GOlf MK III handling ?
Discussion
I am looking to improve the handling of a golf mk 3 tdi 90 bhp 97 76k miles. I used to own Mk 1 & 2 gti's which handled well.
I spoke to tuning people that tried to sell me up rated springs and dampers. They claimed that the current springs and dampers may be tired. Yes I agree with the dampers, but the springs? How many old coil sprung cars have you seen that look low due to tired springs? I have seen non. Previously I have a Mk 2 Scirocco as well that had Koni adjustable dampers with standard springs anti-roll bars etc. It handled very very well. I can speculate how to improve the handling but what has any body else done and what are the results. I am currently thinking of puttting just a set of Koni andjustables on. OK I know it not a GTI but has anyone done this to a similar car? And what were the results? There is no way I am doing anything to the engine until the car can cope better with the current torque and horse power.
>>> Edited by jelly-golf on Friday 17th September 15:56
I spoke to tuning people that tried to sell me up rated springs and dampers. They claimed that the current springs and dampers may be tired. Yes I agree with the dampers, but the springs? How many old coil sprung cars have you seen that look low due to tired springs? I have seen non. Previously I have a Mk 2 Scirocco as well that had Koni adjustable dampers with standard springs anti-roll bars etc. It handled very very well. I can speculate how to improve the handling but what has any body else done and what are the results. I am currently thinking of puttting just a set of Koni andjustables on. OK I know it not a GTI but has anyone done this to a similar car? And what were the results? There is no way I am doing anything to the engine until the car can cope better with the current torque and horse power.
>>> Edited by jelly-golf on Friday 17th September 15:56
I am trying to avoid lowering the car but this may be unavoidable. I am not after race track handing but something a lot better than at present. Someone (not even a petrol head) followed me and said get your car sorted out it bounces around like a mad thing. There are so many combinations of springs dampers, anti-roll bars etc. I am trying to find someone that has got a MK 3 90 tdi to handle better than standard. I only want to fit things once and not really live with a mobile experiment. I can have a set of lowered springs and dampers for £240 or just a better set of dampers for £400, how long will the first lot last, just long enough to get me out of the warrenty period?
Hi,
thanks very much that answered a lot of questions. I had thought the GTI suspension would not be any use to me as the TDI is probably a lot heavier judging by the substantial sub frame the engine is mounted in. I think the actual chassis is probably very solid but then the suspension seems to have been softened up as some sort of compromise. Its almost like they had spent too much on the chassis and the did not have enough to isolate the suspension componts with good mountings. As far as I can tell it is not possible to get stiffened up standard height springs. So lowered and koni's may be the way to go. I will need to look in to what other differences there are between the GTI and TDI, for example supsnsion to body mountings? Thanks once again
thanks very much that answered a lot of questions. I had thought the GTI suspension would not be any use to me as the TDI is probably a lot heavier judging by the substantial sub frame the engine is mounted in. I think the actual chassis is probably very solid but then the suspension seems to have been softened up as some sort of compromise. Its almost like they had spent too much on the chassis and the did not have enough to isolate the suspension componts with good mountings. As far as I can tell it is not possible to get stiffened up standard height springs. So lowered and koni's may be the way to go. I will need to look in to what other differences there are between the GTI and TDI, for example supsnsion to body mountings? Thanks once again
Hi,
thanks for the reply. There is a slight assumpition I need to put you right on. The MkI & II's handeled well so by changing the anti roll bar on a MKIII you think you are going to attchieve the same thing? No, all you did was improve the handling of a MKII even more. Well a MKIII TDI has been developed as if everything learnt on a MKI & II has been thrown away and started again from the beginning.
Having had the car for little while now I am far happier to drive it quickly and not expect to bounce off the road immediately, but if anything ever goes wrong or something unexpected happens, then its not a matter of will I stop, but more a matter or where can I plant it in order to stay alive?
I feel I have time now to explain I have been driving an auto Toyota Supra 3.0i for the last 5 years. OK it if anyone ever came my way I would quite happily point the front end straight at them. It had 2.5 feet of crumple zone before hitting anything solid like the block. (I mean 2.5 feet of rad & air & bumper.) The doors always seemed like the weak point in terms of impact damage. Lets face it the front of the car was about 6 feet away, the outside of the door about 1 foot away. Cars are also designed to take direct frontal hits, not door impacts. Now the front bumper is about 4 feet away things look a little different.
Sorry must get off and talk about oil.
thanks for the reply. There is a slight assumpition I need to put you right on. The MkI & II's handeled well so by changing the anti roll bar on a MKIII you think you are going to attchieve the same thing? No, all you did was improve the handling of a MKII even more. Well a MKIII TDI has been developed as if everything learnt on a MKI & II has been thrown away and started again from the beginning.
Having had the car for little while now I am far happier to drive it quickly and not expect to bounce off the road immediately, but if anything ever goes wrong or something unexpected happens, then its not a matter of will I stop, but more a matter or where can I plant it in order to stay alive?
I feel I have time now to explain I have been driving an auto Toyota Supra 3.0i for the last 5 years. OK it if anyone ever came my way I would quite happily point the front end straight at them. It had 2.5 feet of crumple zone before hitting anything solid like the block. (I mean 2.5 feet of rad & air & bumper.) The doors always seemed like the weak point in terms of impact damage. Lets face it the front of the car was about 6 feet away, the outside of the door about 1 foot away. Cars are also designed to take direct frontal hits, not door impacts. Now the front bumper is about 4 feet away things look a little different.
Sorry must get off and talk about oil.
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