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Handling Mods
Suspension
 I like the stock appearance of my car and didn't want to "slam" it. Therefore, I decided on the "Real Street Suspension" system with Bilstein HD's from Shine Racing Service at around 136,000 miles. The spring rates are 225#F and 160#R. I liked the slightly-lowered stance and the handling. They lasted 172,000 miles. It was time for a change. I opted for a set of KONI coilovers. The spring rates are ~350#F and ~190#R. I adjusted the ride height to mimic Shine's, which sets the front control arms level for ideal handling. Unfortunately, the KONI's were shot after less than 50,000 miles. I was going to order another set and save the old ones for a rebuild. But they were on backorder just about everywhere. So I opted to get the system I originally wanted after the Shine system: Bilstein HD shocks with Ground Control coilover sleeves and Eibach Spec Springs. The springs are 430#F and 320#R. Again, I've mimicked the Shine ride height. The car sits about 1.5"F and 1.00"R below stock. I base this on measurements taken between the center of the hub and the top of the fender opening (see photo at right for details). I measured a stock suspension at 15.0"F and 14.0"R. I'm at 13.5"F and 13.0"R..
I chose EUROSPORT to supply my upper stress bar (connects strut towers) and lower stress bar (connects control arms). The ride is just a tad more harsh than before. But cornering is precise and tight... well, for a Mk3. ;-) Pushing the car beyond its limits on the autocross course reveals mild oversteer, a change from the understeer presented by the Shine setup. But the handling is quite managable by adjusting the dampening bias between the front and rear shocks. The suspension and swaybar does a great job of managing body roll as shown in THIS PHOTO which compares a stock-sprung Jetta to mine. Read more about sway bars here. |
Traction
My poor stock clutch finally started to slip after 160,000 miles. I upgraded to a VR6 Clutch by Sachs. The clutch is buttery-smooth, a nice change from my old clutch. Since the transmission was removed, I went ahead and had a PELOQUIN Torque-Biasing Differential (TBD) installed. CLICK HERE to read more about differentials. The TBD ensures I have power to the ground in most situations without wheelspin. The car's behavior at autocross events is wonderful! The only time I get the inside wheel to spin is when it is almost completely of the ground; and it happens when driving at the limit! The additional traction is nice in dry snow as well. But be careful on the ice!!! Power to both front wheels means there's NO TRACTION during wheel-spin scenarios. Back to the clutch, time eventually introduced me to more power and torque. The Sachs clutch is barely adequate and tends to slip at low RPMs during the winter (holds fine in the spring-fall). I plan to upgrade to a South Bend Stage II Endurance clutch in the future. It will hold 425 lb/ft, a limit I do not expect to reach. |
Wheels and Tires
I went five years before getting my first set of alloy wheels. And they were just 14x6" VW Rondos. I then drove on several sets of 14x6" VW LeCastellets for five years or so. My goal was to have factory-like hub-centric wheels with a 57.1mm centerbore which allowed me to maintain the same look on the street, on the track, and in the winter. I had tires for every occasion. :-) My very first set of "aftermarket" wheels was a set of 14x6.5" BBS RZ Crosslaces, stock on the BMW E30. But I only used them in SCCA events. A 195/60R14 is the widest STREET tire available for a 14" wheel of 23" diameter. I've been itching to run a set of 205s or 225s, especially for the street tire class at autocross events. FINALLY, thirteen years after buying the car, I have my first set of real aftermarket wheels. I settled on two sets of 15x7.5" Ronal LS's by ACT. They really change the look of the car. I chose 225/45ZR15 Hankook Ventus R-S3's to see how they behave on the autocross course. I like them so far. I chose 205/50R15 for the daily-driven set. I use 195/60R14s all-seasons on the RZ's. Since they look VERY similar to the LS's, the car will look essentially the same regardless of whether I'm on my summer, winter, or race rubber. The smaller winter tires will also allow me to maximize fuel economy during the winter. :-) |
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