GOLFMK8
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** Have a Golf 2.5L and want to Mod it? Click Here **

_Nick_

Passed Driver's Ed
OEM Fog Lights install on 2.5 Golf

I just ordered fog lights from pro tunning has any one installed fog lights? Easy or hard install?
 

_Nick_

Passed Driver's Ed
Is there any way to wire it with out messing with relay? My golf is under warrenty and I do not want to mess any thing Importent up.
 

andredi15

New member
Rear spoiler mods

Is anyone able to find an addon spoiler for the base 2.5 that looks somewhat like the GTI/R spoiler? Only compatible one i can find is the Votex spoiler which looks ugly in my opinion...
 

somerset91

Ready to race!
Find a same color hatch and do a swap!

Yeah... Unfortunately it's more than just a cosmetic, with different brake lights and washer fluid system.

I don't mind how it looks without the spoiler. The 2.5 Golf isn't meant for speed and as such I don't care much for making it "look" sporty. I'm actually rather embarrassed most of the times how loud my Eurojet is when I consider how slow this car is. Drove in my buddy's A3 today, which has the same motor as the mk7 Golf and the DSG. That thing goes.
 

andrecole98

New member
This is my 2.5 so far
Aside from the aquarium like windows i think it's looking pretty good but I'm so so tempted to turbo the car but then again low and slow right?


Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
 

VDUB2012Golf2.5

New member
Own a VW Golf 2.5L? Don't know where to start? Have questions about modding? Well, you came to the right place!


*Have a GTI, and need help too?*Start Here to Mod your GTI


I think this is long over due. I wanted to clear all the questions new comers ask and get annoyed by those famous answers veterans like to give: "search", "do you know what google is", "this was asked 457654 times already".. etc. 👍 Please direct the new members here so they can start their journey in the right way.

Well, there is HOPE!
I took the liberty to clear your confusing and marvelous path to modding your golf 2.5 to your personal and unique liking. I worked hard on this, and I hope it helps you out.

Disclaimer: This thread is for informative purposes; you should know your warranty limitations as well as your insurance policies and only VW certified technicians should do the work.
Obey the vehicle modification laws in your state/province as well as only use this as a guide to follow. I am not held responsible for anything you do to your vehicle, you are.

"When someone says Search"

This means, use Google. Not the forum search button on the top heading.

Use this formula:
Put this before your search, "site:golfmk6.com" + then enter what you want to search. This basically isolates what you would search on the forum. But makes it much easier than the broken search function on the forum.

example: [ site:golfmk6.com apr cai 2.5 ] and you will get all of the threads with the key words "apr cai 2.5"
Proof: Google search example

What you also need to know is, this is my thread, my opinons, experience, research as well as contributions of others in the time of knowing this car.

The products I will list are what "I feel are the most suitable" in "my opionion".
So, this means, you may have a different feeling on some of things and that is okay, but please PM me if you have comments. We want this thread to help people not confuse them.

Now, since we got that out of the way. Shall we begin? Take a seat, lots to read.


Firstly:

You need to ask yourself these 3 questions.

  • Why did I purchase this car?
  • What do I want to gain from modding?
  • Do I have the budget to properly and tastefully complete my modifications?

The problem people tend to do in the beginning is they haven't decided on the path they want, and mod when ever they have some money set aside.

*THIS IS A BIG NO-NO*

Modding is one of the most expensive hobbies in the world today. Fun fact: Last year in the UK, over 1.7 billion dollars were spent to modify vehicles - sounds like a lot of money correct?

What you should actually do is,

  • Know your budget,
  • Think about the longevity of the product you plan to purchase,
  • The unfair but truth about modding is usually the more expensive the product, the higher the quality is. (this is 95% true, but sometimes, some companies advertise so well, that a crappy product is seen as superior to a less expensive one- well this is why we have the forums to read the reviews and compare.
  • This the biggest thing I believe in : If you plan to be cheap, and mod just to say "my car is modded", - you will be very unhappy at the end.
This is your car, if you take care of it, it will take care of your for a very long time.

"Break In Period"

  • Your car is purpose built and tested at the factory. * ask Zach(Grambles) how much fun he has pushing these cars to the limit as soon as they come off the production line.
  • You're not going to hurt your car if you rev it a little high by accident etc..
  • You can go easy on it the first 100 miles to get the feel of the vehicle but don't be afraid to enjoy your purchase.
  • Read: http://www.golfmk6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31220


What can you mod on the Golf 2.5?

Now let's be honest here. There is a higher performance version of the golf, which is the GTI. But this doesn't mean you can't increase the performance of your golf for some more power and fun.

The first mod I suggest for the 2.5 is, SUSPENSION.

Suspension:

Everyone probably knows by now.. Our golf's come with a huge wheel gap that many hate. Well, there is a fix!

IMPORTANT: If you want to lower your car using your factory struts/shocks and change the OEM springs, you should know that they will give out 85% faster than stock springs. You should try to get used GTI struts/shocks (still not the best solution), or buy a new set that is designed for lowering springs (the CORRECT way).

You can upgrade to the following to lower that monster truck of yours:
**Cited to Grambles (Great information)**

Read: http://www.golfmk6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29712
  • OEM Driver Gear Springs or VWR: Modest Drop. Linear Spring Rates. Excellent ride quality.
  • Spring/Shock Combo: These setups are widely used across the platform. Normally the price is right and they can offer great performance. However, some people complain about harsher ride quality and more bounciness over bumps. Purely subjective, but you must ultimately decide. Some Brands include: Koni / Eibach / Tein / Neuspeed / Bilstein / H&R
  • Coilovers: HUGE HUGE HUGE Topic that has been covered extensively. There are many many brands to choose from and even different driving styles and ride qualities you must sift through to make your decision. THIS is a topic you will need to ask the experts on to determine your end goal. Brands Include: Koni / ST / KW / K-sport / FK / Raceland / Saachs / HPS / Bilstein / H&R / List goes on....
  • Air Bags: http://www.golfmk6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13765 || Good place to start and go from there
  • Bushings: Bushings are much like the mounts. They will help soldify the driveline and help put more power down. Some Brands inclulde: Whiteline (W.A.L.K) / OEM Audi S3 and TT / Energy Suspension /
  • Sway Bars: Geat for Roll Stiffness. There are many threads out there to sift through, but a google search will ultimately help you decide which brand to run and which diameter to run. Some people are happy with a rear bar and others are happy with both front and rear. Brands Include: APR / H&R / Hotchkis / VWR / ECS / Eibach / BSH / etc.
  • Chassis Braces: http://www.golfmk6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29919 || Great modification to remove chassis twist/flex. Some Brands Include: Stern / Ultra Racing / Unibrace
  • Tires: http://golfmk6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3864 || Tires are what connect you to the ground. So ultimately, they are one of the most important parts of your driveline. What's 300+HP good for if you cant put it to the ground? There are many options out there in regards to summer tires, but consider using tirerack to make your choices.

Perfomance:

If you didn't know already, The mk5 rabbit (09+) uses the same engine as the mk6 (10+). So if you have questions about a product and it says 2009+ it should work with the mk6 95% of the time, unless there was a change in the product design etc. I suggest to use only the mk6 products but some mk5 (09+) products work.

Golf comes with what we call "heat soak" intake filter. It couldn't have been placed in a shittier spot.

First engine mod you should upgrade is your intake.

Cold Air Intakes:

There are multiple brands but these are the choices 98% of the people choose and I recommend:

Exhaust:

My 2nd favourite mod on the 2.5. This really opens up the very unique exhaust tone this car has.

Many different products on the market again, these are the know products in the market:

Alternatives:

  • Custom (made to your liking)

  • Gti exhaust swap (will need a gti valance)

Tunes

This is a lovely topic that never ends well. So I won't debate about it. I will just list what is available in the market. Our cars are N/A powered so, a tune can only give so much vs a turbo'd vehicle such as a gti. This is not a comparison between the two because of the general nature of the setup they have.

**Please contact the companies by phone/email for more information regarding your vehicle. Each vehicle needs to be approached accordingly.**


Short Runner Intake Manifold (SRI)

You might have been asking yourself, what is this SRI I keep seeing well, it is a very nice upgrade for our cars to push out every little drop of power left in the engine while being NA. This helps us gain the most power out of the listed performance parts, and is costly to say the least. But the results are great and some have noted *205 whp*

  • c2 Motorsports SRI
  • UM SRI
  • Integrated engineering SRI

Turbo kits

These kits do exist, I suggest if you are serious about turboing your 2.5, you should do your homework.

  • C2 Turbo kits
  • UM Turbo kits
  • Self-made turbo kits (custom)

Here are some turbo builds:





Stopping power- Brakes

(**cited to Grambles** thanks)

You can never have enough braking. The stock brakes are fine for the current factory set up, but you can upgrade it for better braking. A simple change of just the pads will improve braking noticeably.

  • OEM
    • Lines: Stainless Steel Brake Lines help with brake fade due to excessive use and flexibility in the stock lines. Brands: USP / Neuspeed
    • Pads: We all know what brake pads are......Brands to Consider: Hawk / Stoptech / EBC / Carbotech /
    • Fluid: Commonly used Brands to Consider: ATE / Motul
    • Bushings: Tyrol has a brake stiffening kit that provides even wear on the pads and rotor: http://www.tyrolsport.com/index.php?p=product&id=124&parent=64
  • OEM+
    • Golf R/R32/Passat BBK: Single piston and heavy, but a good choice to look at. These offer roughly %25 increase in stopping power.
    • Porsche 4Pot BBK: A flashier upgrade than the R32 brakes. They are Brembo 4 piston calipers that are lighter and provide better clamping force to the STOCK 312mm rotor.
  • Other Name Brand BBKs
    • Brands Include: Stoptech / Wilwood / ECS / Forge / Brembo / Racing Brake / VWR

Wheels

Read here to understand fitment/offset :
http://golfmk6.com/forums/showpost.php?p=478479&postcount=1

Our Wheel specs:

  • 5x112 bolt pattern.
  • Off-set is subject to wheel size/ride height/ tire size
  • 16/17/18/19/20" sizes

In my opinion this makes up 75% of the vehicle's cosmetic look.
You can go as high as 20" on the wheels. I suggest you do not, im simply stating it is possible.

The oem specs I recommend if you plan to upgrade your wheels:
  • 17x8 or 18x8 et 45.
  • Paired up with 225/45/17" or 225/40/18" tires.
This will give you the least problems *AT STOCK HEIGHT* (your factory specs are the best choice), but other sets are possible. Research and decide on your own risk.


*Again, I'm not responsible with wheel fitment, there is a wheel section on this forum, you can go ask questions on.*

Refer to here for wheel fitment questions rather than making a new thread:

Cosmetic Upgrades


  • LED Taillights
  • LED interior lights/License plate lights
  • Window Tint/ Lamin-X
  • Headlight upgrade to Xenon housing
  • Body kits
    • Side skirts
    • roof spoilers
    • front lip
    • exhaust valance
  • Seat inserts
  • Euro cup holder
  • Dash Cubby
  • Underseat drawer
  • Blind spot side mirror
  • Monster Mats
    etc.. you can go way bigger but these are the general most do.

    Brands for Exterior Modifications

    • Front Lip:
    • Reiger
    • Votex

      Front Bumper:
    • TDI Blue-Motion/R-Line
    • ABT
    • Kerscher
    • GTI
    • GTI 35th
    • .:R

      Sideskirts:
    • Votex
    • GTI
    • .:R
    • ABT
    • Kerscher
    • MK5 GTI
    • MK5 Thunderbunny

      Rear Valance/Bumper
    • Votex Valance
    • R-Line(.:R Bumper with Dual Tip on the Left)
    • TDI Blue-Motion(Single Tip)
    • ABT(Vertical Quad)
    • Kerscher(Quad)
    • GTI Valance
    • .:R Bumper

      Wing/Spoiler
    • GTI
    • Votex
    • ABT
    • Caractere
    • CF Revo (need base spoiler)
    • CF Osir (need base spoiler)

Modifications vs. Warranty

Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuson–Moss_Warranty_Act
Then understand: Unless the modification is the direct root cause of your problem, they cannot void your warranty. **However, they still can refuse service and not work on your vehicle.**

Well, I hope you now have a much better view on what you plan to do, and take it from here. Enjoy your vehicle, mod to your liking.

Rule of thumb: If you ask people what do you think of this modification, and you get +10 negative responses, you should reconsider, but remember it is your car, and do as you wish and others are not responsible for the results.



PS: If I forgot something, or there was incorrect information, please pm me.
-V2C

👍
Really good info. Thank you for writing it in layman terms for an easy read. Just got my Golf yesterday and I already love the car. I have ordered my Awe Cat back exhaust, (but it’s taking up to 45 days to ship) I will be doing suspension next.
Thanks again.
 

Burntrees

New member
Anyone know any Coilovers with separate ride hight and spring pearches for our golfs with the 50mm front strut mount? Apparently the gti front strut is 54.5mm and golf is 50mm so we can’t even put gti springs and shocks in right? Any help would be greatly appreciated, I just almost bought coils for 54.5mm front axle clamp dealy but now I don’t think that will work. Help
 

Wascally Wabbit1

Drag Racing Champion
Anyone know any Coilovers with separate ride hight and spring pearches for our golfs with the 50mm front strut mount? Apparently the gti front strut is 54.5mm and golf is 50mm so we can’t even put gti springs and shocks in right? Any help would be greatly appreciated, I just almost bought coils for 54.5mm front axle clamp dealy but now I don’t think that will work. Help
The GTI springs, struts, mounts and bearings will fit the 2.5L. I had all of the above on my 2012 2.5L which came straight from a 2012 GTI. It is my understanding anything aftermarket for the GTI should also fit.
 

Burntrees

New member
Thanks so much for the info I really appreciate it. How did you like the gti coils and shocks? do you know what they are talking about when they say front axle clamp size? Thanks again.
 

Wascally Wabbit1

Drag Racing Champion
Thanks so much for the info I really appreciate it. How did you like the gti coils and shocks? do you know what they are talking about when they say front axle clamp size? Thanks again.
The GTI setup was great. I had both swaybars from the GTI as well so I am not sure how just shocks and springs are alone.

As for the axle clamps, I believe they are talking about the clamp that holds the shock body on the front spindles. They are the same on all of the golf models. Look at shocks on ESC website and look at the fitment. They are all the same.

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-solo_werks-parts/solo-werks-s1-coilovers/s1vw006~sow/

I think the 50mm clamp size you are seeing is for the older MKIV golfs.
 
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