85 jetta improved touring suspension

[jetta87]

name is stewart. i have an 85 jetta i am building for improved touring and i dont know what to use for a suspension. please keep in mind that i dont have a lot of money. but i will have some help from dad.

wht would u suggest?

i had some koni yellow on order from performance cafe but they screwed up and i got a return from them. but i wasnt sure on the koni yellow either

[jlinfert]

Bilstien cup shocks are the way to go in my opinion. They aren't adjustable but can be revalved and rebuilt. Best bang for the buck out there and VERY durable.

This is the best place to buy them:
http://www.eshocks.com/bil_vehR.asp?Model=_Golf_II_Group_AQVW&Model_Long=+Golf+II+Group+AQVW&Manf=Bilstein&SubChar=Q

[Lael Cleland]

I agree, Bilsteins! springs are springs, must run coilovers.... I buy QA1s from Summit/Jegs 7inX2.5in.....300lb-700lb available.
Spring rates and sway bars.....Every one has a different opinion!
Camber Plates help get you to -3deg camber.
NEW wheel hubs & bearings are a must. (febi bilstein/FAG only)
Re-man front calipers=$15each
Hawk Blue pads front....
Oil cooler or disconnect your oil temp gauge.....160c is to hot....

[jetta87]

i will be running an aftermarket oil cooler setup also. not sure what do to do for that though. maybe factory? what coil overs can u run with bilstien. im confused. i was goin to run koni yellow with koni sleeves.

[jetta87]

this internet place u speek of is it good. im having a horrible time with an internet company that wont give me a refund in my parts after a month of not getting parts or my money.

[Sandro]

Bildon sells them for about same price.

I would much rather support Bildon than some random company, plus with Bildon you will get A+ service and tons of support which is priceless.

http://www.bildon.com/catalog/DetailsList.cfm?ID=VE3-4406&Nav=10&SubNav=14

[lateapex911]

this.

the owner of the company has been very good to our form of racing in ways most don't know, but have been positively affected by.

[jetta87]

so bildon is a good place and what other places. i really need more info and help with what to buy

[JLawton]

I really, REALLY hate to say this.............. But for the cost of a very good suspension you can almost buy an already built car..........

I know it SEEMS cheaper to build one............ but it's not.

Good luck. You've come to the right place to ask questions!

[jlinfert]

this internet place u speek of is it good. im having a horrible time with an internet company that wont give me a refund in my parts after a month of not getting parts or my money.
I've never had ANY problems with e-shock.com. And the only good luck I've had with Bildon is his E-bay stuff.

[jlinfert]

i will be running an aftermarket oil cooler setup also. not sure what do to do for that though. maybe factory? what coil overs can u run with bilstien. im confused. i was goin to run koni yellow with koni sleeves.
The bilstein cup shocks ARE coilovers and much more robust than Konis. For an oil cooler, get an Earl's from Jegs or Summit. Good price and utterly reliable.

[Bill Miller]

Have to agree w/ Jeff (Lawton) on this one. If you want to run an A2 VW, there are a couple in the classifieds on this site for $3500 each. Even if you do all the work yourself, and place no value on your time, it's pretty much impossible to build a track-ready car for that kind of money. One of those cars reportedly has a fresh BSI motor. While BSI has moved from VW's to SM's, they used to be one of the best of the larger VW IT tuners in the country. I have no stake in either of those cars, but I'd strongly suggest you look at them before you get too far down the build-your-own road.

[GTIspirit]

^3
$3500 is a good deal for an IT car after you start adding up what it will cost you to go racing. Figure $1000 for coilover kit+shocks (non-race shocks), what, $1500+ for rollcage, trans rebuild with Quaife is another $1500+ and an engine rebuild would be another $1000+. I did everything myself, but that was because I wanted the experience in doing it, and I wanted things done a certain way, such as the cage. But I paid dearly for that satisfaction, both in $$$ and time. I know it seems like a lot of cash to lay out for a race car, but it is way cheaper to buy used than to build your own.

[reeceracing]

STOP....I GOT THE BEST DEAL FOR YOU,A2 GTI, 91. FAST AND RELIABLE. ITB #69.
Leda suspension, camber plates, new engine, lots of spares,tranny,axles etc, 2008 ARRC ENDURO WINNER.
Recession sale $6500.OBO.

[jetta87]

well i have a fresh trans built for free with a quaiff in it. old family friend is vw trained from the factory and does nothing but vw,porsche trans. and its too late on the motor. we already have it completly rebuilt. and i have already stripped the floor pan inside the car and the inner fenders also. got rid of any unwanted wiring also. and im goin to buy a bolt in cage since i dont know if im keeping the car for very long. i know its cheaper to just buy a car. but i didnt have a choice.

my parents owned the car since 86 and my mom wouldnt let me and dad get rid of it. so she said build it and race it since i was in high school starting this. im done with school. and so forth. so i dont really have a chance but i hear u guys loud and clear.

[jetta87]

with this eshock place and these bilstiens they have. what else so u need to go with eachshock beside springs?

[jlinfert]

with this eshock place and these bilstiens they have. what else so u need to go with eachshock beside springs? Upper spring perches. We get ours from Coleman Racing. A set of camber plates is also a very good idea.

[Sandro]

got rid of any unwanted wiring also.

FYI might want to check the rules, can't do that if building an IT car

[Lael Cleland]

In my opinion a flat spring perch is the way to go, the dirt car cone perches are 2-3 inches tall I.E. 2 inches less wheel travel.....Ground Control camber plates come with the perches....and there flat....

Spherical control arm bearings are a good upgrade on the MK2-3,the rear bushing flexes allot! They keep the wheel where it needs to be when loaded.....

Lael

[hd54kh]

How about an already 85 GTI track ready and tons of spares for 4k?

Terry - hd54kh@aol dot com

[jetta87]

so if i buy shocks from e-shocks, camber plated from gc,springs,and spring perches i will be good to go?

[jetta87]

for the unwanted wiring,if i remember right u can do that. i have the 07 rules im goin off of. that is what i had when i started. i can always go to the junk yard and get a wiring harness inside and for the engine at a junk yard.

[shwah]

Yeah. You can't - unless the wiring in question was not present in new cars when they were delivered (for instance if there are no power windows, there is no wiring for them in these cars).

[jetta87]

i got rid of all the wiring for radio,instrument cluster,turnsignals ect. so i cant do that then?

[jetta87]

so i have to put the wires back in the vehilce. cause i cut it all out. so go to junk yard and get an entire harness for inside and the engine cause both harness are tied together?

[nlevine]

so i have to put the wires back in the vehilce. cause i cut it all out. so go to junk yard and get an entire harness for inside and the engine cause both harness are tied together?

Yup.. If it [the GCR] doesn't say you CAN do something, you CAN'T (otherwise known as IIDSYCYC, which you'll see a lot of around here).. So, stock wiring must all be in place except for where the GCR says you can remove it - and those rules haven't changed in a while.. I'd re-read the ITCS before picking up a wrench or cutting tool again - nothing worse than having to undo something that you shouldn't have done in the first place.

And as for your plan to bolt in a cage... well... go back a few posts about buying a pre-built car - it will likely have a nice custom welded in cage, which is really what you want to be safe, and if you want to get the maximum benefit of the chassis stiffening.. That's the one place never to economize. And make sure both you, and your cage builder, study the most current version of the GCR before you start cutting and bending pipe..

[shwah]

The engine harness and chassis harness are separate. Just make sure you pull one from the right car. The early A2s have the CE1 wiring harness, with the fuse box under the steering column, the later ones CE2, with the fuse box above the hood release. They don't mix well.

[jetta87]

yea i have the fuse box inside the car. i got a frined at vw i used to work with that is goin to work with me on doin the chassis harness. it shouldnt be to hard i think? but u never know. i also have a lead on a parts car for cheap that is same as my car jsut a 2door

[rx7chris]

nobody mentioned ground control to this guy? I've had nothing but good luck with them and they are very reasonable.

[jetta87]

what aout ground control. i need a suspension lol now

[rx7chris]

www.ground-control.com (http://www.ground-control.com) It's best to call 'em. Tell them what you're doing and what your budget is and they'll work out a plan for ya. Compared to Bildon at $1600 they've quoted me $1200, with the extra dough I can get the camber/caster plates and maybe a rear bar for the same $'s

[jetta87]

got my new harness to put back in the car. and made it all nice and neat. and installed the insrument clust back in

[shwah]

You don't need the instrument cluster, but it is nice to have a fuel gauge, so don't throw it away. You can just plug it in to check the fuel level when needed.

[jetta87]

thanks. i will keep posted on what progrss is. hope to get running this year and do some tunning