DerHase's 2019 GTI Rabbit Edition: HPDE shenanigans

[DerHase]

034 TMD ordered from NGP

 

[DerHase]

No real updates on the car - I called NGP about the 034 TMD that I ordered 2 weeks ago. Apparently the TMD was not actually in stock (034's inventory was off)... so it's looking like they're expecting my order to be fulfilled later this month (hopefully 2 weeks as told via email, though I expect 3-4 for actually making it to my door).

I did buy some goodies so I can hopefully add a pin to my ECU to run a MAP sensor to my test oil cap and log stuff directly into Simos Tools. Should be more accurate than looking at a video, plus will be able to do a more thorough analysis/overlays within Mega Log Viewer. I also picked up a ground kit from @StorableComa via https://scskunkwerks.com/ since I'll likely be dicking with the PCVs and having to unbolt the coils over and over I'd rather future-proof against repeated removals of the coil pack studs. Looks like he’s out of stock currently but it’s half the price of the EQT kit and while I’m sure theirs is quality, the SC Skunkwerks kit is like OEM quality.

I'm also working on putting a website together to document all of the shit I'm working on and will be very heavy on the data analysis side of things as it pertains to tracking these cars. Keep your eye out for that

 

[DerHase]

Another autocross in the books with @tigeo with zero oil ingestion problems since the MK8 PCV was installed. Looking good for Fastivus in 2 weeks!

Per preliminary results I finished 4th of 22 in our "Provisional Class" bump class - so up in PAX against all of CAM which sucks. 3 CAM cars finished ahead of me. I was #1 of 8 in XA as direct competition.

Will share videos and stuff some time this week. Still working on getting ALL my trip reports posted to the website, and now this is also in the queue.

 

[DerHase]

Trip report here:
https://www.datadrivenmqb.com/tripreports/tsccax6

Launch control doing work to drop IATs from 150 ==> 105F at the run start. It works really well for that.

 

[mwoodski]

you are one smart mf, i love it.

 

[DerHase]

So I decided to do something about the lack of front end bite on the car and ordered some 034 lower ball joints. Hopefully here by the weekend so I can toss them on with time to spare before Fastivus. Ordered today from www.itsnotstock.com and they have already shipped. ETA Thursday. I had an issue with the website when trying to order - contacted the owner via FB and had it sorted out within about 3 minutes. I will for sure be purchasing from there again.

What remains to be seen is if I'll have enough tie rod end showing to run it safely if I keep my Powerflex offset LCA bushings... otherwise worst case scenario I'll swap my Superpro LCA bushings (not offset) back on. I know I've mentioned the Powerflex bushing squeaking is kinda annoying... but damnit if I'm adding camber I want all of it so I'm entertaining leaving them in. I DO need to make 1000% sure the axle won't be pulled too far out.. as blowing one of those up would suck. I know some companies make spacers but I'm also trying to get this all buttoned up before the event on the 30th.

I anticipate -3.7 to -4.0 deg between the ball joints, offset bushings, and camber plates. Probably about -3.2 to -3.4 deg if I have to put the old bushings back on?

Assuming axle spacers aren't necessary, I've been cross referencing tie rod end dimensions and it seems both VW Arteon and 14-18 Jeep Cherokee (with offroad package) inner tie rod ends seem viable. The VW one probably more likely to not have weird issues for obvious reasons. They're both about 20-25mm longer than stock inners, with M16x1.5 thread pitch at both ends like ours. Even if one of them turn out to be "too long", you can easily chop off 10mm from the end assuming the inner is bottoming out inside the outer tie rod preventing alignment from getting toe in spec.

 

[00Zero]

So I decided to do something about the lack of front end bite on the car and ordered some 034 lower ball joints. Hopefully here by the weekend so I can toss them on with time to spare before Fastivus. Ordered today from www.itsnotstock.com and they have already shipped. ETA Thursday. I had an issue with the website when trying to order - contacted the owner via FB and had it sorted out within about 3 minutes. I will for sure be purchasing from there again.

What remains to be seen is if I'll have enough tie rod end showing to run it safely if I keep my Powerflex offset LCA bushings... otherwise worst case scenario I'll swap my Superpro LCA bushings (not offset) back on. I know I've mentioned the Powerflex bushing squeaking is kinda annoying... but damnit if I'm adding camber I want all of it so I'm entertaining leaving them in. I DO need to make 1000% sure the axle won't be pulled too far out.. as blowing one of those up would suck. I know some companies make spacers but I'm also trying to get this all buttoned up before the event on the 30th.

I anticipate -3.7 to -4.0 deg between the ball joints, offset bushings, and camber plates. Probably about -3.2 to -3.4 deg if I have to put the old bushings back on?

Assuming axle spacers aren't necessary, I've been cross referencing tie rod end dimensions and it seems both VW Arteon and 14-18 Jeep Cherokee (with offroad package) inner tie rod ends seem viable. The VW one probably more likely to not have weird issues for obvious reasons. They're both about 20-25mm longer than stock inners, with M16x1.5 thread pitch at both ends like ours. Even if one of them turn out to be "too long", you can easily chop off 10mm from the end assuming the inner is bottoming out inside the outer tie rod preventing alignment from getting toe in spec.

My only hesitation on these was the change in roll center height, i eagerly wait your impressions at stock ride height.

 

[19birel]

Very interested to hear your impression on the 034 ball joints, how much camber do you have now without them?

 

[DerHase]

My only hesitation on these was the change in roll center height, i eagerly wait your impressions at stock ride height.

+

Very interested to hear your impression on the 034 ball joints, how much camber do you have now without them?

I'm not terribly concerned, but I have a friend with a bump-steer gauge that I'll be borrowing to see how good/bad it is before and after to hopefully put a number on it.

@Redslaya has the 034 ball joints and 034 camber mounts on his stock spring/shock Golf R. Granted his car does sit lower than a GTI, it's essentially lowered from the factory so I'd expect to work fine anyway.

Since the steering rack is behind the axle centerline, lowering the ball joint pivot will net toe-out on bump if nothing else is changed. Which is ideal vs toe-in on bump which will make the car super darty the harder you lean on it in a corner.

One other potential tuning tool is to use the offset LCA bushings to set DOWNWARDS to lower the inner pivot... (somewhat) offsetting the roll center correction of the ball joints. Downside is that when those cam shaped bushing inner sleeves aren't in the straight in or straight out position, they will be more susceptible to slipping under load. But it's one more tuning tool to consider.

In the grand scheme of things... this is still probably overthinking it. The base Golf, the GTI, and the Alltrack all have the same control arms, sub frames, etc. The base model cars were probably the original design intention with the GTI lowering being an afterthought/secondary goal.

Interestingly enough the Golf R has different lower control arm part number than the others.
5WA-407-151 for the R (and e-Golf + MK8 GTI/R) vs 5QM-407-151-C for all the others. Might be a bushing difference? Perhaps the R LCAs are a hair longer for more camber? I know everybody thought they got more camber from ride height, but now I wonder...


/incoherent ADHD thought of the hour.

 

[scrllock]

Interestingly enough the Golf R has different lower control arm part number than the others.
5WA-407-151 for the R (and e-Golf + MK8 GTI/R) vs 5QM-407-151-C for all the others. Might be a bushing difference? Perhaps the R LCAs are a hair longer for more camber? I know everybody thought they got more camber from ride height, but now I wonder...

bushings are the only difference. my arms are some cheap-o rockauto version that interchange to 5qm and they are identical laid on top of stock arms.

 

[DerHase]

Just signed up for NASA Oktoberfast to go through their instructor clinic + instruct Sat-Sun. Should be interesting getting back into instructing (I did back in 2017-2018).

Heading to a buddy's tomorrow to pick up the bump steer gauge, and planning on installing the 034 ball joints this weekend (along with the track pads, etc) in time for Fastivus.

 

[DerHase]

https://www.datadrivenmqb.com/suspension/bumpsteer

 

[DerHase]

Here at Fastivus with @tigeo , my dad and some other friends. Got to do a track walk this evening which is always enlightening.

Looking forward to tomorrow!

 

[tigeo]

Me having a Coors Light on track walk.

 

[dood.]

Enjoy! That banked carousel looks fun