I'm in way over my head

"BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather" (bugeyedacura) 06/22/2016 at 14:21 • Filed to: None

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I think Frankenmount has to come out. To clarify, it actually worked beautifully, but everything from that point down has conspired to make the front end of the car really wonky now. Without major investment in the car, the only step right now is a backwards one. Here’s what I’ve discovered:

- I now have positive camber (tires tucking at the bottom) on a car that was not set up from the factory to have adjustable camber.

- My subframe and control arms are the rolling front/ flat rear style (Mk4/7 style). This isn’t a problem within reasonable lift/lowering spec, but I’ve apparently passed that stage. They smack together under decompression.

- My driver’s side axle has really bad angles on both ends. Why only that side you ask? Well thats the shorter one on Mk5/6s.

- My tie rod angle has given me some wicked bump steer. Combined with the new, higher center of gravity, cornering is... Labored.

- AND ITS STILL DUCKING RUBBING!!!

So long story short, the plan is to remove the mounts, run the setup that way for the next year and a half, and then just take the next tire opportunity to get ones a more suitable size.

You win some, you lose some.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 06/22/2016 at 14:33

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Inb4 “rubbing is racing”

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 06/22/2016 at 14:36

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Over my head, you say?

BigBlock440 > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 06/22/2016 at 14:37

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That is disappointing, but some vehicles are just unliftable. At least you tried and now the pictures of a lifted Beetle exist.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 06/22/2016 at 14:38

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“If you ain’t rubbin, you ain’t dubbin"

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 06/22/2016 at 14:48

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That just brought back flashbacks to 2013....

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 06/22/2016 at 14:49

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I don’t suppose you can rework it to use a later Passat roll front /roll rear style LCA and mount that on camber adjust bolts and saddles? Between that, maybe some camber plates, and modifying the geometry with a bumpsteer kit like a Mustang one, you might be able to still work this out.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > BigBlock440 06/22/2016 at 14:50

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Unliftable within reason and sanity. Once you dump those, quite a lot is possible.

MGisalwaystheanswer > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 06/22/2016 at 15:00

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I have two thoughts about this situation. First VW makes a “rough road suspension kit for many models in developing countries. Maybe one could be fit to the beetle? I have seen it add a little over an inch of hight to a Passat. Alternatively, what about talking to some of the Donk people? They seem to lift everything. Granted they may not all actually worry about trivial things like safety, reliability, or function but perhaps some of them do? I know you can google and find “universal front drive lift kits with mounts etc.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 06/22/2016 at 17:27

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I could do that. But to do all of that I’m looking at a considerable investment on top of what I’ve already out into it. What was supposed to be a simple swap has ballooned to a $1500 project already.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > MGisalwaystheanswer 06/22/2016 at 17:28

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I’ve already added the Tiguan Springs, then the spacer mount. Both together added like 4 inches which is just too much for the way the subframe and transmission is set up unfortunately. I’m keeping the springs, just not the mount. So it’ll still be sitting tall and riding on the all terrain tires.

MGisalwaystheanswer > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 06/22/2016 at 17:43

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Right on, didn’t realize how much lift you had achieved. Doesn’t surprise me that it killed the budget.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 06/22/2016 at 21:05

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Space down the sub frame and upper strut mounts? That would technically be more of a body lift but it would achieve the lifted look.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 06/22/2016 at 22:01

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Doesn’t fix the axle problem, and then it messes up the end of my steering system that I actually interact with.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 06/22/2016 at 22:09

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It does fix the axle problem though because the engine and trans drop with the sub frame. The steering column may be better at coping with extreme angles.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 06/22/2016 at 22:14

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It’s possible. But in a perfect world, nothing would be out of whack on the car.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 06/22/2016 at 22:20

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Definitely. I was thinking a short of half sub frame drop and half suspension lift sort of situation. Don’t know how well it would work in reality though.