16v susupension travel?

[jdbubb at verizon.net (Dan Bubb)]

Considering your combination of parts it's hard to know what's going on. I'd 
think an A2 spring would be a fairly hight rate for a Scirocco simply 
because an A2 is heavier than a Scirocco. OTOH, there's no telling how it 
would work on a Scirocco because even if the rate is higher the compressed 
height could be quite a bit different simply because of the different 
application. Meaning that even though you might have a higher spring rate, 
the car might sit lower than it should.
Setting all that aside, my experience is that if the a-arms are horizontal 
or below, i.e. angling up towards the wheel, then you'll be very close to 
riding on the bumpstops. Of course, once you hit the bumpstops the effective 
spring rate goes way up and the shock can't control it. Shock damping 
doesn't vary with the position/compression of the shock. The damping is only 
a function of the rate of compression. So, the higher spring rate, coil 
spring + bumpstop, is more than the shock can control and gives the results 
you describe.
I'm not sure trimming the bump stop is going to help. To the extent that you 
trim it and the suspension doesn't contact it, the ride will be better. The 
downside is that trimming the bumpstop makes its spring rate even higher, so 
when you do contact it the lack of control of the shock that you're 
currently experiencing will be even more pronounced.
My opinion is that A1's just don't have enough travel when using aftermarket 
lowering springs and unless you go to coilovers or play some tricks with 
raising the upper strut mount or adapting a shorter A2 strut housing 
(heresay, but something on my list to try) or lowering the strut housing 
relative to the bearing carrier, you're pretty much just stuck with riding 
the bumpstops and the crappy ride.
Dan

From: "Nate Mellom" <doubt@inwave.com>
Sent: Friday, November 10, 2006 11:57 PM
Subject: 16v susupension travel?


>I installed a set of A2 lowering springs (Neuspeed/H&R) on my '88 a while 
>back, and installed a new pair of Spax struts up front.  While its very 
>stiff, it seems like I'm not getting any damping on the front at all, it 
>just bounces and jounces.  The rear feels okay, stiff but nice and damped 
>(still have the old Boges on the rear).
>
> What I'm wondering is:  Could I be riding on my bump stops up front?  In 
> the proper application (A2 Golf/Jetta), the springs have a drop of about 
> 1.5 inches, and looking under the fender (which is tough, there's not much 
> room to look up there anymore), the springs seem compressed almost 
> completely.  Did I take out all my travel?  Should/could I cut my bump 
> stops to gain some travel?
>
> I am using A1 strut housings with components from A1 and A2 struts (upper 
> spring perches, etc) to make the srings work.
>
> Nate
>
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