OEM e-Golf springs vs standard Golf vs GTI?

[schleppy]

I am looking at suspension options, and I am wondering if the e-Golf's OEM springs are different than any other Golf models? Do they have a different spring rate to account for the battery weight? Or are they the same as any other Golf spring?

I am thinking about putting in GTI springs+struts. Would those be a direct swap? Or does the GTI use different suspension components?

Thanks all!

 

[JoulesThief]

I am looking at suspension options, and I am wondering if the e-Golf's OEM springs are different than any other Golf models? Do they have a different spring rate to account for the battery weight? Or are they the same as any other Golf spring?

I am thinking about putting in GTI springs+struts. Would those be a direct swap? Or does the GTI use different suspension components?

Thanks all!

look at the color code stripes painted on the springs for weight they are supposed to be for. The egolf is th e heaviest of them all, 3407 #s

 

[schleppy]

I am looking at suspension options, and I am wondering if the e-Golf's OEM springs are different than any other Golf models? Do they have a different spring rate to account for the battery weight? Or are they the same as any other Golf spring?

I am thinking about putting in GTI springs+struts. Would those be a direct swap? Or does the GTI use different suspension components?

Thanks all!

look at the color code stripes painted on the springs for weight they are supposed to be for. The egolf is th e heaviest of them all, 3407 #s

That answers my spring question. What about strut compatibility?

 

[JoulesThief]

I am looking at suspension options, and I am wondering if the e-Golf's OEM springs are different than any other Golf models? Do they have a different spring rate to account for the battery weight? Or are they the same as any other Golf spring?

I am thinking about putting in GTI springs+struts. Would those be a direct swap? Or does the GTI use different suspension components?

Thanks all!

look at the color code stripes painted on the springs for weight they are supposed to be for. The egolf is th e heaviest of them all, 3407 #s

That answers my spring question. What about strut compatibility?

Not sure on that one.... probably compatible. Myself, any time I changed struts on my VW's, save once, I've put oil dampened based Koni's on every single time. Once, I put on Bilstein gas struts on my 1981 Jetta diesel coupe, when I was in my early 20's. Never again. I prefer Koni Red's on everything, with the valving opened up to the softest of the 5 settings. Outstanding comfort, great valving, great product. and expensive, but worth it.

Disclaimer, I am not a kid anymore, I don't like wrenching on my cars, or others wrenching on them for the sake of wrenching on them. I'm old, and in the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' camp these days. i buy my cars new, from the factory, just the way I want them, the fully integrated german package, and leave things alone. YMMV, I find german cars to be a good fit for my driving styles and patterns, as is. If I don't like the test drive, I don't buy it. I've seen a lot of the younger owners trying to make the car into something it was never designed to be. They modify the car and turn it into a monster that does nothing well, except look cool. I am all for nice paint in the appearance group, but not into wheels,rims, suspension mods, looking for "stance" or "slammed" or what ever it is they call it these days, the youngin's.

 

[schleppy]

I am definitely between "modder" and "don't friggin mess with it". My days of changing everything are over. I still do like a car that handles well though, and the e-Golf has a ton of potential.

I am with you on the Koni shocks too. My last car had 100k on the Konis and were still going strong when I sold it. Big fan of their product.

 

[JoulesThief]

I am definitely between "modder" and "don't friggin mess with it". My days of changing everything are over. I still do like a car that handles well though, and the e-Golf has a ton of potential.

I am with you on the Koni shocks too. My last car had 100k on the Konis and were still going strong when I sold it. Big fan of their product.

Suggestions, for what it's worth, from the mkIV days.

Put a brace between the strut towers. Go plus 1 or plus 2 on the rims and tire width. Nothing available to my knowledge in the spring department, not enough market for e-golfs to produce and make money. And if you are going to hold on to the car, to get your moneys worth out of it for time used, Koni reds on all four corners for any Golf, possibly any VW MKVII chassis. A 700 + pound battery on the belly of the car is not going to cause much roll in the corners.

The car already, with stock tire limitations, has a distinct "slot car" feel in the canyons that I sometimes drive on the way to the ocean here in Los Angeles, where, BTW, on any weekday, you can see the rich and famous in their Lambo's or Ferarri's, P cars, R36's what ever, out there on Mulholland Dr, trying to straighten out the twisties without getting sideways.

 

[schleppy]

I am confident I can make the car a bit more "planted" in turns without killing the efficiency. It will be a fun project

 

[mackson6]

Not sure on that one.... probably compatible. Myself, any time I changed struts on my VW's, save once, I've put oil dampened based Koni's on every single time. Once, I put on Bilstein gas struts on my 1981 Jetta diesel coupe, when I was in my early 20's. Never again. I prefer Koni Red's on everything, with the valving opened up to the softest of the 5 settings. Outstanding comfort, great valving, great product. and expensive, but worth it.

I agree. Koni is a lot better when it comes to softness and ride comfort. Have bilstein struts on another car and they are slightly stiff although they can handle rough roads and potholes really well.

 

[Can37]

I am confident I can make the car a bit more "planted" in turns without killing the efficiency. It will be a fun project

The damper rates on the GTI are likely softer than the e-Golf dampers, a strut swap would likely have the opposite effect than the one you are looking for.

Dampers and springs are matched to the load, the extra weight of the e-Golf means that it needs stiffer dampers just to get close to a regular Golf's handling and ride.

 

[mfennell]

Thought: the R-Golf is within 50lbs of the e-golf IIRC.