As She Sits

 

Racked Up

Just a quick picture.

Exterior:

Wolfsburg front grill

Smoked sidemarkers

Jetta lower grills

Projector fogs

Euro lip

Interior:

AWE boost gauge

thats it for the inside, seriously!

Engine:

APR Stage 1

BSH intake and diverter valve relocation

BSH catch can and pcv fix

NGK Iridium bkr7eix spark plugs (1 step colder than stock)

Suspension

Stock MK6 shocks

Stock MK6 front spring

Stock 2008+ rear spring (extra load 4 door spring code)

MK6 swaybar

Eurosport front and rear stress bars

Stern rear subframe brace

BSH pendulum mount

Miscellaneous:

OEM roof rack

Thule Peloton bike racks

VW classic roof basket

 

Stern Subframe Brace

I bought this bar from a forum member for 65 bucks.  Great deal!  They are usually around $150 new.  This triangulates the lower control arm pickup points and the sway bar mounting points.  I can’t say whether it’s the Eurosport rear stress bar in conjunction or this alone or some combination of the two, but the rear end feels great!

Swaybar Reinforcement Point

 

Impressions

I like how this brace tightens up the rear end.  It’s not a massive difference but those with aftermarket swaybars will soon realize how flexible the rear subframe is.  The rear end feels much more planted and solid in turns with the brace installed.  Increasing chassis stiffness allows the suspension to do its job more effectively.  I occasionally carry heavy loads in the hatch (camping, road trips) and the creaks from the rear have been reduced or stopped completely.

How it works

Unlike the pricey aluminum front subframe, the rear is all stamped steel.  A uprated swaybar will flex the subframe, especially with the larger bars (27mm BSH, APR).  If you take a peek underneath the car, it isn’t hard to see why this brace helps.  The sway bar brackets sit on thin stamped sheet metal.  The control arm mounting points are also located in stamped steel but the stress on them in the MKV’s suspension design will not flex the steel.  This brace connects the two sway bar bracket points and uses the control arm mounting point as the top of the triangle.  Now the individual brackets and control arm pickup points are tied into one piece creating a nice solid platform for the suspension.  Any forces affecting one side are spread over the pickup points.

Installation

Installation takes less than an hour.  Here are the official instructions from PureMS’ website.  The only issue I’ve run into is that the clearance for the stock exhaust system is very minimal.  It rattled on the brace during startup.  Right now, I have temporarily wrapped rubber around the brace but I’ll be finding a more permanent solution in the future. Your experience may vary on this.  The fuel tank heat shield may also need to be bent a little.  This isn’t a deal breaker for me and I don’t think it should be for you.

Other notes

The brace I bought did not have the bolts supplied so I ordered them from PureMS.  They are not on the site so you’ll have to email them if you need a replacement set.  Unfortunately I cannot recommend you order them from purems.  I paid 24 dollars for a set of stainless steel M8 and M10 bolts.  I thought these would be specialized for the set but when I received them, they are standard sizing.  If I had went to the hardware store, I could’ve found them for a grand total of 5 bucks, stainless.  A large part of the cost was shipping, but come on, 10 dollars for bolts?  Two stamps and an envelope would’ve sufficed.  Speed would not be a problem because they’re perhaps 2 hours away from me.  Not that I wouldn’t do business with them again, just this experience could’ve been cheaper.  Word of advice, if you ever need replacements, try the local hardware shop first.  The M8 bolts need 2 washers and a locknut.  The M10 bolts need to be matched up to the correct thread size.  You’ll also need a regular washer and a split washer.  I’m going to guess the bolt is M10 x 1.25, but take the brace to a hardware shop to try on the bolts.

Triangulation Point

 

Based on the time I’ve had with the bar so far, I love it.  The rear end of the car has tightened up considerably and follows the front end with much more stability.  If you have any questions regarding this brace, send me a comment or email.  Remember, my car is approaching 100,000 miles and the chassis may have loosened up a little bit.  If you can find it used, it’s a great deal.  At the new price, it’s an ok piece. 120 shipped is far more reasonable than the 150 plus shipping it currently warrants.

Excuse the pictures, it was impossible to get a good shot.

Eurosport Front Strut Bar

Eurosport MKV Strut Bar

I just couldn’t resist.  I found a blemished piece (barely) being sold for a discount so I bit.  Kudos to the guys at Eurosportacc for helping me out.  Installation wasn’t too difficult, although I wish the instructions would tell you exactly where to line it up.  Just remember the old adage of measure twice and cut once.  And then keep repeating it to yourself while installing it.  It’s not too bad.  Two drill bits, 4 self tapping bolts and a centering punch are all you need.  And a steady hand.

Eurosport MKV Strut Bar - Passenger Side

Impressions

I honestly cannot say there is a big difference in normal driving.   Maybe the MKV chassis is that stiff in the front.  I don’t feel that is the entirely the case though.  You can (barely) feel a difference when you are taking a turn at sportier speeds, but not enough to warrant the installation of one.  I’m not talking about extra legal speeds here,  just at a brisk pace.  The front end feels a little more planted and set, less wallowing if you will.  The stock suspension can lack a bit of precision at times and this just seems to add a little bit.  Or it could just be all in my head.

Eurosport MKV Front Strut Bar - Driverside Mounting Point

Installation

There are a few installation quirks I will tell you about.  Space is a bit tight underneath the battery cover and I might have to unbolt one side to get it completely off.  Figuring out exactly where you should start drilling is also somewhat of a near guess experience, just study the pictures and you’ll be alright.  Also, since you’re drilling into metal, be sure to paint the bare edges with something to keep the rust off.  If there’s anything else that comes to mind, I’ll let you know.

Note that this did not fit with my stock engine cover.  I have removed this since I reverted back to the stock intake.

Do I need one?

So is it worth it?  It is not a must have for most people.  They either won’t feel it or they fall into the camp of the car is stiff already (exactly what was said about the MK3, the MK4 etc. lol).  A car with stiffer springs and shocks or sway bars will feel more of a difference since these parts place more stress on the chassis than the stock setup.  It never hurts to have a stiffer chassis and unless you are a weight queen, the bar’s weight is negligible in the 3200 pound MKV chassis.  You can find it for around $130 shipped so it’s a cheap mod but I’d rather get the rear bar first.

Find it here – Eurosportacc.com

Update: March 4, 2011

I have since removed this because I went back to the stock intake system.  Space is tight with the stock intake and the bar had to come out.  I must say I’ve noticed no decrease in handling precision or anything.  I am going to have to say that this is more of a cosmetic mod than anything.

Update: April 14, 2011

I am working on modifying the bar to allow it to fit with the stock intake.  I figure that instead of taking up space, I might as well use it.  I am slotting the mounting points to allow it to sit a little bit higher.  Check it

Update: April 18, 2011

Welll, it didn’t fit as well as I had hoped, I am abandoning this, for now.

MazdaSpeed 3 Installation

 

Stock Diverter Valve Piston

My friend came over to install a Forge bypass valve and a midpipe.  He has a Mazdaspeed 3.  Wicked car.  Here’s a few pics from the install.  This car sounds totally mean and is on a different level than the GTI stockwise.  The GTI seems almost placid compared to this car.  I don’t have any pictures of the midpipe, we were both under the car wrenching it out.  Meanwhile, enjoy the pics.

 

 

 

Stock midbrace – These things are solid!  I wish the GTI had stock bracing this solid.  The front and middle of the chassis have these braces.

Forge valve installed – Has a nice sound to it, seems much louder than in the GTI

Forge Valve

 

Stock MS3 Diverter Valve

Top Mount Intercooler

 

 

Eurosport Rear Stress Bar

Eurosport Rear Stress Bar

Here’s a new one; a Eurosport rear stress bar.  I just got it in the other day.  Installation is not exactly a bolt on affair but it’s super easy provided you have the correct drill bits and measure correctly.  Remember, measure twice, cut once, or in this case, drill once.  Yes, you heard correctly, this requires some drilling.  Installation requires drilling four holes for the 4 self tapping screws included with the bar.  It took me approximately one hour, maybe even less.  The included instructions are clear and easy enough.

Closeup of Mounting Point

Impressions

I bought this to stiffen up the rear hatch area when I was carrying heavier loads in the back.  It may not be the most ideal mounting solution to stiffen up the rear but it does help a little.  Combined with the Stern subframe brace, the rear end feels tighter and more solid in turns.  It can be a bit of a hassle if you have a longer or larger object.  It is easily removable but I don’t know how much abuse the drilled threads would take.  A much better mounting solution would’ve involved using nutserts but that requires absolute precision in mounting.

Worth it?

If I could do it all over again, I’d get the Stern subframe brace first and go from there.  That single piece made that biggest difference in the rear.  A rear stress bar in the MKV platform only reinforces the box area.  It does not take the load off struts or anything else because of the rear suspension design.  The rear suspension is not a McPherson strut design.   The loads in the rear area are taken up by the unibody and the subframe.

In the end, it makes a small difference if any at all.  I would forgo this brace and head for the Stern subframe brace instead.  Or if you can swing the money, this is the ultimate rear hatch brace – Unibrace.  This piece is very pricey but has many good reviews floating around.

Wider View

I bought this rear bar from BSHspeedshop.com.  The manufacturer’s site is eurosportacc.com.  You can order through them as well.