How low can you go?

An idea I've had in the back of my mind, is to produce a handy reference chart for how low you can lower a Mk1 Golf, with various wheel/tyre combinations. For info, the stock Golf is 360mm from centre of front wheel to under side of wheel arch, rear is about 325mm. Stock GTIs are 20mm lower than other models.

Please can you post:

lowering at front:
lowering at rear:
wheel size:
tyre size:
arch mods?:
any rubbing?:

I'll start it off with:

lowering at front: 80mm
lowering at rear: 80mm
wheel size: 13x5.5
tyre size: 175/70R13
arch mods?: no
any rubbing?: no

Thanks guys! Once there are a number of replies which provide a good spread of data, I'll collate some kind of reference table. If there's anything special done, for example if you have narrowed axles, running different top mounts or hubs, etc I am sure you will mention this too!

lowered front 110mm
lowered at rear 110mm
wheel sixe 6x15 g60 steels
tyre size 165 50 15

arch mods fully rolled and smoothed to inner arches f + r

rubbing hmm not on arches! :roll:  
but os drive shaft on the body through the chassis leg and it has been modified!
gear box mount on the floor at times ! (2" clearance)
sump isnt a problem as it is small block but just behind the front wishbone bolts where the lower chassis leg halfs are welded together , they touch sometimes !
hope this helps :wink:

jeez you guys are seriously low! 8O  8)

got any pics of what these heights look like?

I'll have to go and measure mine, hopfully post them up in a bit….

Should add what kit you used to lower...

lowering at front: 40mm
lowering at rear: 40mm
wheel size: 15x7.5J
tyre size: 195/50 15
arch mods?: no
any rubbing?: no

My backbox is about 2.5" off the ground however, so i am effectively as low as i can go.. (could go another 22mm i suppose)

No idea what kit it is.

You have forgotten a MAJOR component in all this lowering malarky - WHEEL OFFSET. Makes a HUGE difference...

procalx said

lowering at front: 40mm
lowering at rear: 40mm

My backbox is about 2.5" off the ground however, so i am effectively as low as i can go.. (could go another 22mm i suppose)

No idea what kit it is.

40mm is nowhere near as low as you can go - Your exhaust has either been hung incorrectly or it is a rather large design!

AL_Mk1 said

procalx said

lowering at front: 40mm
lowering at rear: 40mm

My backbox is about 2.5" off the ground however, so i am effectively as low as i can go.. (could go another 22mm i suppose)

No idea what kit it is.

40mm is nowhere near as low as you can go - Your exhaust has either been hung incorrectly or it is a rather large design!

Mate its HUGE i could probably go for 60mm, but my wheels are 7.5J ET18 15"

lowered front pass. 70mm
lowered front driver. 60mm

lowered rear pass. raised 5mm apparently  :doh: :roll:  
lowered rear driver. 15mm

wheel size: 7x15" et 26

tyre size: 195/50/15

arch mods:  fronts - lip cut from 10 - 2 ish and inner plastic trimmed to suit, rears basically nothing at the moment though I did slightly fold the lip in hasn't really done much though…

any rubbing: a touch on the rears with 2 or more people in the back over bumps

I've also scraped the crap out of my gti spoiler, and knocked one half of it off once already 8)

done on V-Maxx Coilovers hence the uneven numbers on each corner, this was pretty much how I first set them up I will go round and even them up at some point, but I plan to sort the rear arches first then lower if quite a bit more at the back, although I hope to have a new set of wider 14" wheels soon so will have to see how they fit….