help me...

[J4MES]

...sort out the Golf's handling.

I've sold the Roadster, so now driving the Golf is like perambulating a large blancmange down slippery off-camber man-fat coated roads...

so, how best to sort it out? it has a front anti-roll bar (the only item VW deemed neccessary to aid driver-involvement), some shock absorbers (apparently), some springs (definately) and is shod in suprisingly decent Goodyear rubber...

so, i need it lower, harder (fnarr) but don't want to spend faarsands and faarsands... who does the best springs/shocks for a Golf Mk3 (1995), and what's this about NoS???

all yours...

[Moby-Dick]

front/rear strut brace ?

[Russ]

the best springs by far are eibach. but most manufacturers are decent. G-max are very good value. like moby said, get your self a front strut (omp or sparco) first, if taht dont help then lower it. as for nos with diesel, never heard of it being done, doesnt mean it hasnt though.

[Zak33]

nope....leave all the heights alone...you just need SHOCKS

Nothing else.....go find some Koni or Monro or Leda shocks....summit sensible money...

the rear are DEAD easy......but the fronts are coil over, so need either a new strut OR sleeves....

leave the springs.....you want CONTROL not hard as nails ?

[J4MES]

ok, shocks it is... explain coil over? i've changed rear shocks before (on the first '5) but front might be harder?

[Tumble]

think what he's driving at is the shockers actually sitinside the springs... in the same plane... means you gotta lift the car up so the top of the shocker pops out of the turret at the top, then kinda 'persuade' it out of the bottom, with the spring in tow...

[Russ]

a coil over is what it says, the coil is over the shocks.

so instead of looking like (# shock)(/ = coil)

####-////

it looks like

#/#/#/#/

[Zak33]

good piccy Russ

Yeah..it might need someone with a big bench to do it

[J4MES]

i think the rears on the '5 that i did were coil overs too then, so i half-know what i'm up against... which shocks then?

[Russ]

koni are good value shocks, £99 front £49 rear for mk3

http://www.larkspeed.com/index.pl?c=KONI

[Zak33]

agreed...Koni know stuff

Might be worth getting new bushes if you have the dough.....they get all soft and horrible.

Good find Russ mate.....

know one realises that when a car is designed the manufacturer has to decide on a shock absorber that will last for ages and ages and cost next to nothing to make

Hence...often CACK after 6 or 7 years...and on THAT car, cack from the outset.

A simple SHOCK ABSORBER CHANGE IS HEAVEN but DONT get super firm jobs....you simply want beautifull body control....forget springs.....you can do those later IF you feel the need....but chances are, as its a family car...you wont wanna ruin ride height or comfort.

And good shock abosrbers make the ride comfort SO MUCH BETTER, not just safer and better handling

[Zak33]

NOTE...thats £99 EACH ....you been warned

[J4MES]

what price happiness??

cheers all

[J4MES]

found a Koni shocks and springs kit which lowers by 35mm for £318 @ http://www.dcdezign.com/products_page.asp?cat=125 which sounds like a good deal, but it means that alloys are next, then brake/engine upgrades and before you know it the wife's driving a barryboys TDi golf....

[schrickvr6]

tbh i can't stand koni,far too uncomfortable,the best set-up for a mk3 is definitely(imho) bilstein dampers and eibach springs,this will lower the car about 35mm and hugely improve the handling....if you need more the rear strut tops float about loads as do the front wishbone mounts,easily fixed by rear strut brace although this will rob your boot of a fair bit of space and front lower srut brace,followed by front upper if needed...still need more? bilstein anti-roll bars front and rear,adjustable strut tops and poly bushes(at a cost of lots of vibration) - this is what i have done to mine barring the front upper strut-brace and it will out handle just about ANYTHING.

ps. make sure you get some new bumpstops when you change the dampers,longer poly ones if needed,NEVER fit lowering springs on standard worn dampers = a recipe for disaster