can you put mk2 suspension in a mk1? - Upgrades (non engine related ) - VWDiesel.net The IDI, TDI, and mTDI source.

• can you put mk2 suspension in a mk1? by R.O.R-2.0 on 21 Jan, 2011 20:22
• yea, thats right, is it possible to put mk2 susp in a mk1 car?
  
  i know theres not a chance its a bolt in affair, but if it aint too bad, i want to do it.
  
  i got some stiff mk2 suspension, that would absolutely stick a mk1 to the road..
• #1 by truckinwagen on 21 Jan, 2011 22:14
• its been done, make mounts to attach the mk2 subframe under the mk1 and bolt it all in with mk1 strut tops
  
  -Owen
• #2 by maxfax on 22 Jan, 2011 01:34
• There was a writeup on Vortex about this I remember reading years ago..
  
  IIRC   The rear struts are too long, but the springs will work..  On the front you'll have to swap the top strut mount, the entire knuckle, and possibly the tie rods (or maybe just the tie rod ends)..  I think also if you don;t want to swap the knuckle, you can use a spacer to take up the slack where the strut mounts to the knuckle.. Some used  varied thicknesses of spacers on either side to change the caster angle..
  
  
• #3 by R.O.R-2.0 on 22 Jan, 2011 11:33
• Quote from: truckinwagen on 21 Jan, 2011 22:14

  its been done, make mounts to attach the mk2 subframe under the mk1 and bolt it all in with mk1 strut tops
  
  -Owen
  

  
   
  
  holy crap..
  
  might as well cut the car off at the fenders and do a full mk2 nose swap.. lol.
  
  im definitely not interested in putting a sub frame under my car.. not that interested atleast.
  
  that would make it a NIGHTMARE to pull the engine.. idk how well they come out the top.
  
  well, i guess you could use the mk2 engine mounts with a mk2 sub frame..
• #4 by GEE-BEE on 01 Feb, 2011 13:02
• Iam just doing the 16V spindles so I can run the 100 mm cv axles on my MK1
  
  They are beefer thou
  
  G60 brakes
  lower stress bar
  lower sway also
  
  GB
• #5 by R.O.R-2.0 on 05 Feb, 2011 12:59
• yea, that wouldnt help me any..
  
  i want to get away from mk1 suspension all together.. i hate how mk1s handle, and how they feel too much like a Cadillac..
  
  my mk2s have all been very stiff, and glued to the road.. my GTI was much more fun to drive.. you can take 40 mph corners at 100mph, in the rabbit, you take that same corner at 30mph..
• #6 by RabbitJockey on 08 Feb, 2011 18:29
• i think the problem you are having has more to do with the chassis, mk1s are not as sturdy, do you have a lower k bar and upper strut bar?  mk1 also has a closer track width, what have your suspension setups been for a comparison?  my brother has a 1988 scirocco 16v with all euro sport bars, stock sway bars, and the stock 16v k bar, they thing handles, the shocks are boge turbo(kinda soft), and the springs are mk2 16v
• #7 by rabbitman on 08 Feb, 2011 18:53
• My rabbit creaks and groans when I drive slowly on uneven ground, I think the combination of rusty, weakened pinch welds, driving on gravel/wash boarded roads and just being old have loosened all the body joints and welds.
  
  Someday I need to temporarily retire it for a partial resoration, fix the rust, weld up all questionable seams and add more braces.
• #8 by R.O.R-2.0 on 10 Feb, 2011 14:01
• its alright, this topic is kinda pointless now, i just bought another mk2 the other day.. so now i dont need to swap my nice mk2 suspension into a mk1, it can just go in my 86 golf..
  
  $200 car, had been sitting 10 years, half tank of gas even.. put a battery in it, and she fired up..
• #9 by RabbitJockey on 10 Feb, 2011 18:43
• i still wonder what 2 car sand what 2 suspensions u were comparing.  also stock us build rabbits had very very soft springs, but jettas and german built rabbits/sciroccos had much stiffer springs, i just pulled the springs off my jetta the other day, i should have used a spring compressor because they are that much stronger, but instead i stuck them in the snow, closed my eyes and pulled the trigger on the impact haha.  nothing flew too far
• #10 by R.O.R-2.0 on 11 Feb, 2011 11:41
• well, the point of this thread was:
  
  i was gonna see if it was at all possible to put a mk2 (suspension out of a 92 16v) into a mk1 some how?
  
  i have a few spare mk1 rabbits, all of them have garbage suspension. i hate how easy it is to bottom out the struts. my mk2s never bottom out. only time i bottomed out my gti, i wrecked it.
  
  basically take GTI suspension, and put it in a rabbit..
  
  but not anymore.. im gonna take mk2 suspension, and put it in my mk2