springs: HR vs. KW vs. ...

[monk]

last week i meet with some friends with polo gtis and i was a little confused about what i saw...

one of them had HR springs and the car was much lower than mine (i have eibach pro kit mounted on it)... the first thing i did when i arrived home was post a message to sell my springs...

today i saw KW also makes springs for the gti. my question is what do you know about them: do they lower the car as much as the HR ?
i really wanna change my springs because the eibach ones make my car look like a SUV compared to the other ones...

[MarcoPolo]

What is more important, handling or looks?

The GTI's wishbones are close to parallel from the factory. Go any lower and you run the risk of c0cking up the roll centre and increasing bump steer, but you can't tell people that. All they care about is a small gap between the arch and tyre because it looks cool. Well, it was cool about 10 years ago, but handling now takes priority over looks these days

Eibach clearly understand this and don't slam the car with their springs. Just because your friends is lower, it doesn't mean it handles better.

[loud]

if handling took priority over looks you'd have bought something like a clio 182

[monk]

eibach say that it the springs lower the car by 30mm ... in my opinion all they did was get the car a little bit higher !

[KennyPOLO_Gti]

I had H&R on my Polo and a few other people on here, cant fault them mate. Mind you when i got my coilies I found one of my shocks were fooked! Maybe be aswell looking at uprated shocks while your at it or coilies?

[more-bhp]

Today I had a Eibach lowered right next to mine with HR , both with 17s on and mine was much lower... really looked much better ... he too was dissapointed with the drop the Eibach gave...

I rate the HRs highly... great springs ... but like Kenny says .. likely to fook up a shock if you bottom out...

[monk]

i see...

maybe ill give it a try because i have an opportunity to get a brand new set for 80 euros from a guy who didn't mount them on the car...


now, what about handling ? is marco polo right ? he is the first one i hear with this opinion. i knew the fact that it may fook up the shocks but its a risk im willing to take...for now.

[loud]

I can't compare Eibach to H&R in terms of handling, as I've not been in a GTI with Eibach...

But in terms of standard vs H&R, the H&R handle a million times better... not much less comfortable than standard and with little body roll on corners

[monk]

i finally managed to install the H&R springs and they are much more different than the Eibach ones. absolutely no resemblance between the 2.
the HRs ar much lower and handle much better when going fast round a corner.

imo if anyone wants to install springs get HR if you want performance and get Eibach if you want a slightly more comfortable ride. the eibach ones are definitely more comfortable.. but what the hell... if you want a comfortable car get an S-Klasse


anyways... i have a set of eibachs for sale

[more-bhp]

I swapped my H&R to Eibach for a customer when the car was going for PX ... it put my car like it was on stilts.... but the ride was loverly and comfortable....

For low go H&R ... as for handling ... well my Wife took the car to work one day and when she got home ... commented on how much better the car handled (with the H&Rs)...

I think the shocks get knackered through abuse or too many pot-holes ... cars I have seen with leaky shocks also have bad bushes, chunks missing from tyres, etc... so have been driven very hard over whatever terrain.... etc...

My shocks were fine but I'm nearly 40 and learnt a long time ago how expensive repairs are and so drive a little more sympathetically ... (DEFO NOT SLOWER THOUGH)...

LOW is still very cool IMO

J

[V-MaN668]

The reason why H&R springs look lower compared to the others is because the spring kit for the H&R lowers 35mm front and back, while the others end at 30mm. I guess that extra 5mm makes a HUGE difference

I agree with getting H&R if your just wanting a spring kit, better looks and a top quality brand.

V-MaN