mk2/mk3 suspension

[R.O.R-2.0]

anybody know the width across the shock towers on a mk2 and mk3 vw? i need to know if a mk3 strut bar will work on a mk2, or if it will be 4" too wide?

anyway, if someone would chime in, i would appreciate it..

[Helliouse]

From http://www.srsvw.com/ Very serious suspension guys.

UPPER SRUT BRACES I had a car in the shop recently that had been towed in. The strut brace had broken the throttle body! Here are some great reasons not to use one.

    The loads on the upper body are almost purely vertical. No strut brace can help this.
    Most are so poorly made that they can be bent by hand!How much help can this be?
    Many require drilling the strut tower creating a perfect breeding ground for rust.
    On VW'S the firewall does a great job of holding everything together and needs no help!Most turn every day maintenance jobs into a chore.

[mystery3]

From http://www.srsvw.com/ Very serious suspension guys.

UPPER SRUT BRACES I had a car in the shop recently that had been towed in. The strut brace had broken the throttle body! Here are some great reasons not to use one.

    The loads on the upper body are almost purely vertical. No strut brace can help this.
    Most are so poorly made that they can be bent by hand!How much help can this be?
    Many require drilling the strut tower creating a perfect breeding ground for rust.
    On VW'S the firewall does a great job of holding everything together and needs no help!Most turn every day maintenance jobs into a chore.

These guys don't deal with mk1's. The difference is night and day on a mk1 with the upper strut tower bar and adding the lower 4-point bar afterward was icing on the cake.

I like strut bars on most vehicles IMHO a car cannot be stiff enough.

[R.O.R-2.0]

the mk2 and mk1 are VERY DIFFERENT..

the mk1 is very fragile. not even a sub frame under there. just 2 frame horns off the firewall.. yea, i can see how they are susceptible to twist.

mk2 is very robust compared to mk1. there IS a sub frame, and the car feels alot less twistable..

mk2 stock suspension is far superior to mk1..

[mystery3]

I'd slap front and rear strut bars on a mkII as well. It's not going to have much of an impact on understeer and mkII's are not exactly robust except when in comparison to the mkI chassis.

I don't think the mkIII bars would fit in any case.

[R.O.R-2.0]

this thread is a complete waste of time and energy anyway... i still had a mk2 when i posted this up.

and wanted answers fairly quick, cause i had a chance at a free upper tie bar..

either way, im going to try and buy another mk2 today.

a grey 86 golf.. i wanna drive a 4 dr, 2.0L(maybe 16vT) GTI again.. idk what it is, but i like having a gasser as a daily.

[8v-of-fury]

its because your a homo 

Sounds like a sick plan bromosexual.

[R.O.R-2.0]

i havent gotten ahold of the guy with the grey 86 yet.. i know he still wants to sell it tho, and i know he wanted 200 bucks last time i talked to him..

i dont care what kinda engine it has if its a straight car with minor problems for 2 hundo..

diesel would be nice, but im just hard up for some mk2.. im having mk2 withdrawls.
i dont even get diesel withdrawl anymore.. idk whats wrong with me.
but i do get speed (not the actual drug speed) withdrawls, and i cant get that with my diesels.
25+ psi boost is cool, but then again, so are 16 valves, and 8000 rpms..

not quite as bad as buying a honda, but i think i got an itch for a turbo gasser now.

(unless for some reason i get an AAZ for a *VERY* good deal)

[DCC]

In my experience, when you fit a strut bar to a mk2, there's an improvement when entering corners and changing direction. IMHO the stock mk2 feels "laggy" in these two situations, no matter how good the shocks are or how thick your sway bar is.

Reffering to the original question: Maybe they will fit, but only if they're adjustable bars, and this depends on the make too.

[R.O.R-2.0]

when you drive 4x4s, and mk1s your whole life, a mk2 with a decent suspension feels like a damn race car.
all my mk1s: no sway bars
all my mk2s: f&r sway bars

havent played with strut bars tho, im going to have to build some.

think aluminum will have enough strength to be used as a strut tie bar?

mk2/3s really dont need a lower tie bar up front do they? since they have an actual sub frame?

[macka]

ROR,

     Aluminum is OK for a bar as long as it is the right thickness and type. Round tubing is your strongest but it all comes down to how you tie it in. If your brackets are poorly designed, you might as well not have any bars. The bar actually needs to mount to the strut not the tower. Tieing in the bottom and stiffening the sub frame right through is the proper course if you want your car to turn like it is on rails. The one thing to never forget about using aluminum and steel is they react and corrode when incontact with each other.