Using the TTS on the track and as a DD

[mossback]

To ammend this original post: I was looking for HDPE type mods for my daily driver\track toy, here is list of the items that I have changed, I tried to list them in order of appearance\install with occasional notes. Some of these items deserve there own post, which may happen.

APR STG1
Forge Motorsports Cold air intake: a bit fussy on the install but not terrible, just wasn't fully plug and play: Excellent turbo noises
Turbo intake, turbo muffler delete.
034 Sub frame bushings and inserts: Not a big change, maybe a little bit of NVH, maybe...
Ground Control Camber plates: great for negative camber beyond -2, definite increase in NVH

APR SGT2
AWE Down Pipe with High Flow cat and NO resonator: nice sound especially on warm up, in sport mode the shifts really bark under WoT.
H&R Rear Sway ONLY: helped rotation, not as good as stock in the wet, but its ok and the car is more lively.
StopTech Trophy ST60-355 6 piston brakes upfront and stoptech slotted rotors rear, high temp fluids 660
CarboTech XP8 track pads; squeaky on the street, but superb on the track.
HPA 75a full dog bone replacement: really tightened up the shifts. NVH noticeable

Bilstein Club Sport coil-overs with camber plates: more NVH but actually not bad. Firm yet smooth ride with rebound and compression adjustable.
KW DDC delete: didn't work; returned.
iSweep Mag Shock delete: Works great!!



I have come to loath looking for information on what "others" have done to improve the performance of their mbq mk3 TTS. So much fluff and garbage out on the webs. I suppose its due in part to the low volume these cars represent. Taking that into account, what we are left with is the bulk of posters talking about things they have no experience with and that they only use the car on the road as daily driver. I hope to use this as means to communicate real settings and changes that make the car handle supremely.
I am on the track a fair bit, I coach for 5 different groups, so get to see how this mbq TTS compares to a lot of others cars, and as my car sits now it holds up really well. It is all subjective as I can't account for the other drivers as to their skills and its only track days after all. That said, here is what I have done so far and the results:

Camber plates: -2.2 degrees neg camber front, that is the max with Ground Control Camber plates (the only no cut option for camber plates that I know of, the others require you to cut the strut towers some) I will post up the exact settings when I get back to my office and find the spec sheet from the alignment.
Rears are set to: IIRC -1.7

StopTech ST-60 355MM Trophy kit brake kit: I killed the stock 4 piston setup with 660 fluid after 2 sessions, got about a 25% brake loss, it was sudden too, figure it was overheating and I baked the pads. No problems what so ever with the new setup. Running the ST performance street pads front and some junk I could find for the rears, ST doesn't make rear pads yet, unfortunately there is still little to be had for the rear pads. Carbotech will "make" me a set if I ship them a donor plate from the ATE rear brakes> I have a spent set and intend to do just that. Will most likely go with XP8's all around for track use.

Changed out my 20" wheels for some light weight 18x9 Neuspeed wheels and 255\40\18 Bridgestone RE71r, this was a huge improvement in both acceleration, stopping and corner forces. I just installed a set of 265\35\18 Pirelli Trofeo R's and have only done one Very Wet track day on them, so far I am impressed as long as the temps stay above 45 degree's. The 20's will go back on for winter till I can source decent set of 18" wheels with winter tires> Tricky bit about this car is the wheel offsets. ET50 is the stock 20" the Neuspeeds are ET45.

I have had to figure out what fits by gambling a bit, I bought a Forge Motorsports Cold air intake for a Golf R, it fits with very minor mods, this looked to me to be the best intake in terms of unobstructed air flow into the airbox. I am pretty happy with it, though not fully into the foam filter that comes with it.

APR Stage 1 (incl DSG) was a good increase in power: had the car on a dyno and it put down 292whp and 365wt. Not the HP numbers I was lead to believe I would get, based on APR's charts. I figured out that APR uses a really low drive train loss factor. The torque was outstanding based on the that particular dyno, this was a dynojet with unlinked rollers if that makes a difference.

APR Stage 2 (incl DSG) with AWE downpipe and High Flow cat = a little more power, the car is just a little bit faster and it sounds FANTASTIC. If you like the sound a turbo 4 makes, its is a bit menacing, you really hear the shifts now with the windows down. I was bouncing off the rev limiter before, as the car was too quite with stock exhaust: this is still the stock exhaust from the Downpipe HFC back.

I want: To install lowering springs but haven't got the MRC thing sorted yet, last night I installed an HR rear sway bar to see if I can get even less corner exit understeer. I would welcome some off throttle oversteer to help tighten up the line when needed. I also have the usual suspects of subframe inserts from 034 to help tighten things up.