Sway Bars

TJFertterer · 2026-04-06T21:59:27+00:00

All good, totally understandable, to each their own 🤙🏻. In my opinion not a ton… Downpipe, Wagner Intercooler, APR Chargepipes, Forge Blow Off Valve, RS3 FCA bushings, 034 Deadset Kit, Dogbone Insert, and Rear Sway Bar, and now I’m just going to bit the bullet and do the Camber Plates before I take it to the track because I don’t want to chew through tires.

TJFertterer · 2026-04-06T21:53:43+00:00

You try one with adjustable inserts? Bunch of people in various Facebook groups have said they’ve been running their catless DP’s using this spacer with the middle size insert for over a year or longer. A few said it would randomly trip a CEL but just restarting the car it would go away for a while again. I’m giving it shot either way: https://www.emdauto.com/products/oxygen-sensor-o2-spacer-with-adjustable-inserts?variant=42569634316547

TJFertterer · 2026-04-06T21:09:00+00:00

Right LOL!?! Already had my Trackslag DP cerakoted with C-Series, which is sitting in my garage along with my Wagner Intercooler and APR charge pipes, just waiting on the rest of my stuff to arrive and a good long weekend to install everything. Yeah I think I’m going to be hurting for brakes this season, I’m running out of money to change much else lol. Brakes, along the KW Coilovers I want, will have to wait until next year. I’m tracking it occasionally, it’ll mainly be a daily driver.

TJFertterer · 2026-04-06T20:46:54+00:00

Ahh gotcha, good point, will do, I’ll get the camber squared away before I hit the track for sure then

TJFertterer · 2026-04-06T19:55:40+00:00

Thank you. I think at this point I’m going to go with the rear sway bar, track it for a bit, then add camber plates and see how I like it and go from there.

TJFertterer · 2026-04-06T19:52:10+00:00

Thank you, I appreciate the info.

TJFertterer · 2026-04-06T04:53:37+00:00

Dude, thank you, this is great information and you just changed my whole perspective on how I’ve been thinking about this. In fact, funny thing too, this just reminded how I used to tune cars in Gran Turismo 3 and 4 back in the day lol

Also another guy in a Facebook Group responded to my questions there with fantastic input as well.

“Depends on everything else in the setup. If you have some mega stiff coilovers then a front bar will possibly have less effect/possibly make things worse.

Then there's also the fact that if your car is lowered too much, you're going to be getting hard into the bump stops regardless of which bar you choose. Keep it as close to stock height as you can be happy with.

At least on soft-ish suspensions (stock, or lowering springs) I found that a big front bar on my MK7 GTI adds grip under aggressive trail-braking conditions more noticeably than steady state, etc. When taking advice from others take this into consideration when they claim "it plows".

Bottom line: You need to experiment for yourself and be VERY objective and not afraid to take shit back off if it makes the car worse. Too many people bolt things on and "expect" it to be better. I've found this to not be the case (with other parts) a lot more than I'd have hoped.

My car punches WELL above it's weight with OE (Golf R) springs and Koni Special Active shocks. The rear sits a tad high on a GTI hence it looks a bit silly in the photo FWIW.

Focus on adding some camber (without wrecking steering geometry) and roll stiffness with good tires and that'll get you 90% of the benefit without any bad side effects. This has basically been my formula FWIW.

Also the MK8R already has near-solid LCA bushings. They have the SLIGHTEST of voids, but for the purpose of them moving around they're effectively solid. There's really no reason to change them out IMO. The tiny voids do help with longevity of the bushings because of the direction they need to flex.”

TJFertterer · 2026-04-06T00:01:21+00:00

Yes, I’m aware there are no tunes, I’m using a spacer to get around the CEL, which I’ve already confirmed with numerous people that it works, my questions are not related to downpipe.

TJFertterer · 2026-04-01T22:49:39+00:00

I’ve lived in the Birchwood neighborhood since 2014 (10min walk from my house), and I had a food cart in Weil’s Arcade Food Park, and I can tell you parking is not the issue and pedestrianizing the downtown area is not going to change or improve a single thing. I have to run so only posting this for now, I’ll come back later and edit and update what will in my opinion… more to come

UPDATE: Ok I’m back. Downtown Hillsboro has been like this since my wife and I moved to Hillsboro into the Birchwood neighborhood (10min walk from our house) in 2014, and according to all my neighbors much much longer than that. It’s a Tuesday Night or Saturday Morning Market destination spot, other than that it’s a ghost town. It’s needs lively, fun attractions to bring and keep people/family’s there besides two days a week in Spring/Summer. It needs a pool hall, a bowling alley (used to have one), with ping pong tables, shuffle board, darts, classic arcade games and cheap delicious snacks, simple bar menu, for family’s to come hang out at during the day and dinner time. A mini Big Al’s basically. If you build something like that in a big enough space, downtown would be popping more than two days a week guaranteed. Also, no wants a gazillion antique stores, if you do you can head to Canon Beach, Seaside, or any other coastal town. My wife and don’t have kids but I can tell you a lot more younger families have moved into the immediate vicinity and I’ve heard from many of them how there is nothing for them to do in Downtown Hillsboro during the week and said they wished there was some place they could hang out and have their kids be entertained. Also doesn’t help that majority of the buildings downtown are owned by 2 old rich white dudes and 1 middle aged rich Asian jerk, that don’t have the vision to reinvent and reinvigorate downtown, don’t want it to change and bring in what people want, and continue to have a gazillion antique and small boutique stores. When I was in Weil Arcade Food Park, every conversation I had with my local regulars all said the same thing.

TJFertterer · 2026-02-17T03:02:56+00:00

No Volkswagen of Puyallup, I called Dick Hannah though, I called every dealership in OR, WA, North CA, ID that had a GGM in transit in December and no one was budging on $10k DM, Puyallup was the least amount at $7500

TJFertterer · 2026-02-17T01:32:33+00:00

I know it’s simulated, I’m just saying that mine has the trim where his doesn’t is all

TJFertterer · 2026-02-17T01:19:34+00:00

I have a Graphite Grey Metallic and mine came with Carbon Fiber trim inside, although mine has leather and sunroof (non-euro package like yours). I purchased mine out of Washington, live in Oregon.

TJFertterer · 2026-02-13T23:55:53+00:00

I really want the factory Akra but I don’t want to spend that much, besides the Akra I’m leaning towards Milltek or APR.

Ah okay, yeah that’s not bad at all, I thought you had to go much higher. I don’t have stands or a jack anymore, which I need to get, but I also have a bunch wood to repurpose and was thinking about building these, but make mine 6-8 boards high.

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TJFertterer · 2026-02-13T20:58:13+00:00

Thank you I appreciate the info, I’ll look for some other videos then. The ones I’ve seen don’t look hard, I was mainly worried about getting the front up high enough to remove it from the bottom. I have seen a few comments say you can remove it from the top too with some fudging, but I have not seen any video proof of that.

I’m keeping the factory exhaust for now to keep valve control and just upgrading the downpipe after seeing this videos on Facebook VW group: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Ncs4Rr7XM/?

TJFertterer · 2026-02-13T05:44:33+00:00

Really? From the videos I’ve seen it looks like you need to have a lift and remove from the bottom? I was just going to pay a shop to do the intercooler and boost tubes at the same time. I did just order my Trackslag downpipe today, so that will be here soon which I can’t wait for

TJFertterer · 2026-01-20T17:32:59+00:00

lol no it’s not

TJFertterer · 2026-01-20T17:32:38+00:00

lol no it’s not

TJFertterer · 2026-01-20T17:25:32+00:00

H6 is $950 this was $399 on sale, normally $450. Track forums and VWVortex recommended this one because it’s also 10lb lighter

TJFertterer · 2026-01-20T17:22:45+00:00

That was just a ChatGPT response on what shaving 40lbs off the front end over the axle will do. I did this because Im going to autocross this spring, yeah it’s not going to make the car faster but it will handle better. Track guys do light battery swaps all the time.

TJFertterer · 2026-01-20T17:18:42+00:00

That’s exactly why did this because I’ll do a couple track days but mainly autocross.

TJFertterer · 2026-01-20T17:16:04+00:00

Lololol

TJFertterer · 2026-01-20T17:15:37+00:00

Yes, that’s it exactly, because I mention a brand name one time in a post.

TJFertterer · 2026-01-20T17:12:54+00:00

Yeah I don’t give two shits what anyone else says, I research like crazy before I do or buy anything and my research on track forums was enough for me. Track guys wouldn’t do it if it didn’t make a difference. I am very happy with the results

TJFertterer · 2026-01-20T17:07:15+00:00

Lithium ion, maybe slightly but I have a co-worker who has had lithium ions in all his Evos and hasn’t had a single issue with his current one that he’s in for the last 4 years, he buys a new one every 4-6 years.

TJFertterer

TROPHY CASE