GVK 0 Posted January 29, 2007 Sorry if it's been covered before. I'm looking for opinions / experiences on what suspension any VR owners use on their C's for trackday use. I'm looking to upgrade the stuff on my mk2 VR as it's not been changed since ripping out the 4 pot motor. Currently running the FK konigsport coil overs with H+R 25/28 ARBs, with wide track, poly bushed etc. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
corozin 0 Posted January 29, 2007 Koni or Leda adjustable coilovers. For the uses you are going to put the car to you should save up and accept nothing less IMHO. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted January 30, 2007 What you've got on there is alright, but if it were me, I'd lose the front 25mm ARB and fit a stock 20mm VR6 one, but I guess you've probably tailored your driving to suit the thick front ARB? I'm sure Julian would say the same thing ;-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NormanCoal 0 Posted January 30, 2007 What you've got on there is alright, but if it were me, I'd lose the front 25mm ARB and fit a stock 20mm VR6 one, but I guess you've probably tailored your driving to suit the thick front ARB? I'm sure Julian would say the same thing ;-) He'd be hard pushed to use a VR ARB on a 4 stud car :-P - on a serious note, you be wanting to take a look at suspension in terms of spring rates and dampers that will cope with that. If you want to play with ARB's then try the H&R rear and a G60 23mm at the front - your Golf has always had a tendancy to steer from the rear, so any less than what you have at the moment (a 25mm right?) and you are going to have more oversteer problems - but you knew that already right........ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted January 30, 2007 Ah OK, I thought he might have fitted the VR6 running gear aswell :-) You're right though, spring and damper rates do need to be tailored to the ARB rates for the optimum handling, and the thick ones he's using may require much stiffer suspension than the Konigs as you say. I had the 25mm front Neuspeed on mine with 25mm rear and that was terrible on the road, but I suspect it would have been fun on the track! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NormanCoal 0 Posted January 30, 2007 I had the 25mm front Neuspeed on mine with 25mm rear and that was terrible on the road, but I suspect it would have been fun on the track! What made you choose equal sizes front and rear? The way I understand the effects of these bars is to run bigger on the rear than the front - considering Neuspeed only make a 25mm front bar for VR fitment, I would only have fitted a 28mm rear - and that is what I have had fitted. Yes its stiff on the road, but I dont drive much on really bad roads. Smooth surfaces on track will lessen any problems of big ARB's, but the only benefit of bigger ARB's on track is that they dont require the same level of poundage in the springs to get the same effects on the handling Gary, if you want some technical help and experience, Monseuir Eyre is the guy to talk to Chris Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted January 30, 2007 Because I already had the 25 rear Neuspeed fitted at the time and thought I'd try the front to go with it. I didn't know much about ARBs back then and I didn't like that combination. The neuspeed 25 rear and standard front is much nicer for a daily car as you can really throw it about without suffering understeer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
corozin 0 Posted January 30, 2007 I can only say that I used Koni coilovers for over 4 years on a variety of tracks and that for track work they are simply fabulous. In fact I didn't upgrade the ARB's on that car at all, as the car cornered fairly flat on the standard ones - the Koni dual rate springs did an excellent job of flattening the car, and stopped a lot of dive under heavy braking as well. Of course the nice part about them is that they were still compliant enough to be nice to drive on the road. If you want the ultimate though - go for the Leda kit. I only say that because the bound & rebound on the Leda ones are adjustable seperately, where as the Konis (and almost eveyone else's) are only rebound can be adjusted. Depends on how serious you are really. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GVK 0 Posted January 30, 2007 My FK coil overs have T/A Koni yellow inserts anyway, so I wouldn't really gain anything by fitting Koni coil overs imo. Chris, it doesn't do any of that oversteer anymore, so something needs to be done! I have been chatting to Ian Carvell about the rates they used on the Vento VR6 challenge car that Rob won the VW Cup in, in 2001 - "They used to run very high spring rates something like 1200lb F and 1000R on slicks and @900f 800r on D01J's. But I am guessing the Vento was a bit longer wheelbase than the Golf 2." As I still drive it on the road, those rates would be totally unsuitable, but the stuff that's on there now isn't good enough for the extra weight of the VR... I still have not fitted those springs you gave me either..oops. I know the springs that are on the front are 225s but not had the rears tested, being stupid german 60mm ID springs, they don't have the rate marked on them in lb's and the NM - lbs conversion code using the FK markings doesn't work out. It equates to 342 lbs, when they have been tested at 225... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GVK 0 Posted January 30, 2007 Kev, what rate springs did you spec with your Gaz gold kit, and did you get the kit from Julian @ Balance? Drop me a PM if you'd prefer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GVK 0 Posted January 30, 2007 Depends on how serious you are really. This is me at Silverstone GP on Saturday. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
corozin 0 Posted January 30, 2007 I approve. Some nice lines there. Your Nurburgring video is better :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GVK 0 Posted January 31, 2007 Thanks, that's in a 180 bhp mk1 2.0 16v, a mates car - he did an 8:51 BTG on that trip! http://www.youtube.com/user/finchy69 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
W3RKD 0 Posted January 31, 2007 Pm me if you would like anymore infomation on the new KW clubsport series (Due Easter), Designed especially for frequent track day drivers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted January 31, 2007 Kev, what rate springs did you spec with your Gaz gold kit, and did you get the kit from Julian @ Balance? Drop me a PM if you'd prefer. Hi Gary mate, Julian worked it all out for me, based on the car's gross vehicle weight (I put it on a weighbridge) and the bias of weight front to rear. He came up with 275in/lb front springs and 210in/lb rear springs. Got a bit of a shock when the weight came out as 1320kg! Way off VW's book figure, LOL! Yep, kit bought through Julian. I do all my braking, wheels and suspension through him. We tried a progressive spring on the front first but it went coilbound too early, so we then went with 9" fixed rate coils instead and it's been absolutely fantastic. The best ride quality of any kit I've tried to date and the bump and rebound adjustable dampers are top rate. They'd do you well on a track, but you might perhaps want stiffer springs, say 350 front and 250 rears? Should be acceptable on the road with those rates too. My old H&Rs were very good on the road and they had 400lb and 275lb springs. We went for milder springs on my Gazzers for faster B road performance than outright cornering flatness, but turns out they're good at both! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
