Mk5 GTI with Air ride

Mk5 GTI with Air ride

Author
Discussion

Dr G

15,195 posts

243 months

Tuesday 17th June 2014
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You have a good sense of humour; you'll fit right in smile

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the car on air dynamically speaking. In my experience cars on air ride nicely when at a 'normal' height but tend to lose composure compared to their coil spring equivalents when pushed harder.

I've had a MK 5 GTI (mine was on 17s and unmodified) and found it a tiny bit jiggly/unsettled only on really poor surfaces but lovely and direct.

xjay1337

Original Poster:

15,966 posts

119 months

Wednesday 18th June 2014
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jimmyjimjim said:
I'm not seeing any tire stretch there? Your friend was possibly refering to an incident where someone posted a picture of their Mk1(2?) Golf with a VERY stretched tire that several people questioned both the legality and safety aspects of.

The general consensus of opinion was the level of stretch in question it wasn't safe(it was so far outside the manufacturer recommendations it was laughable); someone then posed the question on the speed plod and the law section. At which point the original poster had a hissy fit about 'ruining it for everyone else', 'police now looking out for it' and some such.

From what I've read elsewhere, bagged suspension gets harder as it gets higher and softer when low(unless you go for an 'inverted'(?) setup for $$$$); I assume you don't actually drive it at the height in the picture? What do you set the ride height to for daily driving, I take it that the ride quality is optimised for that height?

I had no idea what a chassis notch was, had to go google it. Interesting. You're a braver man than me, I wouldn't care to take chunks out of anything structural, regardless of how much I trusted the work of the person doing it!

Looks good, always nice seeing something a bit differenet, even if it isn't what I'd do myself, or if it isn't to everyone's taste.
Appreciate your comment, Jim (as I can only assume that's what your name is).

My summer Merc wheels have some slight stretch... not too much because I am a fairly sensible every day normal sort of chap, I drink soft drinks in the pub and do rather enjoy a custard cream from time to time.

I am not able to explain about the air ride setup, in terms of damping at a mechanical level, but it has excellent rebound and compression damping, the ride is "bouncier" when it's higher. I am unable to drive the car at the height in the OP picture because the subframe is laying into the terra-firma.

Thanks for the reasoned approach when making your post. beer

My normal preset ride height, as the E-level management is a ride height based system, is 22"8 front arch to ground and 2ft rear.

It's slightly lower than you see here.



I bottom out occasionally on horribly cambered / table topped roads and speed bumps are an issue but I can raise up at the touch of a button, no more difficult (arguably easier) than any regular sort of performance super car.

Campo said:
Sounds like a nice spec, have you got any pics of the interior?

Quite like the piss taking intro too , the village idiots with their pitchforks will be along shortly rofl


Village idiots. laughlaughlaugh


A pic of the interior before the leather retrofit went in... I've also tidied up my floral reef so it's not quite as wide and puffy, which is real flowers and not fake at all.





EricE said:
Looks like a junior (very junior) supercar.
I'm only a junior, very junior person so I'm happy with that!? 23... so probably half the age of the average demographic on here from the smell of root beer and oil that I can sense oozing throughout the board.

Dr G said:
You have a good sense of humour; you'll fit right in smile

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the car on air dynamically speaking. In my experience cars on air ride nicely when at a 'normal' height but tend to lose composure compared to their coil spring equivalents when pushed harder.

I've had a MK 5 GTI (mine was on 17s and unmodified) and found it a tiny bit jiggly/unsettled only on really poor surfaces but lovely and direct.
smashwobble

My previous car was a Mk5 TDI which I had tuned to over 220bhp and 365+ lb ft of torque. I had coilovers (just low end ones but coilovers never the less) and Whiteline front and rear roll bars.
My current setup does not include any front roll bar whatsoever, however the bags are valved appropriately so this is not an issue. I do have uprated bushes which I did not have in my old car, so not a direct comparison but on the same roads driven in the same manner, the GTI with the air suspension handles so much more nicely. Over bumps, big dips (eg coming from the M25 onto the M4 from Heathrow side if anyone knows that bit of road.. horrible over 80...) it handles everything with ease.. very responsive and predictable. It's a slightly harsher ride over stock however by being so much more controlled in it's suspension actions it is more comfortable, in my opinion than stock, and far better than coilovers.

I drive it fairly hard all things considered and it's never once left me doubting or unsure of it's dynamic capabilities.

Want to put the Airlift Performance bags on which come with Camber adjustable top mounts, 30 point adjustable damping and roll bar mounts, but that's likely a winter project for this coming show season break.

Quite an old picture as a lot of other things have changed with the car since but here's SOME tyre stretch with the old Merc wheels, because I know PH loves tyre stretch...this was July last year... wow how time flies smile



Edited by xjay1337 on Wednesday 18th June 01:14


Edited by xjay1337 on Wednesday 18th June 01:18

DeolTheBeast

449 posts

147 months

Wednesday 18th June 2014
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xjay1337 said:
dey r u kno, professhnul.

much parking, so motorway service station. wow.

Edited by xjay1337 on Tuesday 17th June 15:36
You could go far. Keep it up wink

dazz1871part2

234 posts

132 months

Wednesday 18th June 2014
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I'm sure I meet u and your car in Newbury about a month ago, at a petrol station then police wanted to talk to you as they loved how low it was lol. I was in my low e36.

xjay1337

Original Poster:

15,966 posts

119 months

Wednesday 18th June 2014
quotequote all
dazz1871part2 said:
I'm sure I meet u and your car in Newbury about a month ago, at a petrol station then police wanted to talk to you as they loved how low it was lol. I was in my low e36.
Yes mate, would have been me. Remember saying hi to you!
Got done for no front plate at all, because what I do is break the traffic rules and then complain when I get a fine lick

Except I didn't get a fine, said sorry and police were happy... phew. lol.

gfunk

279 posts

213 months

Wednesday 18th June 2014
quotequote all
Nice car mate, how hard is the instal on the air ride is it pretty straight forward?
Shamless pic of my old golf lol

gfunk

279 posts

213 months

Wednesday 18th June 2014
quotequote all
Nice car mate, how hard is the instal on the air ride is it pretty straight forward?
Shamless pic of my old golf lol

Dave Hedgehog

14,568 posts

205 months

Wednesday 18th June 2014
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gfunk said:
Nice car mate, how hard is the instal on the air ride is it pretty straight forward?
Shamless pic of my old golf lol
that bra looks almost as crap as the OPs golf dragging on the ground

still caus fashion


wobble

gfunk

279 posts

213 months

Wednesday 18th June 2014
quotequote all
Dave Hedgehog said:
gfunk said:
Nice car mate, how hard is the instal on the air ride is it pretty straight forward?
Shamless pic of my old golf lol
that bra looks almost as crap as the OPs golf dragging on the ground

still caus fashion


wobble
What's wrong with pricks like you?
I don't care if you like it or not, but why bother putting other peoples things down?
Does it make you feel big or funny?
You sound like the sort of person how got picked on at school?

Dave Hedgehog

14,568 posts

205 months

Wednesday 18th June 2014
quotequote all
gfunk said:
What's wrong with pricks like you?
I don't care if you like it or not, but why bother putting other peoples things down?
Does it make you feel big or funny?
You sound like the sort of person how got picked on at school?
if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck ...



if your going to make obtuse modifications just to be part of a "special club" then put your car forward for comments, expect some people to tell the truth

odds are in 20 years time you will look back and say "what an idiot I was for that"





gfunk

279 posts

213 months

Wednesday 18th June 2014
quotequote all
I'm 38 with 2 kids and a lovely wive and a 911 turbo sitting on my drive I'm pretty sure I'm a grown up?

That is an old car of mine I liked it.
It just makes me wonder what sort of person clicks on a link just to put someone else's stuff down.
I see you have loads of posts maybe think a little that what you are posting is meaning full and positive.
Any way have a nice day.

Dave Hedgehog

14,568 posts

205 months

Wednesday 18th June 2014
quotequote all
gfunk said:
I'm 38 with 2 kids and a lovely wive and a 911 turbo sitting on my drive I'm pretty sure I'm a grown up?

That is an old car of mine I liked it.
It just makes me wonder what sort of person clicks on a link just to put someone else's stuff down.
I see you have loads of posts maybe think a little that what you are posting is meaning full and positive.
Any way have a nice day.
just my opinion (and i am not alone with it) which i am allowed to have in a free country

in the same way people can modify their cars any way they want to

do you want to live in a country where everyone thinks the same and agrees with everything?


and in my youth i certainly did some very stupid modifications to cars for which i now fully hold my hands up to as being a tt for doing them


Dave200

3,983 posts

221 months

Wednesday 18th June 2014
quotequote all
xjay1337 said:
La la la la. Look at me.
I'm no 'hater' of airride cars, but you aren't doing the 'scene' many favours.

mwstewart

7,617 posts

189 months

Wednesday 18th June 2014
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Dave200 said:
I'm no 'hater' of airride cars, but you aren't doing the 'scene' many favours.
Agree with this. I wasn't going to post; the mods aren't my thing, but we're all car enthusiasts in sorm form at the end of the day, however I don't really understand making a post on a forum knowing that most members won't 'get it', and more to the point with an intent to actively wind most of them up.

I'm struggling to understand the psychology behind it.

xjay1337

Original Poster:

15,966 posts

119 months

Wednesday 18th June 2014
quotequote all
gfunk said:
Nice car mate, how hard is the instal on the air ride is it pretty straight forward?
Shamless pic of my old golf lol
Nice Golf, Bra isn't personally to my taste but it looks clean tidy and well cared for smile

Ummm..yeah wasn't too hard really. My friend Jamie Moore did it for me, I helped with the boot build and left the car with him for the fitting of the suspension as I had to go to work. It's basically like installing coilovers with the exception of running the wiring for the ride height sensors and the air lines which isn't tooooo hard smile

Dave200 said:
I'm no 'hater' of airride cars, but you aren't doing the 'scene' many favours.
Sorry Dave, you must have mis quoted me. If you want to get all brody and serious then be my guest. I'm very much a tongue in *censored* cheek kind of guy


Dave Hedgehog said:
if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck ...



if your going to make obtuse modifications just to be part of a "special club" then put your car forward for comments, expect some people to tell the truth

odds are in 20 years time you will look back and say "what an idiot I was for that"

Dave200

3,983 posts

221 months

Wednesday 18th June 2014
quotequote all
xjay1337 said:
More quickfire responses, suggesting that OP is hitting the F5 button furious.

mattshiz

461 posts

142 months

Wednesday 18th June 2014
quotequote all
Ah, the definition of trolling in one simple opening post.

xjay1337

Original Poster:

15,966 posts

119 months

Wednesday 18th June 2014
quotequote all
Dave200 said:
If you classify "using a forum" as "furiously spamming the f5 button" then you must be mistaken! Sure you have heard of the "my stuff" feature by now!

GrumpyTwig

3,354 posts

158 months

Wednesday 18th June 2014
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gfunk

279 posts

213 months

Wednesday 18th June 2014
quotequote all
Thanks for the reply im guessing that yours has some chassis work so it can lay frame?
And I wasn't really a fan of the bra should have posted a different pic lol