Deleted member 12147
Guest
Hello everyone
I also had planned to lower the suspension on my 2005 LFR by about -10mm. The current setup has the factory sports springs combined with Koni FSD shock absorbers (and other mods, like rear ARB, front ARB poly bushings, strut braces, heavy-duty bushings etc but these do not change ride height). This setup renders the car about 20mm lower than a stock Leon Mk 1 and about 30mm lower than a stock Golf Mk4. (Still much higher than pictured LCR).
Lowering springs were not an option, due to the fact they start from -20mm compared to a LC/LFR and go down to -60mm, too much of a drop to cope with potholed and rippled roads.
The only option to lower only by 10mm or slightly more if lucky had been to change the strut top mounts from stock to a Bonrath model (part no. 077329). They will be delivered soon.
However, this leaves the rear axle at current ride height. Bonrath makes a top mount for rear spring, but it does not look substantially lower than stock and lacks the guide holes and ridges of a stock mount to locate the spring.
My question is: the top mount for rear spring in a LC/LFR is made only from rubber, or it also has a metal core? Because the upper flat face of a rubber top mount could be ground on a bench grinder to remove about 5mm from it and get some balance between front and rear ride height.
The mount looks like this (part no. 1J0512149B):
And fitted to the car (courtesy of DPJ
):
~Nautilus
I also had planned to lower the suspension on my 2005 LFR by about -10mm. The current setup has the factory sports springs combined with Koni FSD shock absorbers (and other mods, like rear ARB, front ARB poly bushings, strut braces, heavy-duty bushings etc but these do not change ride height). This setup renders the car about 20mm lower than a stock Leon Mk 1 and about 30mm lower than a stock Golf Mk4. (Still much higher than pictured LCR).
Lowering springs were not an option, due to the fact they start from -20mm compared to a LC/LFR and go down to -60mm, too much of a drop to cope with potholed and rippled roads.
The only option to lower only by 10mm or slightly more if lucky had been to change the strut top mounts from stock to a Bonrath model (part no. 077329). They will be delivered soon.
However, this leaves the rear axle at current ride height. Bonrath makes a top mount for rear spring, but it does not look substantially lower than stock and lacks the guide holes and ridges of a stock mount to locate the spring.
My question is: the top mount for rear spring in a LC/LFR is made only from rubber, or it also has a metal core? Because the upper flat face of a rubber top mount could be ground on a bench grinder to remove about 5mm from it and get some balance between front and rear ride height.
The mount looks like this (part no. 1J0512149B):
And fitted to the car (courtesy of DPJ
):
~Nautilus
Deleted member 12147
Guest
I've read that and people do grind down the top mounts to go lower, but i don't have a clue what the rears are made up of?
Fitted the Bonrath front top mounts today.
1. They are exactly the same shape as those here , just made under a different brand.
2. They are much harder than a stock top mount (durometer 55) and maybe stronger than even a LCR mount (durometer 80). You can't even dent them.
3. They are about 5 mm lower compared to an used squished original mount and maybe slightly more than 10 mm lower compared to a fresh original mount.
4. After a ~30 km road test, the front of the car had lowered itself only a bit, maybe 2-3 mm. As previous experience after fitting shocks tells, the strut-spring-mount combo should settle itself lower in a few weeks.
5. Alignment made just after fitment had shown:
- the difference in camber and caster angles between front wheels has disappeared altogether;
- negative camber increased, a bit more than -1 degree;
- caster decreased, about 7 degrees now.
6. Road test had shown much better shock absorption compared to old mount (stronger support for the spring and shock absorber, no bounces) and lighter steering.
~Nautilus
1. They are exactly the same shape as those here , just made under a different brand.
2. They are much harder than a stock top mount (durometer 55) and maybe stronger than even a LCR mount (durometer 80). You can't even dent them.
3. They are about 5 mm lower compared to an used squished original mount and maybe slightly more than 10 mm lower compared to a fresh original mount.
4. After a ~30 km road test, the front of the car had lowered itself only a bit, maybe 2-3 mm. As previous experience after fitting shocks tells, the strut-spring-mount combo should settle itself lower in a few weeks.
5. Alignment made just after fitment had shown:
- the difference in camber and caster angles between front wheels has disappeared altogether;
- negative camber increased, a bit more than -1 degree;
- caster decreased, about 7 degrees now.
6. Road test had shown much better shock absorption compared to old mount (stronger support for the spring and shock absorber, no bounces) and lighter steering.
~Nautilus
Deleted member 12147
Guest
Also, some people reported the star-shaped Polo mounts do not fit: they are too wide, flat and mushroom-like, they do not fit flush with the strut tower, and they allow too much up and down play in the strut.
~Nautilus
~Nautilus
Front alignment settings for the FWD LC / LFR chassis are somehow like:
Toe: ideal 0 degrees.
Camber: around -0.5 degrees.
Caster: in the +7.17 to +8.17 degrees range, ideal around +7.35 degrees.
LCR chassis has deeper positive caster, in the +8.4 degrees range, which translates into better stability and better steering feedback.
Right now, due to FSD dampers, aluminium wheel spacers and shorter Bonrath top mounts they are like this:
Toe: 0 degrees.
Camber: -1.13 degrees left to -1.03 degrees right
Caster: +7.07 degrees left, +7.00 degrees right.
(Old mounts had from the start a deeper positive caster on the right wheel, due to different wearing out during their life.)
As the top mounts settle and squish themselves into the strut towers, it is expectable for both caster and camber angles to increase by slanting the strut backwards and inwards.
How much positive caster should be in a Leon Mk 1 chassis and how much does the caster angle influence stability? By now, all mods performed throughout the last 6 years seem to have increased negative camber only.
Caster can be adjusted, by slipping washers or shims over the long bolt that holds the LCA to the subframe, behind or in front of the cylindrical front LCA bushing, and therefore moving the LCA ~1mm forwards or backwards.
Later Edit:
+ The deeper negative camber helps stability - with summer tyres on winter dry tarmac around 0°C it clings to the road like glued.
+ There is no understeer, full stop.
+ There is no hopping when running over speed bumps.
- It does not drop significantly compared to previous OEM mount. 2-3mm, maybe 5mm at best.
- It tramlines. The smallest ripples in the tarmac influence the steering. However, if the road is perfectly smooth, stability is awesome.
~Nautilus
Toe: ideal 0 degrees.
Camber: around -0.5 degrees.
Caster: in the +7.17 to +8.17 degrees range, ideal around +7.35 degrees.
LCR chassis has deeper positive caster, in the +8.4 degrees range, which translates into better stability and better steering feedback.
Right now, due to FSD dampers, aluminium wheel spacers and shorter Bonrath top mounts they are like this:
Toe: 0 degrees.
Camber: -1.13 degrees left to -1.03 degrees right
Caster: +7.07 degrees left, +7.00 degrees right.
(Old mounts had from the start a deeper positive caster on the right wheel, due to different wearing out during their life.)
As the top mounts settle and squish themselves into the strut towers, it is expectable for both caster and camber angles to increase by slanting the strut backwards and inwards.
How much positive caster should be in a Leon Mk 1 chassis and how much does the caster angle influence stability? By now, all mods performed throughout the last 6 years seem to have increased negative camber only.
Caster can be adjusted, by slipping washers or shims over the long bolt that holds the LCA to the subframe, behind or in front of the cylindrical front LCA bushing, and therefore moving the LCA ~1mm forwards or backwards.
Later Edit:
+ The deeper negative camber helps stability - with summer tyres on winter dry tarmac around 0°C it clings to the road like glued.
+ There is no understeer, full stop.
+ There is no hopping when running over speed bumps.
- It does not drop significantly compared to previous OEM mount. 2-3mm, maybe 5mm at best.
- It tramlines. The smallest ripples in the tarmac influence the steering. However, if the road is perfectly smooth, stability is awesome.
~Nautilus
Last edited:
After leaving the car stationary for a month (due to snowfalls), the top mounts settled and squished themselves into the strut towers.
As a result, front wheel arches are ~5mm lower in regards to the wheel than previously (worn factory mounts) and ~3mm lower in regards to rear wheel arches.
~Nautilus
As a result, front wheel arches are ~5mm lower in regards to the wheel than previously (worn factory mounts) and ~3mm lower in regards to rear wheel arches.
~Nautilus
does anybody no where i can get these top mount kits from as i want to lower my car 10mm more i think maxxtune are only selling the caps and not the rubbers cheers
Deleted member 12147
Guest
Get them direct from maxxtune, here.
http://www.maxxtune.de/product_info...kit-seat-leon--1m--year-11-99---sudl003-.html
http://www.maxxtune.de/product_info...kit-seat-leon--1m--year-11-99---sudl003-.html
Deleted member 12147
Guest
personally ran these on the golf and promptly pulled them through the strut top, wouldnt use the polo mounts as i dont think there safe
Dude, off topic but did you go to the gadget show at the NEC on Saturday, was parked just a few cars along from you
Deleted member 12147
Guest
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