VW GTI MK7 Suspension: Your Quick Guide to Improved Performance
Ready to unleash the true potential of your MK7 GTI or Golf R? Don’t neglect the suspension! Whether you're a track enthusiast or simply crave tighter handling and a sportier ride, a suspension upgrade can dramatically elevate your GTI's handling, comfort, and overall performance.
This concise guide provides a comprehensive overview of the MK7 GTI's suspension system, covering essential components and highlighting top-tier aftermarket enhancements.
Get ready to transform your GTI into a precision machine that conquers corners with confidence and delivers an exceptionally smooth ride.
Types of Suspension for the VW MK7 GTI
MK7 GTI Lowering Springs: Simple & Effective
Improved suspension performance starts with lowering springs. If you’re looking for an entry-point into MK7 GTI suspension modification, this is it. Lowering springs usually do several things:
- Lower the car’s center of gravity, keeping it flatter when cornering
- Decrease body roll and understeer
- Improve ride quality
- Make it look incredible
Of course, the lowering spring kit you choose has a big impact on the degree to which you’ll notice improvements. IE lowering springs for the MK7/8V MQB and lowering springs for the MK7/MK8 Golf R offer these additional benefits compared to many other brands:
- Progressive Rate: Comfortable on the road; stiffens while cornering
- Quality Ride: No bouncing, slamming, rubbing, or harshness
- Reliability: Made of high tensile strength chrome silicon spring steel
Many MK7 GTI suspension kits lower the ride height too much, leading to a decrease in ride quality and increased potential for damage.
MK7 GTI Coilovers: Performance Upgrade with Adjustability
Coilovers represent an attractive alternative to lowering springs for many enthusiasts looking for more customization potential. They allow for:
- Adjustable ride height: The ability to raise or lower the car’s suspension
- Damping: How fast the suspension compresses and rebounds after hitting bumps or during hard cornering (the stiffer the damping, the more optimized for performance)
- Camber (sometimes): The angle of the wheels in relation to the road
The downside of many aftermarket coilover kits is that they can be too stiff or rigid for some drivers who prefer both improved performance and optimized comfort. They’re also expensive and require a careful set-up procedure to get them just right.
MK7 GTI Air Suspension: Versatile & Comfortable
MK7 GTI air suspension kits allow for real-time ride height adjustment, as opposed to coilovers which must be adjusted manually with tools (which is an involved process). Because of this, they provide:
- Lowering capability for looks when desired
- Enhanced comfort and ride quality during the daily commute or any scenario that requires a little extra give
As expected, the cost of an air suspension for the MK7 GTI is higher than that of both coilovers or lowering springs. They also don’t handle very well, and are quite complex to install and set up. Coilovers are next in terms of pricing, and lowering springs offer arguably the most value.
Other VW MK7 GTI Suspension Mods Worth Considering
In addition to the above kit options, there are other suspension modifications that are well worth completing, including:
- MK7 GTI Sway Bars: Front and rear sway bars add chassis stiffness to your GTI or Golf R, improving cornering capabilities without adding too much harshness. IE offers both sway bars for FWD models and AWD models, so be sure to check fitment before buying or installing.
- MK7 GTI End Links: End links transfer force more effectively between suspension components for a more direct feel.OE Ones tend to fail, these are bulletproof.
The Integrated Engineering Difference
Integrated Engineering suspension components are made for the real world. We recognize that there will be days when you want to push your GTI to its limits, and other days when you want to drive a little more comfortably. That’s why we engineer our lowering springs with optimized spring rates.
We know that you want parts that last, which is why all of our products are track-tested and engineered to handle high-performance driving without compromise.
We also know that installation issues are a pain, which is why our parts are designed with OEM-quality fitment.
In Conclusion
Although GTI MK7 suspension mods aren’t the first ones many people complete (performance often steals the show), neglecting the suspension is a mistake.
Lowering springs are a good entry-point for many GTI and Golf R drivers, but coilovers provide a little more performance oomph. Meanwhile, air suspensions are highly adjustable for a blend of performance and comfort. Sway bars and end links, meanwhile, are other common mods worth investing in.
For mods that do far more than just get the job done, rely on Integrated Engineering suspension upgrades.