Volkswagen Golf V and rollbar installation...

[kerc]

Hi guys! I have a heavily souped-up VW Golf V (around 340 hp, or near that, I'm at work right now). Sweet-lookin' baby, in all black, including the wheels, it's definitely one of my favorite cars (along with my son's Subaru WRX).

Anyway, the thing is that perhaps the only mod pending is the rollbar. I've read that on some cars, it affects the handling badly. Right now my Golf handles like a dream, and I wouldn't want to screw that.

So...any of you guys have put the rollbar kit in the Golf V? What's the net handling result? Should I go for it?

Thanks!

 

[raz_10]

If it aint broken don't try to fix it.

I think the rollbar is useless on any car. The refreshner (sp) plan will fix most of the problem when your car starts getting old and undrivable. but it sounds that your car is new and wont need that feature for a while. I think the handeling on the cars start going bad around 2000-3000 miles.

I say skip the rollbar, save your $$$.

good luck

 

[Dr_Watson]

i tend to need the refresher every 400-500 miles.
maybe you should check more often, i've never seen a car go over 1000mi without getting a tweaked chassis.

the solution to your question though is this:
1. save the game
2. buy the rollbar
3. run some laps
4. re-do the suspension setup
5. run more laps
6. like it = keep it
7. hate it = reload your savegame

 

[JTSnooks]

I never used the rollbar either, until I put it on a car and immediately ran 2-second faster laps. Any handling problems it causes can be tuned out with a little suspension work, so I'd say go for it. Or, you could just buy another golf and put it on the new one unless you're strapped for cash

 

[colnago]

Hi guys! I have a heavily souped-up VW Golf V (around 340 hp, or near that, I'm at work right now). Sweet-lookin' baby, in all black, including the wheels, it's definitely one of my favorite cars (along with my son's Subaru WRX).

Anyway, the thing is that perhaps the only mod pending is the rollbar. I've read that on some cars, it affects the handling badly. Right now my Golf handles like a dream, and I wouldn't want to screw that.

So...any of you guys have put the rollbar kit in the Golf V? What's the net handling result? Should I go for it?

Thanks!

"In real life", front wheel drive cars tend to understeer. As a general rule of thumb, to induce more turn-in, the "rear" sway bar is generally upgraded to a "thicker" bar, or a bar that is "stiffer". In GT4, this effect can be recreated by having a smaller value for the front bar and a larger value for the rear. This tends to move my FWD cars towards neutrality or oversteer...if I'm lucky.

Since VW moved away from a solid rear axle with the Golf V, I'm not sure how much of an affect the upgraded bars will make (I have yet to even drive mine), but the principle "should" hold true.

 

[daan]

I've just moved this into the tuning and settings forum

 

[kerc]

I've just moved this into the tuning and settings forum

Thanks for the move. I'm mostly a lurker and still don't know the forum.

 

[Dr_Watson]

Since VW moved away from a solid rear axle with the Golf V, I'm not sure how much of an affect the upgraded bars will make (I have yet to even drive mine), but the principle "should" hold true.

i do believe he was talking about the rollcage... not anti-roll bars. (aka sway bars)

 

[kerc]

i do believe he was talking about the rollcage... not anti-roll bars. (aka sway bars)

Yup--rollcage. Although his anti-roll bar advice is nice.

 

[Ske]

I honestly don't know if rollcages are worth it for anything but LMPs, but I kinda like my cars a bit softly set up anyway. Here's my advice to you:

Win a Toyota RCS raid car
Sell it and buy another Golf
Tune it to match your old one and add a rollcage
Post what you learn here

 

[niky]

Actually, the anti-roll bar advice would hold true even for multi-link rear ends. My Prot' and the older Civics both benefit from bigger rear anti-sway bars and stabilizers. If the rear stabilizer setting is higher, it should net good rotation. I'll have to try that out myself.