How to make your MK1 handle and still ride soft over rough roads

There's been a lot written about how to make a MK1 handle and basically it’s get the car low with suspension mods that cut down the body roll but there’s a dozen different ways to do this using a thousand combinations. Trying to get a MK1 to handle like a go-cart AND still give a comfortable ride is where the mystery and magic come in.

I’d like to know what have you done to yours that actually works. I’ll put forward my 2c worth based on the MK1's I've had over the years starting from my first MK1 bought way back in 1986.

It was a 2 tone black/silver 2 door 1978 GLS for my wife that was quickly modded with a 2nd hand GTI front sway bar (also called anti roll bar) and a 16mm rear bar bought new from Lovells Suspension (not recommended). I also fitted heavy duty springs bought from Lovells (not recommended) and made up a lower strut brace (highly recommended). Shocks were standard.

The springs raised the car by about 5cm and when I complained they said it returned the car to original height. I told them bullsh#t and send me a set that lower the car as originally requested. I gave the springs back to them and after a week they sent back to me the same springs with 2 coils cut off the rears and 1 off the front. That's when I realised it's safe to run cut down springs and I've never bought new ones since.

The Lovells rear sway bar was designed to be mounted on a couple of very weak tabs on the bodywork behind the rear beam, not completely on the beam. After a few months the mounts ripped off so I started looking at the American VW magazines for an alternative. At the time the Yanks were selling a lot of aftermarket parts for MK1’s and 2’s and everyone was using Neuspeed bars but they weren’t cheap.

Instead I went to the local wreckers and found a Mazda Capella front bar could be made to fit if I welded on all the mounts to my rear beam. Half a days work later I had a 22mm rear beam which sat completely inside the rear beam and reduced the body roll a lot more than the pansy 16mm one. With 14 x 6 mag wheels fitted with 195x60x14 Bridgestone rubber the car was quick through corners. I used to bait Japanese cars going into roundabouts and freeway on/off ramps and always left them behind. I also raced this car at the Canberra hillclimb track a few times and it set decent times for its class.

About 6 months later I saw one of the end mounts for the front bar had unscrewed so it wasn’t even attached. I hadn’t noticed any difference to the handling but screwed it all back together anyway. It didn’t make any difference so after a couple of weeks I took the front bar off and sold it.

My 2nd MK1 was a 4 door GL bought in 1987 and I did the same to it but used a 22mm Mitsubishi Sigma front sway bar for the rear of the Golf and it handled better than the 2 door. This car was never fitted with a front bar and was so predictable in its handling I could push it to the limit through corners and set up a 4 wheel drift just with throttle control. Easily the best handling car I’ve ever had.

A couple of MK1’s later I bought an original 1981 GTI and didn’t modify anything during the year I had it. What a piece of cr*p that car was, a well driven SUV could outrun it through corners. For 1981 it might have been a great car but by 2002 it was severely outdated (and starting to rust). Because it was original I didn’t want to modify it so I sold it.

My next Golf was a MK2 GTI which came with cheap coilovers. It cornered well but was very harsh over the rough roads where I live. I work 60 miles from home so getting the suspension softer so it didn't shake my teath was a priority. I sold the coilovers and fitted Spax sport shocks and springs which gave a better ride and still handled well. It was still a bit too stiff so I replaced the front shocks with standard VW ones. The Spax sports springs were still in and the rear was still running Spax springs/shocks but now it cornered well AND had a comfortable ride.

When I took out the Spax front shocks they were hard to compress, no wonder the car didn't like hitting bumps or rough roads. The standard VW shocks were easy to compress but hard to extend which makes sense. The standard suspension on family cars is usually setup soft so when the car hits a bump the shock compresses easily to soak up the bump. The shock controls the bump, the spring controls the body roll through corners.

Why can't manufacturers of cheap coilovers learn that the shock needs to be soft and the spring hard ???  Lotus have been using this formula for years.

Unlike all my previous MK1’s where I did all the suspension work myself my current MK1 came with coilovers, camber adjustment plates, front and rear sway bars, polybushed everything and 15’s with 50 profile tyres.  First thing to go were the coilovers, replaced by adjustable Koni sport shocks. The coilovers were so stiff I could hardly move the car when sitting on the front or standing on the rear bumper. The Konis came off a cabby so they are pretty heavy duty on my much lighter 2 door tintop. They have raised the car about 3 inches so I'll cut down the springs once I get my ABF in.

So, let us know what you’ve tried and what works and what doesn’t. Don’t make comments on what you’ve read or what a friend of your sister’s boyfriends uncle did. I’m after suspension modifications that you know will work because you’ve done them. I’ve seen a few cars that have had the suspension turrets extended or an adapter fitted that mounts the top of the shock higher (which lowers the car but still provides full suspension travel) – is this a worthwhile mod? Has anyone boxed in the cross bar on their rear beam to stiffen it? Did it work? Tried something else that worked? Let us know.

Cheers

Paul

Hi, I guess I am in the same position as you. For years…….but did nothing until now, were I am  in the middle   of an engine  swap and want to do change suspension for better.
What I can assure you is that I had for years a lowered Koni suspension, quite a different setting from the previous standard floppy one, but at the and  I not very happy,  as it was  too stiff and the car  jumps when I get a hole in the side roads. Want something more confortable but with a sport feeling.
I am quite interested in the suspension turrets option, but I guess will have to investigate  first with springs and shocks will work fine with that modification.
Know I haven't help you at all…………


 

As a cheap alternative why not keep the springs you currently have and fit standard shocks. That way you still have the sports suspension feeling but you can drive over the potholes in the road without upsetting your car.

Cheers

Paul