (I have had BOTH rears snap over the last 3 years and managed to replace them with used ones off similar age / miles. All shockers are original.

With the arches massively rusting out, milky headlights, a service over due and a few other small niggles including slow responding cat I've been deciding on either scrapping it or doing a light restore to include new wings and a waist down respray and I think the project idea has won.

After about 6 hours looking through the web for all the options I remembered from way back something about lightweight wishbones and got on to this.

My plan is to keep things as 'oem' as possible so will be using Bilstein B3 springs and B4 shocks - I don't want it any lower and the general ride has been ok, its country lanes not smooth long tarmac.

On to the main point ...

Do the TT wishbones make the track wider? I see and understand that there are benefits to the additional negative camber that they introduce but can't see if the track width increases and if so by how much and if that is in any way an issue?

I'm running standard brakes and have the factory option BBS C001 17ins x-spokes on.

The other query is around which ball joint to use on which wishbone. I've got lost about if the TT and S3 are the same or if the S3 and Passat are the same and what the impact of running that slightly taller S3 item would be on stock GTI ride height. Should I stick to a GTI ball joint? Also, I see in some places there is discussion about mounting ball joints above or below the wishbone (TT mounted below) - whats the benefits of changing?

My intention was to get Meyle HD GTi ball joints, Meyle HD consol bushes and Meyle HD droplinks. I've had good experience with the HD droplinks on my 9-5 Aero and the consol bushes appear to be a good compromise between stock and poly as there are only the two holes through them and much more rubber.

I've just made the rash purchase from ECP of two Right hand side Passat "Moog" brand wishbones as there was a stupidly good deal on them that worked out at £83 for BOTH delivered. I'm hoping that the aluminium wishbones are reversible once the consol bushes and ball joints are removed - can anybody confirm this as I can't tell from any of the pictures. The reason for this was that the left hand side unit was still full price at £180!! I figured as I was going to junk the consol bush and ball joint it was of no consequence which side I got (as long as they were reversible, like the TT item is, but I put that down to the consol bush not being 'handed').

Apologies for so many questions - please don't feel that all need to be answered in one hit, any advice / comments will be much appreciated. I hope to build up all the parts over the next month or so and then decide whether I do it myself or get a local small workshop to complete the work. IF I swing round to thinking the TT arms are a better option I don't mind taking them back and getting TT arms...

 :happy2:

colesey:
I’m not an expert on this so take with a pinch of salt however TT arms are longer (wider track) and use slotted balljoints for adjusting camber but will need longer TT steering arms to reach the rack.

S3 / Passat B6 arms are the same fitment as stock GTi but alloy and @1.5kg lighter.  Straight forward except for needing domed nuts for the balljoints. Iirc they are handed / sided. Try fit the alloy passat b6 hubs at the same time since they are 2kg lighter than the stock iron ones and allow for slightly quicker steering. Once again domed bolts / nuts are needed for brake calipers and steering arms. You can use stock GTi or superpro adjustable balljoints. No need for S3 / B6 balljoints with thicker bases if you’re not running lower springs.

WolfsburgEd:
Thanks for the tip about the hubs - confused me for a bit wondering why such a small item saved a huge amount of weight but I was just looking at the bearing housing  :laugh:

Searching on 'steering knuckle' got better results!!

So, for about £60-70 a side for a new pattern part I can't see its worth scrabbling about getting grotty used ones??

Slap in some new bearings and off we go?

Also, IF the wishbones can't be flipped over I have found a new pattern pair on ebay for under £100. I'll report back - if I was going to keep all the ball joints and bushings that came with the wishbone then that would be the cheaper way of doing it for sure but I want to try some specific parts.

colesey:
There’s one school of thought that says we are happy driving around on 15 year old parts already so why buy new ones. I bought a pair of used passat hubs off ebay for @40 shipped but have yet to fit them. All the new nuts and bolts cost pretty much the same again.

LC5F:
I'm running TT control arms with standard Golf Track rods & standard iron hubs.
With ball joints pushed all the way in I have not found an issue with tie rod length - but I have to say I have not tried them pulled all the way out.
I opted for TT ball joints as I was renewing everything.
Lastly the control arms are designed to be used on either L or R side

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