Fix my body roll

[molgrips]

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.

[VWCaddy]

Look into installing an anti-sway bar on the vehicle.  
- http://www.addco.net/
Might have them already, perhaps end link bushings are shot.

[Slave2School]

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

[TedV]

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.

[molgrips]

There's already a front bar, haven't checked the rear.  Do they get weaker with time?  I'll check about bushings etc.

[molgrips]

Come to think of it, do springs get weaker with time too?

[Slave2School]

Actually a REAR bar makes the FRONT flatter.

[Slave2School]

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

[BlackTieTD]

yes springs and pretty much anything associated with suspension weakens over time.

[molgrips]

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.

[the caveman]

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.

[molgrips]

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..?

[the caveman]

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.

[duffer]

Don't take offence, but your cat
   looks like Adolph Hitler  :lol:

[erdmankw]

Rear sway bar makes a world of difference on body roll in VW's. Best suspension upgrade for the money hands down.