Golf mk6 - lowering
Discussion
I've a 2012 Golf mk6 1.6 TDI which to me sits quite high.
Looking it lowered a bit, with a view at some point to upgrading to 17's or 18's.
I've done a couple of budget mods - got those 16 inch rims and tyres for £200, and sold the 15 inch steel wheels for £90 and the wheel trims for £70. Black badges front and rear, LED sidelight bulbs, and debadged.
Looking for cost effective options really -
Coilover kits seem to be quite cheap now, but i suspect the ride quality will be harsh?
Lowering springs - again, can be quite harsh?
Replacement struts / springs - could i fit mk6 GTI struts and springs?
17 alloys - would they give the impression of filling the arches more?
OR what would people recommend, with the caveat i want to retain a reasonable amount of ride comfort and dont want to spend a fortune?
The "cheapest" option is to keep it as is, as at the end of the day its primary purpose is a comfortable economical run over my 90 mile return commute, and the price of a set of alloys and suspension sorted out would get me an mx5 again for the weekends?
Looking it lowered a bit, with a view at some point to upgrading to 17's or 18's.
I've done a couple of budget mods - got those 16 inch rims and tyres for £200, and sold the 15 inch steel wheels for £90 and the wheel trims for £70. Black badges front and rear, LED sidelight bulbs, and debadged.
Looking for cost effective options really -
Coilover kits seem to be quite cheap now, but i suspect the ride quality will be harsh?
Lowering springs - again, can be quite harsh?
Replacement struts / springs - could i fit mk6 GTI struts and springs?
17 alloys - would they give the impression of filling the arches more?
OR what would people recommend, with the caveat i want to retain a reasonable amount of ride comfort and dont want to spend a fortune?
The "cheapest" option is to keep it as is, as at the end of the day its primary purpose is a comfortable economical run over my 90 mile return commute, and the price of a set of alloys and suspension sorted out would get me an mx5 again for the weekends?
Edited by daemon on Tuesday 15th July 19:20
VWR springs are re-branded H&Rs if I remember rightly. They sometimes seem to be cheaper but are usually more expensive.
I'm in a similar boat to you in terms of wanting a slight drop with as little negative impact on ride as possible and for a reasonable price. I've not pulled the trigger yet but keep coming back to the Eibach Pro kit, which offers a ~30mm drop on most models (and less on sportier ones).
Cheap adjustable coilovers are a false economy IMO. A £300-400 set of eBay specials is going to be inferior to a non-adjustable spring/shock kit.
I looked at the combination of Koni FSD shocks and Eibach Pro springs. It's very well regarded on various forums for comfortable street driving with a reduction in body roll and a slight drop. The other combination that many people seem to be particularly enamoured by is Bilstein B8 shocks with either Eibach or H&R springs. That's a bit more expensive (at ~£600-700, very nearly the price of a fairly decent adjustable kit) but apparently provides the best balance of ride and handling.
Personally I wouldn't go over 17" for wheels, especially if I was making any alterations to the suspension. They ride and handle better on 17s anyway.
I'm in a similar boat to you in terms of wanting a slight drop with as little negative impact on ride as possible and for a reasonable price. I've not pulled the trigger yet but keep coming back to the Eibach Pro kit, which offers a ~30mm drop on most models (and less on sportier ones).
Cheap adjustable coilovers are a false economy IMO. A £300-400 set of eBay specials is going to be inferior to a non-adjustable spring/shock kit.
I looked at the combination of Koni FSD shocks and Eibach Pro springs. It's very well regarded on various forums for comfortable street driving with a reduction in body roll and a slight drop. The other combination that many people seem to be particularly enamoured by is Bilstein B8 shocks with either Eibach or H&R springs. That's a bit more expensive (at ~£600-700, very nearly the price of a fairly decent adjustable kit) but apparently provides the best balance of ride and handling.
Personally I wouldn't go over 17" for wheels, especially if I was making any alterations to the suspension. They ride and handle better on 17s anyway.
Tsi_golf said:
I have a 2012 tsi 1.2 golf and im strongly considering putting 18" wheels on it and lowering it, but i dont know should i lower it 30 or 40 mm? any ideas?
I'd personally go 30mm only - i think thats more than enough otherwise you end up with the "slammed" look and a bone jarring suspension. Unless that is your aim?Also, a lot of the aftermarket / replica wheels dont sit "right" IMHO.
Just to update on the thread, i would have went for a set of OEM 17s for mine (there is a nice Scirocco one that would fit) however i never came across a set.
Eibach's will be best with a 30mm drop with comprising ride quality too much.
http://ap-performance.co.uk/catalog/product/view/i...
VWR springs are not rebranded H&R's they are actually from Eibach!
http://ap-performance.co.uk/catalog/product/view/i...
VWR springs are not rebranded H&R's they are actually from Eibach!
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