Defcon Questions>
Thread Starter
AudiWorld Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,560
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From: Centerport, NY
Defcon Questions>
I have a Defcon 1 setup & have just got new 18" wheels. Since I got these wheels my car just plain handles worse. I currently have poly up front and was thinking about going to mk1 bushings front and rear to loose some of this oversteer at speeds (this is dangerous).
Has anyone tried both setups? What did you think of them? Anyone rockin' the combo I'm thinking about getting? I know John posted something about not liking the urethane either... Will keeping the urethane be a good idea because I'm getting a haldex orange this summer? I know this will give my car more of a feel from the rear... right now it is WAY Too light back there (there isn't anything back there at all. I feel like I need to add a subwoofer setup lol.
It's just that my car doesn't drive right since I put these larger wheels on & I'm not enjoying that. Currently the rear just seems to WAG it's tail a lot after turns. It needs to be stiffened up big time! Maybe it's time to make these custom sway bar links out of metal I have been talking about for months! And get my shocks/springs stiffer...
Has anyone tried both setups? What did you think of them? Anyone rockin' the combo I'm thinking about getting? I know John posted something about not liking the urethane either... Will keeping the urethane be a good idea because I'm getting a haldex orange this summer? I know this will give my car more of a feel from the rear... right now it is WAY Too light back there (there isn't anything back there at all. I feel like I need to add a subwoofer setup lol.
It's just that my car doesn't drive right since I put these larger wheels on & I'm not enjoying that. Currently the rear just seems to WAG it's tail a lot after turns. It needs to be stiffened up big time! Maybe it's time to make these custom sway bar links out of metal I have been talking about for months! And get my shocks/springs stiffer...
AudiWorld Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2002
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This a track car? I wouldn't recommend the orange controller if it's not.
You're worried about the rear getting light now, and you want a Haldex controller that locks the LSC? THAT's gonna make the rear get light in corners.
Go with the Blue for street use, only difference is it disengages the LSC on decel. Works the same as orange in every other way.
BTW, going by your mods in your sig, you might try taking your rear sway off the stiff setting to get the rear to settle. Alignment/tire pressure first, like mentioned, but this might be your next option.
Go with the Blue for street use, only difference is it disengages the LSC on decel. Works the same as orange in every other way.
BTW, going by your mods in your sig, you might try taking your rear sway off the stiff setting to get the rear to settle. Alignment/tire pressure first, like mentioned, but this might be your next option.
AudiWorld Uber User
Joined: Dec 2000
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Too much sway bar...>>
25 and 21's on the stiff setting arent helping much here. Dial them down to the soft setting for one, especially the rear. Tire pressures equal front and rear.
Most of your problems are probably alignment related.
Skip the orange controller
Most of your problems are probably alignment related.
Skip the orange controller
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Joined: Apr 2004
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Re: Too much sway bar...>> Agreed!
I had the H&R 21 mm rear bar too. My front bar is stock and I have Defcon 2. With that rear bar 2nd gear corners were great with reduced push (err understeer --watching Nascar right now) 3rd gear corners were ok but with a little more oversteer than I liked. 4th gear corners were scary (like doing a 360 at 90 mph scary) I went back to the stock bar and have done one track day since and have decided to leave it alone. It just feels better to me this way. I can deal with a bit of understeer far better than I can deal with snap oversteer. I think the 21 mm rear bar is best reserved for autocross. Just my opinion.
Thread Starter
AudiWorld Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,560
Likes: 3
From: Centerport, NY
My setup>
H&R 25mm front (stiff)
H&R 21mm rear (stiff)
38psi tire pressure all-around (digital gauge, just did last weekend)
defcon 1
going to get another alignment I guess when I get front spacers and my height setup 100%
On the rear bar being set to soft, I feel like I want the rear tighter, I feel like it trails the car a lot, but none the less I'm going to slide under today and swap it to soft.
Right now I'm going to pressure test the car & instal my new IAT : )
I will post up results when I'm all done
H&R 21mm rear (stiff)
38psi tire pressure all-around (digital gauge, just did last weekend)
defcon 1
going to get another alignment I guess when I get front spacers and my height setup 100%
On the rear bar being set to soft, I feel like I want the rear tighter, I feel like it trails the car a lot, but none the less I'm going to slide under today and swap it to soft.
Right now I'm going to pressure test the car & instal my new IAT : )
I will post up results when I'm all done
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Joined: Mar 2003
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I've run the following >
MK2 arms with poly front, MK2 bush rear;
MK2 arms with defcon, MK1 (rubber) front (D2), MK2 bush rear; 225/40/18 PS2's - loved this setup, ran tight and sharp.
Ran MK2 with defcon, poly fronts (D1), worn MK2 bushes rear; 225/40/18 PS2's, but only ran this about two weeks - wasn't real impressed with any improvement from the poly fronts at the time, but as I say, didn't run it for very long.
Currently MK2 with defcon, poly fronts (D1), MK1 bushes rear; 245/35/18 PS2's - not sure yet about this, maybe more slop from the wider tires (they're broken in now with about 2000 miles on them), maybe the polys, maybe the MK1 rears.
I might put polys in the rear - they're on the shelf now, and I might go back to rubber (MK1) bushes in the front.
I have a Neuspeed 28mm rear bar on middle setting and run 38 psi F/R
Still, we're comparing apples and oranges - I have FWD and no spoiler, corner-balanced and fresh alignment - but bottom line is though, the rear seems a bit looser to me as well.
MK2 arms with defcon, MK1 (rubber) front (D2), MK2 bush rear; 225/40/18 PS2's - loved this setup, ran tight and sharp.
Ran MK2 with defcon, poly fronts (D1), worn MK2 bushes rear; 225/40/18 PS2's, but only ran this about two weeks - wasn't real impressed with any improvement from the poly fronts at the time, but as I say, didn't run it for very long.
Currently MK2 with defcon, poly fronts (D1), MK1 bushes rear; 245/35/18 PS2's - not sure yet about this, maybe more slop from the wider tires (they're broken in now with about 2000 miles on them), maybe the polys, maybe the MK1 rears.
I might put polys in the rear - they're on the shelf now, and I might go back to rubber (MK1) bushes in the front.
I have a Neuspeed 28mm rear bar on middle setting and run 38 psi F/R
Still, we're comparing apples and oranges - I have FWD and no spoiler, corner-balanced and fresh alignment - but bottom line is though, the rear seems a bit looser to me as well.
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AudiWorld Senior Member
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Too solid a bar won't let the car make good use of the contact patch
Neither will too hard of a tire (either compound or pressure).
You need a little give, so the tires can grab the road with all the dynamic movement going on. Everything rock solid is going to make for a ride like this: http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=3 5012323
You need a little give, so the tires can grab the road with all the dynamic movement going on. Everything rock solid is going to make for a ride like this: http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=3 5012323
AudiWorld Uber User
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 53,281
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Plus, as the rear suspension compresses..>>>
It naturally toes in a bit which improves stability. Lack of compression (overly stff bars), or a bad toe setting to start could result in miminal change and slight instability...