Questions for the techinical exupperts

[scottd1975]

I have a 99.5 mk4 jetta gls

1. Will a rear lower sway bar help with my cornering? if i buy it will it effect the car once its lowered? do need need diff bushings then the ones that come with the bar?

2. Lowering this car: what is better cupkit or coilovers? what are the advantages of the two and whats more cost effective?

3. If i go with lowering springs do i need to buy new struts at the same time or can i use the stock struts for awhile?

4. Catbacks: what size piping is best 1.5 inch or 2 inch?

5. Will a rear upper sway help at all or just for looks?

Guys i know lots of questions some of you will burn me for asking but i trust each and every ones opinion and will take it all into consideration so please try not to be a smart ass.... I tried to fit all my questions into one post like suggested that i do before

[karl]

you should really do a search on vwvortex in the mk4 forum diy/faq.....youl'll get more informed responses.......
it really depends on what you want from the car
this is how mine is set-up
i have stock sways front and rear
i have coilovers (i mostly bought them for looks, but since have raised them so the control arms are straight, so i dont get that harsh of a ride)

for the catback --youre not gonna see much gains in performance (it would mostly be for look on the 2.0)
those upper stress bars are a waste (i only see benefits from them if the car is a dedicated racecar)
lowering springs and stock shocks arent suggested---shocks that are engineered to the spring are recommended
i suggest a cup kit for you---if you decide you want more from your suspension go to coil overs
i still suggest stock gli swaybars-----they might be different for the gli compared to yours (id look into that if i was you)

[scottd1975]

i did a search for the stock sways and i cant find a place to buy them....thanks for the help though any other suggestions?

[creanium]

1) Adding a rear sway is one of, if not the biggest improvement you can make to the handling of your car. Once I installed mine the car was much more solid in turns and for the first time I was able to get the rear to swing around. Things were just much more responsive and I just wish it didn't take me so long to put it on.

http://www.creanium.net/photo_album/albums/jetta/small_Jetta%20393.jpg

3) Depends on how low you go. If you're just getting springs, then you COULD run the stock struts and shocks, but I wouldn't do it very long. If it were me (and this was me), I'd save up a little more money to get a full kit.

[karl]

i believe the sways are different between the model years......so i new gli swaybars would be an improvement over your 2.0 stocks.......this company might have them (they are a wrecker, ive bought from them before so you could be confident with doing business with them)bvamotorsports (http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geuqEWrp1Eab4AxftXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE2YjFnMmp rBGNvbG8DZQRsA1dTMQRwb3MDMwRzZWMDc3IEdnRpZANGNTYxX zc2/SIG=11esv7nli/EXP=1151270806/**http%3a//bvamotorsports.com/)

[MikekiM]

I have a 99.5 mk4 jetta gls

1. Will a rear lower sway bar help with my cornering? if i buy it will it effect the car once its lowered? do need need diff bushings then the ones that come with the bar?

A rear sway makes a huge improvement in handling and cornering. Sway bar kits are usually all inclusive and no extra bushings or parts are needed. They will have no bearing on the ride height of the car, and will work regardless if the car is lowered or not.


2. Lowering this car: what is better cupkit or coilovers? what are the advantages of the two and whats more cost effective?

Neither is better than the other, they are just 2 different options available for lowering. Cupkits are less expensive, but don't offer the same height adjustability options that coilovers offer. Coilovers generally are a bit more firm, and more expensive, but have a little more flexibility in terms of ride height.


3. If i go with lowering springs do i need to buy new struts at the same time or can i use the stock struts for awhile?
You can use your stock shocks/struts with lowering springs. The ride isn't going to be as comfortable, or perform nearly as well had you got shocks at the same time. Also keep in mind that by not getting shocks, you're going to pay for the installation labor twice, and also pay for an alignment twice. Waiting for shocks/struts doesn't necessarily make it less expensive in the long run.


4. Catbacks: what size piping is best 1.5 inch or 2 inch?

For the stock turbo a 2.5" catback is perfect. 3.0" kits tend to cause a little too much loss in the low end. If you plan to upgrade your turbo to something larger, you might want to look into a 3" kit.


5. Will a rear upper sway help at all or just for looks?

There are no rear upper SWAY bars.. Perhaps you mean a rear upper STRESS bar. These are merely chassis reinforcement pieces that make the chassis flex less during cornering. They make a small improvement in the steering response and overall performance of the handling of the car at the very extreme limits. Not a whole lot is gained during normal street driving. Your money is probably better spent on something like an exhaust or shocks.


Hope that helps, feel free to visit our website for products, or shoot us an email if you have questions.

[scottd1975]

wow that was actually alot of help... no how much should i expect to pay for a rear lwr sway bar? also will like the gti lwr sway bar help me out or should i go aftermarket

[scottd1975]

also i dont have a turbo just a 2.0 so will a catback give me anything other than looks and better sound? i found one on bva motorsports

[Greenwing]

also i dont have a turbo just a 2.0 so will a catback give me anything other than looks and better sound? i found one on bva motorsports

Probably not much in the way of performance for the 2.0. If performance is really what you are looking for, why not trade in the 2.0 on a 1.8t or 2.0t? The car is beautiful and would probably have a real nice trade in value, especially with gas prices the way they are now.

[MikekiM]

wow that was actually alot of help... no how much should i expect to pay for a rear lwr sway bar? also will like the gti lwr sway bar help me out or should i go aftermarket
Your best bet for a sway bar would be to go aftermarket.

H&R, Neuspeed, and H-Sport all make very good sway bars.