Is suspension on mk2 gti cupra sport same as any other Vag car?

lcjay

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Jul 8, 2006
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can anyone tell me if the suspension on a mk2 ibiza gti cupra sport is the same as any other vag car?
is the mk4 vw polo 6n or vw golf mk2or mk3 etc
surely there are certain parts on other vag cars that will fit the mk2 ibiza?
when i had my caddy van i used lots of parts from seat ibizas/cordoba/toledo etc such as the dash,clocks,half leather seats etc and the front shocks were the same as a mk2 golf etc
 
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lcjay

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Jul 8, 2006
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just been told the mk4 polo 6n is the same which is good to know as the kits normally work out cheaper for the 6n
 

Chrisdaman

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Mar 21, 2007
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yeh but just becuase the mk4 polo kits fit doest mean they'll work properly, think about it, whats the biggest engine in a mk4 polo? 1.4 16v, in an ibiza the engines go up to 2.0 16v ABF, which a substantially bigger engine. The coilovers wont be weighted correctly. I've found this out through buying the mk4 kit and then reading on here, i'll be buying FK coilies soon
 

lcjay

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Jul 8, 2006
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they do a 1.6 as well.
i think most of the cheap kits are kind of universal as in mk2 ibiza/mk4 polo just labeled up either ibiza or polo.
as the shocks and springs are uprated,they can get away with it!?
i emailed a few sellers advertizing mk4 polo kits and they all said they will fit the mk2 ibiza.
at the end of the day if the kits cant handle the weight,surely you can throw em back at them
 

lcjay

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Jul 8, 2006
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yeh but just becuase the mk4 polo kits fit doest mean they'll work properly, think about it, whats the biggest engine in a mk4 polo? 1.4 16v, in an ibiza the engines go up to 2.0 16v ABF, which a substantially bigger engine. The coilovers wont be weighted correctly. I've found this out through buying the mk4 kit and then reading on here, i'll be buying FK coilies soon

what make kit was it you bought by the way?
 

m0rk

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May 19, 2001
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Chris is right ;) it'll not be 'right'

and since suspension functioning properly is a main safety feature, do you not want braking & stability to be right?

Ibiza specific kits can be had from about £220, so what' the problem?
 

lcjay

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Jul 8, 2006
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theres no problem,i can get a budget kit delivered for £125
what im saying is,i beleave the budget kits for the ibiza and polo are actually the same.this is part of the reason,companys can sell them cheap.
when buying a budget kit it is mainly for looks and a slight improvement in handling over standard.so as for safety,it doesnt really come into it.
all budget kits will be stiffer than standard so will be an improvement over standard anyway
i really cant see the point in spending stupid money on expensive kits unless you do rallys or some form of racing because that is when you rely more on the safety aspect and cant afford to over look the issue
just my opion anyway
 

m0rk

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does braking not occur on the road? that's the kind of safety aspect I'm talking about

If it's an Ibiza/Polo kit - it's wrong. the spring rates & damper rates are not going to be right.

therefore when you brake, it's all too soft.

Next you'll be starting a thread about remoulds being OK? or used brake fluid
 
Dec 17, 2006
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It's not just about stiffness, it's about balancing the front and rear weight properly - making sure the spring rates and damper rates suit the weight at each axle.

A budget set may well be 'stiffer' but the 2.0 Ibiza is probably a bit more nose-heavy than a 1.0 polo.
 

lcjay

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Jul 8, 2006
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like i say budget kits are more for looks than anything else and would be a improvement over standard
to be honest how would you know when buying a budget kit if it was for a ibiza or polo anyway.you wouldnt
i bet alot of people who have bought budget kits are actually running polo kits without even knowing
for race or rally you wouldnt be buying a off the shelf kit anyway.
the spring ratings and shock length/travel etc would all be made for your car
 

Saul

<b>SCN Admin</b>
May 21, 2001
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polo4 rear and mk2 golf fronts, as has been said though, ibiza will have specific spring rates
 

lcjay

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Jul 8, 2006
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how can fitting something not designed for the car be better?

how much work do you think goes into a budget kit made in timbucktoo?
do you honestly think they are designed for the car with years of testing etc?
i know people who have fitted lowering kits or lowering springs designed for there car and it handled worse than standard.
budget springs and budget kits are thrown together and thats why they are cheap and cheerfull and only last a year or so
i had shocks and springs from a mk2 golf on my caddy van.they wasnt designed for it but they worked well
 

m0rk

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May 19, 2001
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Clanfield, UK
how much work do you think goes into a budget kit made in timbucktoo?
do you honestly think they are designed for the car with years of testing etc?
i know people who have fitted lowering kits or lowering springs designed for there car and it handled worse than standard.
budget springs and budget kits are thrown together and thats why they are cheap and cheerfull and only last a year or so
i had shocks and springs from a mk2 golf on my caddy van.they wasnt designed for it but they worked well

So do what you want then....

Spend more than £125, cut a few springs out, run it on the bump stops... it's clear you're not actually interested in actual fact.
 
Dec 17, 2006
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Let me get this straight.

You know they're cheap, you know they're not right for your car, you know they won't last.

But you still want to fit them? :confused:
 

lcjay

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Jul 8, 2006
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London
ok cheers was only asking anyway
was looking at a vr6 brake set up but as its not designed for the car i think ill leave that aswell
 

Saul

<b>SCN Admin</b>
May 21, 2001
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how much work do you think goes into a budget kit made in timbucktoo?
do you honestly think they are designed for the car with years of testing etc?
i know people who have fitted lowering kits or lowering springs designed for there car and it handled worse than standard.
budget springs and budget kits are thrown together and thats why they are cheap and cheerfull and only last a year or so
i had shocks and springs from a mk2 golf on my caddy van.they wasnt designed for it but they worked well

lets just say, we are not having a 'go' for the sake of it but, we have seen most of the kits fitted to most of the cars over the years and have done a fair bit of it with our own fair hands.
we know when something works, and doesnt, and fitting the incorrect suspension is a no no (especially should your insurance co. ever find out)
e.g. the g-max kit thats listed for the mk2 is a polo kit and it sits nose up by about 10degrees as the springs have the incorrect rates

as m0rk says, do what you like, but if you buy cheap, you'll buy twice
 
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lcjay

Full Member
Jul 8, 2006
433
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London
lets just say, we are not having a 'go' for the sake of it but, we have seen most of the kits fitted to most of the cars over the years and have done a fair bit of it with our own fair hands.
we know when something works, and doesnt, and fitting the incorrect suspension is a no no (especially should your insurance co. ever find out)
the g-max kit thats listed for the mk2 is a polo kit and it sits nose up by about 10degrees as the springs have the incorrect rates

as m9rk says, do what you like, but if you buy cheap, you'll buy twice

been into vws for over 12 years so i know what your saying thats why i asked.
fitting any non factory suspension involves contacting most insurance companys.
thanks for confirming alot of budget kits including the vmaxx kit as you say are actually mk4 polo kits.
like i said these kits do not have years of testing put into them and i would say many people are prob running budget nk4 polo kits sold as mk2 ibiza kits
they are exactly as described "budget kits" made and tested on a budget.
at the end of the day you get what you pay for and this is true they are not called budget kits for nothing but like i say are more for looks than anything else

cheers saul
 

Grayboy

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Jan 31, 2005
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Beckenham
This is an issue that people overlook spending money on like putting their car on cheap tyres, this isn't aimed at anyone it's just my 2p!

Suspension is extreamly important dynamic of a car (no matter wheather its for looks of balls out handling) and getting it wrong will make your car unroadworthy, unstable & unpredicable which will also nulify your MOT and Insurance which then just adds you to that statistic of uninsured drivers in unroadworthy cars i.e. Scum of the road, not to mention damn horrible to drive and be driven in!

Getting it right on the other hand (which doesn't have to cost the earth just get a specifically designed FULL kit & make sure the geometry is spot on & your bushes & mounting points are in good nick) & spending on tyres will make you car a pleasure to drive making you take detours on the way home with a damn big grin on your face!

Finally, cheap kits are based around the more expensive Koni, KW etc kits that HAVE had thousands of miles of development then cheapo manufacturers buy these kits and copy the spring and damper rates as a benchmark for each model to produce their own, but obviously due to cheaper materials and manufacturing process they don't perform as well but will be right rates to keep the car balanced.
I to my peril put a cheap Jamex kit on my 205GTI when I was 17 and it nearly killed me on a few occations as it bounced the car all over the shop and would unsettle the car mid corner (which you don't want in a 205 I can assure you) so will never do it again as my life is worth more that getting a few admiring glances in the high street!!

And answer to your question, Front is mixture of MK2 & 3 Golf & rear is Polo 6N
 
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