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HYDE16 Reviews - ST Coilover Kit

HYDE161

Go Kart Champion
Disclaimer: I am only providing my feedback to help people decide if they feel they would benefit from what I have installed in my own car.

For a while now I have been compiling a list of proper suspension upgrades for an awesome daily driver which can also function as an occasional track car. I’m personally looking for the “awesome daily driver”, striking a fine balance between a baby daycare shuttle during the week, spirited mountain warrior on the weekends and then an occasional HPDE Green Group track car. I'm trying to increase some stiffness, correct or improve suspension geometry, improve traction, and realize better overall response from driver input while limiting NVH, rattles and feeling beat up from long drives. After rounding off power/braking/cosmetic upgrades, I left suspension upgrades for the end due to NVH concerns. First I installed Volkswagen Driver Gear springs, Tyrol Sport’s front and rear deadest subframe collar kit with sway bars (H&R 26mm front set to soft / 22mm rear set to soft). More recently I tested Whiteline’s ALK kit and settled on the SuperPro full control arm kit with ALK for added traction and less body roll. My final suspension objective was either a matched spring & strut combo or full coilover kit for adjustability.

Before upgrading any suspension aspect, I went as far as posting standalone threads devoted to these suspension upgrade options. For my own build I needed to layout all options and label them either “awesome daily driver” (low NVH, safe for the average driver) or “track car” (possibly higher NVH, stiffer, for experienced drivers). These threads were also to pay homage to the heavy hitters such as Simmsled, The Bruce, Bostonaudi, Junker, ViRtUaLheretic, GodSquadMandrake, Tyrol Mike, LePatron and others that have tested these components and provided feedback for the community.

GolfMK6 - Suspension Options for an Awesome Daily Driver or Track Car
Vortex - Suspension Options for an Awesome Daily Driver or Track Car

Coilovers vs. Matched Spring & Struts:
I was left with deciding on either a matched spring & strut combo or full coilover kit for adjustability. I really enjoyed the linear Volkswagen Driver Gear springs but the OEM struts were bouncy and could be very harsh at times. I thought about adding a set of Bilstein HD struts to the Volkswagen Driver Gear springs for a more “matched” setup but then I would stay at the current ride height which didn’t look right with 19” wheels and wouldn’t allow me to raise the car from rubbing with my 17” winter wheel setup. In the end, I went for an affordable and reliable solution, the ST Coilover Kit.

Options For Coilover Kits:
The list goes on and on for available coilover kits. Being that this is the first time I have ever worked with a coilover kit, I spent close to a year monitoring feedback on Bilstein, HPA, KW and ST Coilover Kits. For the price (family man here), the ST Coilover Kit seemed to provide excellent quality and performance for less than the other options mentioned above. To get more specific, I can’t mentally handle a coilover with adjustable dampening or rebound, I would spend WAY too much time and concern over what the proper setup would be. I knew I needed a “set it and forget it” coilover kit which would provide a balance between daily driving and aggressive driving while provided the ride height adjustability.

ST Coilover Kit Description:
The ultimate in performance, style and handling, ST height adjustable coilover kits are precision engineered and road tested to the highest standards of the German TÜV. Our threaded shock bodies allow you to customize vehicle ride height to the maximum, without compromising safety, functionality or superior driving performance.

-Matched damper and spring rates
-Corrosion resistant Zinc threaded strut housing
-Height adjustable on all 4 corners
-Integrated rising rate elastomeric bump stop
-Self centering dust boot for insured durability
-Excellent all around performance, providing a balance between performance and comfort for everyday use
-High-quality components for long durability
-Use of twin-tube technology, independent reactions from damping inputs minimized chassis vibrations and increase driving dynamics
-Coilovers come with all necessary components, vehicle-specific certificate and installation instructions

Functional principle of twin tube shock absorbers:
With a Twin-Tube shock absorber, the piston works inside of an inner Tube. The space between the inner tube and the casing is used as an equalization chamber. Changes in volume due position of the piston rod change the oil level in the equalization chamber between the outer casing and inner Tube.

Compression phase:
When the car swings downwards in the direction to the road, the piston rod is moved downwards.The oil displaced by the piston rod is pressed into the equalization chamber between the Tubes via specially designed orifices in the compression valve at the lower end of the inner Tube. The resistance that is created through this valve creates the actual compression forces. Oil underneath the piston also flows upwards through the piston check valve with low resistance which also influences the damper characteristics.

Rebound phase:
When the car swings upwards, away from the road, the shock absorber is extended. The piston rod is extending outward from the housing. The rebound phase valve at the lower Tube resists the oil that flows downwards through the holes in the space above the Tube. Therefore the upward motion is slowed down. When the piston rod is pulled out of the case, its volume is balanced out by the oil that flows from the equalization chamber back into the inner tube through the compression check valve.



ST Coilover Kit Unboxing:
Between the heavyweight cardboard box, zip ties, foam socks, dense cardboard separators to secure parts from moving, ST Suspension is another company that shows respect to their customers by spending the extra money for proper packing. There’s no doubt that when unboxing this kit, the parts are impressive. It could be the attractive, shiny new struts and springs but once you pick them up you immediately realize the quality over the OEM setup. One preventative step I took was to apply Rust-Oleum NeverWet to the shock bodies. I’ve always wanted to test NeverWet and figured this could be a good application to protect the shock bodies from the upcoming winter season. As an FYI, even after preparing the shock body (alcohol wipes), NeverWet can still chip off during installation of the ST Coilover Kit. Once I swap to my winter wheel setup, I plan to adjust the ride height and lather the collar threads with anti-seize.






ST Coilover Kit Installation:
Installation is very straight forward but I would definitely recommend installing on a lift if you have the suspension experience, proper tools and torque specs. Otherwise, I would recommend having a shop perform the installation for safety reasons (immediate and long term). During the installation, I also added new Audi TT strut mounts and SKF strut mount bearings to firm up the front end a bit more.








Alignment:
An alignment was definitely required with this level of front end suspension work. With the TyrolSport DeadSet Front & Rear Subframe Collar Kit, the only front alignment adjustment needed after installing the ST Coilover Kit was toe and camber in the rear.

Overall Results and Recommendations:
I wanted the heaviest part of this review to cover my overall feedback. Instead of going on and on about how great these coilovers are (and they seriously are a great upgrade), I decided to present it in a different format compared to my past reviews. Below is my quick fire comparison to my original Driver Gear Springs.

Initial Settling: To my surprise, my left and right rears settled at 25” FTG evenly, the fronts needed adjustment to get them to 24.5” FTG left and right to make the car look level.
Rubbing: Also to my surprise, with the ET47 19” wheels, 225 tires and 3MM spacers up front, I have not had any rubbing. Even when pushing it hard through a turn, no rubbing. I did take the preventative steps to have my fenders rolled and fender liners trimmed slightly.
Coilover Noises: I’ve read that some coilover owners hear binding noises or squeaks after installing coilovers. We all know the lower we go the more stress we put on the supporting OEM suspension components. Even with my front coilovers almost completely maxed out, I do not have any noises coming from the coilovers or supporting OEM suspension components (as of now).
NVH / Cabin Noise: This was the greatest improvement overall; I immediately realized reduced NVH and cabin road noise with much quieter highway driving and road feedback (19” wheels with Michelin PSS tires).
On-ramps / Off-ramps: Waaaay more fun now, primarily due to the gained confidence in traction and removal of body roll. These coilovers provide much more confidence through a turn and the remaining body roll (after my H&R sway bars) is gone.
Braking: No more nose dives when stopping short, the front end feels more supported so you don’t feel like the car goes into rake.
Acceleration: The acceleration from the car feels planted, firm, traction feels great and smooth.
Wheel Hop: With my driving style, I noticed an improvement in wheel hop. It’s much harder to get it to hop and when it does it’s a softer and shorter hop (HPA subframe mount, Michelin PSS tires, Peloquin LSD also help).
Steering Wheel Response: Even with the SuperPro Performance Control Arm Kit, the coilover kit realized improved steering wheel input, making the front end feel more nimble, similar to when you switch to lighter wheels. Also, throughout the turns the steering wheel still felt positively heavier which was an added benefit from adding the SuperPro Performance Control Arm Kit.
Dips in Highway (high speed): I no longer feel like I’m going to bottom out as it has eliminated the bouncing or compressing when rolling over a dip in the road. The same highway dips I’m used to on my highway commute to work are barely noticeable now.
Dips in Road (low speed): At low speeds, dips in the road are barely noticeable as well.
Potholes: I avoid them at all costs along my typical daily driving route so I have no feedback here.
Uneven Road Surface Levels / Joints: Even when rolling over the transition of uneven road surfaces (think when roads are prepped for repaving and the road dips), the car soaks up the change in road planes. I no longer feel like my teeth are going to rattle out of my face or like I’m bruising my kidneys.
Railroad Tracks: At slow speeds it no longer feels like panels are falling off the inside of my car, smooth and quiet.
Speed Bumps: I always take these at under 5mph and I used to even approach speed bumps on an angle with one wheel rolling over the speed bump at a time to reduce the front end pogo stick feeling of both wheels bouncing at the same time. The pogo stick feeling is now gone and I can roll both front wheels over a speed bump at the same time without the car feeling like it’s falling off a cliff.
Road Kill: Luckily, I’m still high enough to avoid clipping the catch of the day with my front lip (although I still grind my teeth at the sight of things in the road). As much as I love the adjustability of coilovers, I’m glad that the ST’s still have some functional height even when maxed out to the lowest setting.

I’ve tested this ST Coilover Kit through pothole-infested daily driving and weekend bashings through the mountains. With 19” wheels, Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires and the other upgrades listed above, I can honestly state that NVH and road harshness has decreased significantly. I was at the point where towards the end of the week I was almost tired of my lengthy commute to work. It made me somewhat upset to think that after all of the upgrades I put in my car, I may have tipped the scale towards deteriorating the ride quality of this vehicle. Being that I marked a coilover kit as the final piece to designing my ideal suspension platform, I can honestly say that the ST Coilover Kit tipped the scale way back towards making the ride quality extremely enjoyable again. I am in love with the handling, comfort, low noise levels and improved feedback. Overall, the ST Coilover Kit is a high quality, budget friendly suspension upgrade which produces great results for the MK6 GTI.

The Finished Look:
The ride height adjustability speaks for itself… I have also recently updated my build thread as well with these same photos.
GolfMK6 - HYDE16 Build Thread - Project Jekyll & Hyde
Vortex - HYDE16 Build Thread - Project Jekyll & Hyde









 
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mlody91

Ready to race!
Slightly off-topic but I really admire what you did with the rear diffuser and having that thin line color-match your rims. Really makes it pop!

Would love to know how you did that. Plasti-dip with pearlizer?
 

luv my dub76

Ready to race!
How many miles after install did u get the alignment ?
 

HYDE161

Go Kart Champion
Another great review! Car looks shiny too:thumbsup:

Thank you, this photo shoot was right after my winter prep (strip wash, surface prep, Sonax Netshield which is the greatest sealant on earth)

awesome. where did you get it installed?

A friend helped me with the install.

I have a whole subscription category dedicated to your reviews.

You da man Hyde :thumbsup:

Thank you, keep an eye out today for a new post (hopefully sticky) that will eventually contain links to every MK6 GTI build thread here on GolfMK6. If you want to see ALL of my reviews, you can just bookmark this build thread: http://www.golfmk6.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1415636#post1415636

Slightly off-topic but I really admire what you did with the rear diffuser and having that thin line color-match your rims. Really makes it pop!

Would love to know how you did that. Plasti-dip with pearlizer?

Neither, I had the exhaust valance removed, sanded and painted with the Audi TT-RS hypersilver paint code! Same with the side mirrors and front lip spoiler.

How many miles after install did u get the alignment ?

I waited roughly 500 miles.

These coilovers are great street/track coilovers [halfway down], but if you plan to go all the way down, get Koni.

Agreed, the lowest setting on the ST Coilovers are probably the lowest I would want to go with these 19" wheels around Northern, NJ roads. Can't wait to get it on the track next season now.
 

lilfleck

Go Kart Champion
Great review. Very detailed. Interested to feel the ride myself. Have you compared to NGP coils (ride comfort)?

How many miles did your OEM struts have when the DG's were installed? When you switched to ST coils?
 

HYDE161

Go Kart Champion
Great review. Very detailed. Interested to feel the ride myself. Have you compared to NGP coils (ride comfort)?

How many miles did your OEM struts have when the DG's were installed? When you switched to ST coils?

I haven't yet, I plan to drive in WetMoney's GTI with NGP's and Jeff43's GTI with HPA SHS's.

OEM struts had 40K miles on them.
 

lilfleck

Go Kart Champion
I haven't yet, I plan to drive in WetMoney's GTI with NGP's and Jeff43's GTI with HPA SHS's.

OEM struts had 40K miles on them.

Very curious to see your impressions against both of those!

Also, any feedback on the NeverWet besides the chipping? Does chipping make it a bad candidate for protecting the threads?
 

HYDE161

Go Kart Champion
Very curious to see your impressions against both of those!

Also, any feedback on the NeverWet besides the chipping? Does chipping make it a bad candidate for protecting the threads?

It's a bad candidate for protecting the shock bodies, next time around I would use 22ple VM1 sealant. For the threads the only thing I will apply there will be anti-seize. I did not use NeverWet on the thread collars.
 

lilfleck

Go Kart Champion
Is that what is protecting your car now? It always looks super clean. Probably the cleanest GTI I've seen in person.
 
Great review, it even made me wanted to buy a set to try it out. Then I realize I did have a set and they were not enjoyable at all. The benefits are all there, but noise that I had to deal with were just awful. End up spending hundreds of dollars to figure out whats wrong with it and eventaully I switched back to OEM shock. I am shipping my fronts back to KW for repair and let me warn you, its a mother fucking horrific process. You are smart for upgrading the strut mounts and bearings at the same time and for those planning to install any coilovers I strongly recommend that. Labor itself cost more than the strut mounts and bearings and dont forget about alignment again. (ended up costing so much I took the coilovers out myself) The only thing I miss is the ride height, but then again I werent even close on the lowest setting on the STs. Another advice, even though they allow you to adjust it, adjust it within specs, or else your warranty is gone. Am I the only one here that thinks the OEM suspension are great?
 
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