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Fix my body roll
by
molgrips
on 22 Oct, 2008 02:36
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My car, that is, not my actual body.
1994 B4 Passat leans over really badly in corners and just generally handles like crap. To be honest I don't want to make it into a sports car but it'd be nice not getting lower back strain trying to stay upright when going round roundabouts. And of course we have all these twisty roads where I live..
I don't want to make it too stiff a ride, since like I say I'm not trying to make it into a sports car - it still needs to be fairly comfy.
Any ideas? I've never done anything to suspension before.
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#1
by
VWCaddy
on 22 Oct, 2008 06:18
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Look into installing an anti-sway bar on the vehicle.
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http://www.addco.net/Might have them already, perhaps end link bushings are shot.
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#2
by
Slave2School
on 22 Oct, 2008 07:02
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To clarify the above post you want a meaty rear sway bar. I know it might seem counter intuitive but that is the way it works. A set of Koni Reds might also be the ticket
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#3
by
TedV
on 22 Oct, 2008 09:29
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go with both a front and rear bar first if you want to keep the soft ride and handling ballance. then add shocks and springs if not firm enough. Front bar will control most of the roll and will keep the front more flat, the rear bar to balance out the hadling. With only a stiff rear bar all you will do is induce corner entry oversteer and as the outside front compresses the inside rear wheel comes of the ground. It's what VW's do.
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#4
by
molgrips
on 22 Oct, 2008 10:55
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There's already a front bar, haven't checked the rear. Do they get weaker with time? I'll check about bushings etc.
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#5
by
molgrips
on 22 Oct, 2008 10:56
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Come to think of it, do springs get weaker with time too?
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#6
by
Slave2School
on 23 Oct, 2008 10:34
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Actually a REAR bar makes the FRONT flatter.
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#7
by
Slave2School
on 23 Oct, 2008 10:37
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Read this little article. It may give you some ideas as to what you are looking for...I really enjoyed KYB's and a 28mm swaybar on teh back of my MK IV, made the car much much flatter with just the swaybar in the rear. Also improves front end grip around corners.
http://www.stealthtdi.com/SwayBars.html
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#8
by
BlackTieTD
on 23 Oct, 2008 11:59
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yes springs and pretty much anything associated with suspension weakens over time.
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#9
by
molgrips
on 23 Oct, 2008 12:14
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I suspect the springs - when I load stuff in the back it gets pretty low pretty quickly, and it's an estate/station wagon so the springs should be stiffer than the saloon/sedan version, shouldn't they?
To change the springs, do you have to remove the shocks? My garage complained about how fiddly it was when I had the shocks done. I'd have thought he'd have said something about the springs though if they were as bad as they seem to be.
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#10
by
the caveman
on 23 Oct, 2008 12:41
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I suspect the springs - when I load stuff in the back it gets pretty low pretty quickly, and it's an estate/station wagon so the springs should be stiffer than the saloon/sedan version, shouldn't they?
To change the springs, do you have to remove the shocks? My garage complained about how fiddly it was when I had the shocks done. I'd have thought he'd have said something about the springs though if they were as bad as they seem to be.
I always found b4 rear struts to be a pain. A wagon [estate ] is a little easier, but is your garage guy lazy or is he doing it for free? Why would he complain if he's gonna make some coin. Figure about 45- 60 minutes a side.
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#11
by
molgrips
on 24 Oct, 2008 02:27
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He wasn't complaining in a bad way, just having a bit of a moan after the job
He did all four shocks for £250, which included 2 hours of labour.
I wish I'd thought about the springs at the time tho.
Is there any way I can prove that they're too soft, other my purely subjective experiences of roll and load etc..?
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#12
by
the caveman
on 24 Oct, 2008 05:04
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If the car has tons of milage or has had a hard life you can rightly assume they are shot. If you can find another like yours but with less milage or with new springs , just measure the difference between them.
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#13
by
duffer
on 27 Nov, 2008 09:41
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Don't take offence, but your cat
looks like Adolph Hitler :lol:
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#14
by
erdmankw
on 19 Feb, 2009 20:13
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Rear sway bar makes a world of difference on body roll in VW's. Best suspension upgrade for the money hands down.