Suspension questions

[Burt the Beetle]

Alright I spent the afternoon reading various websites and threads and still find myself on the fence about how I want to proceed with my suspension rebuild. I have a 1999 GLS with 105,000 miles the shocks and struts have never been changed so to say the ride is sloppy would be an understatement. I do not expect to ever be on a track, I drive mountain country roads but do not need to take corners at 60 mph, I do have to clear several speed bumps a day, and live with a steep angle on my driveway.

I know I do not want to significantly change ride hight a small drop or a modest rise would be ok. My question would be the pros and cons for the following manufactures.

Volkswagen
Monroe
KYB
Bilstein
I am open to other option but need to keep the parts cost below 750

Thanks for your help and opinions. Outside of shocks, struts, and spring if their is anything else I should think about replacing while I have it all apart let me know. Burt is a daily driver that gets weekend roadtrip duty also.

[doublebarrel]

I put Koni STR.T shocks and struts on a few months ago and am real happy with the ride.They also have a lifetime warranty.I also replaced the control arm bushings with Audi TT bushings and replaced balljoints.

[BUGSTUFF]

'98 NB

2004 New Beetle Convertible Rear Springs
Original Front Springs
Monroe Sensa-Trac Shocks & Struts
New OEM Shock Mounts and New Strut Mounts/Bushings
New OEM Hardware
New OEM Sway Bar Bushings
New Aftermarket Front Lower Control Arms with Bushings and Ball Joints

No complaints - anything is an improvement over stock at 70,000 miles.

[Fl_bug]

I Just ordered a set of these

They are a sporty and slightly stiffer version of the very popular and controversial Raclands Coilovers. While no one seems to trust the price, the coils do come with a 3 year warranty and their customer service is hands down the best!

Plus, they are under $300 too! I haven't got mine on just just, but they're shipping to me as I speak. I have a few friends that have been running them for a quite awhile and have never had a single issue. They're known as being the best coilovers for money under $1,000.

[MichelleRoze]

I have Koni STR.T, with Eibach Pro Kit lowering Springs. LOVE it! It offers great handling and support with a nice lowered look, but not too low. And Koni's seem to be the way to go with VW. There are others, but most people get Konis.

[Smileybug]

Originally Posted by BUGSTUFF

No complaints - anything is an improvement over stock at 70,000 miles.

70k and you already had suspension issues? I'm at almost 97k on the stock suspension and its still going strong. The last time my mechanic drove it, he said he wouldn't even think about replacement until at least 100k, if not 120k. Also said that was normal for the Mk4.

[Burt the Beetle]

Originally Posted by doublebarrel

I put Koni STR.T shocks and struts on a few months ago and am real happy with the ride.They also have a lifetime warranty.I also replaced the control arm bushings with Audi TT bushings and replaced balljoints.

I have been reading up on the Koni and like what I have seen. Tell me more about the Audi TT Bushing upgrade?

[Burt the Beetle]

Originally Posted by BUGSTUFF

'98 NB

2004 New Beetle Convertible Rear Springs
Original Front Springs
Monroe Sensa-Trac Shocks & Struts
New OEM Shock Mounts and New Strut Mounts/Bushings
New OEM Hardware
New OEM Sway Bar Bushings
New Aftermarket Front Lower Control Arms with Bushings and Ball Joints

No complaints - anything is an improvement over stock at 70,000 miles.

Thanks for the input I had already been thinking about the mounts and bushing but did not think about the hardware I expect that ball joints will soon be on the list but waiting put Burt on the lift to see how they look.

[Burt the Beetle]

Originally Posted by MichelleRoze

I have Koni STR.T, with Eibach Pro Kit lowering Springs. LOVE it! It offers great handling and support with a nice lowered look, but not too low. And Koni's seem to be the way to go with VW. There are others, but most people get Konis.

I really like the sound of this setup but the 1.4" drop concerns me with the number of speed bumps at work. Do you know of anyone that has springs that maintain stock ride hight? OEM springs are $122.00 a piece so I am looking for other options. I have thought about reusing the old springs but I don't want to do the job twice when I discover the springs are worn out.

[Burt the Beetle]

After an evening of research and the thoughtful suggestion in this thread I am narrowing in on a decision. Paul McLaughlin Koni Racing Technical Rep agrees with MichelleRoze That the following combination is a quality matching and has been tested by the Koni and their racing teams.

Front Struts
Koni STR.T 8750-1002
Rear Shock
Koni STR.T 8050-1001
Paired with
Eibach Pro-Kit Spring Set 8567.140

My last concern is, do I use new OEM mounts or KYB mounts?

[4SEVEN3]

Is this price for the whole set? $300 the whole set or $300 each corner?

Originally Posted by Fl_bug

I Just ordered a set of these

They are a sporty and slightly stiffer version of the very popular and controversial Raclands Coilovers. While no one seems to trust the price, the coils do come with a 3 year warranty and their customer service is hands down the best!

Plus, they are under $300 too! I haven't got mine on just just, but they're shipping to me as I speak. I have a few friends that have been running them for a quite awhile and have never had a single issue. They're known as being the best coilovers for money under $1,000.

[MichelleRoze]

I used OEM mounts I believe. If you order the Konis from IDparts.com the mounts come with them. One less thing to worry about. They guys at IDparts are great, they walked me through my entire suspension upgrade and the things I should get.

I wouldn't worry too much about the drop. If you don't want to, it's very rare the springs go bad. And since you'll have the stiffer struts/shocks, it won't be much different. If you don't want to lower, then I would suggest keeping your old springs. Otherwise, the drop is really nice! But I would recommend a skid plate of some kind. I have a Defender Tech Skid Plate. It's stainless steel. It'll make you feel a LOT better about going over those speedbumps. I promise! You can also look at Panzer Plates or DieselGeek Skid plates, but Defender Tech has the best bang for the buck. I honestly wouldn't go lower without using a skid plate of some kind, the plastic piece is such a joke. I hope you find something you like.

The TT bushings are a solid design. The OEM bushings for the beetle have two small openings in the bushing. Causing it to wear faster. The TT bushing is solid, no openings, making it stronger and last longer. There is a thread here on the ORG that might be a good read for more information.

TT Bushing Upgrade

Now it might seem confusing, but you don't really need the front control arm bushing. That's the same on all cars. If yours are worn out, then by all means, replace them, I had 120/130k on mine when it was all replaced....and my front control arm bushing was fine. It was the rear that was bad. And even if they aren't bad, you might as well replace it to something better while you're in there.

Like I said, if you have any questions, call the guys at IDparts.com, they are great and will walk you through all the things you need for your suspension. I was a noob when I called them, and new NOTHING about the suspension and they were very honesty and helpful and realized that I was on a bit of a budget. So, I like and trust those guys!

Hope all this helps and that I haven't rambled too much.

FYI: Unless things have changed, Eibach Pro Kit springs are kinda hard to come by. There are comparable springs. So don't be afraid to try something else as well. Or always check on the classifieds here or on the VWvortex.com.

[BUGSTUFF]

Originally Posted by Smileybug

70k and you already had suspension issues? I'm at almost 97k on the stock suspension and its still going strong.

Both rear shocks were leaking and for trailer towing purposes I wanted to replace the original springs with the convertible set.

And as a side note, I've always read that OEM shocks are only good for about 50,000 miles. But maybe that was put out by the aftermarket shock manufacturers!

[yelojkt]

337 suspension if you don't want much drop. Neuspeed pro cup kit if you don't mind a little drop. I ran the pro cup kit for 4 years and never hit my oilpan on a speedbump. But I would occasionally hit my exhaust on speedbumps. I loved that set-up and would go back to it in a heartbeat if it was a little lower. And the price is right...http://www2.neuspeed.com/52/2/0/979/...lstein-tc.html

[Fowvay]

I just did a complete 337/30AE suspension install with the R32 not TT lower A arm bushings. Different part numbers on the bushing suggest a difference even if they do look the same it's been suggested that the R32 bushing is of a higher durometer rubber.

I'm digging the ride and handling far surpassed my expectations. I had a true boy racer set up and honestly didn't think my car could handle better. It does not only handle MUCH better but it's also extremely comfortable in the process.

I'm pleased.

[Burt the Beetle]

UPS brought the packages and I hope to have my brand new Koni Str shocks and struts with the elibach springs and KYB mounts. Looking forward to the ride and the new stance. Thanks all for your comments and suggestions. Hopefully over time others will find this helpful I will post ride notes after installation is done.

[Fl_bug]

Originally Posted by 4SEVEN3

Is this price for the whole set? $300 the whole set or $300 each corner?

The entire set for $289. It is free shipping and no additional charges

[jerbacher]

Originally Posted by Fowvay

I just did a complete 337/30AE suspension install with the R32 not TT lower A arm bushings. Different part numbers on the bushing suggest a difference even if they do look the same it's been suggested that the R32 bushing is of a higher durometer rubber.

I'm digging the ride and handling far surpassed my expectations. I had a true boy racer set up and honestly didn't think my car could handle better. It does not only handle MUCH better but it's also extremely comfortable in the process.

I'm pleased.

What is 377/30AE suspension? Is this a different OEM config? Perhaps from a GTI or R32 or something? Thanks. I'm new.

[4SEVEN3]

Originally Posted by Burt the Beetle

UPS brought the packages and I hope to have my brand new Koni Str shocks and struts with the elibach springs and KYB mounts. Looking forward to the ride and the new stance. Thanks all for your comments and suggestions. Hopefully over time others will find this helpful I will post ride notes after installation is done.

Looks like you got a solid setup comming to ya! Being that Im a little late to the party......I was going to suggest the Bilstein shocks and the Eibach springs, but you can not go wrong with the Koni's either! I ran some Eibach Pro Kit springs on a old Honda I had, and it seemed the faster ya went the smoother it got, LOVED the ride!

Id like to hear how everything turns out, and how she looks with the new stance! Good Luck on the install!