Right, normally I'm one of the first ones to answer suspension questions but I could use some advice here.

I'm looking at buying a 6n for a winter car and want to lift it a bit for ground clearance and tyre clearance.

I know that Mk3 Golf suspension will physically bolt on to a 6n, but IIRC the rear end will be in the air but the overall length of the fronts are fairly similar so will be about the same. I should however be able to use Mk3 Golf front shocks with B4 Passat springs to lift the front a bit.

Has anyone used a 6n for any off road racing or rallying and know what bits from other VWs I can use to lift it a bit. I'm looking for an inch tops I think, as any more than that and I'll need extended brake lines probably and it will handle like a dog.

I could just fit some spring spacers or something to the existing shocks, but the idea behind Mk3 Golf ones is that they'd be at the right height for the spring and not add any stress.

Any ideas/info greatly appreciated.

at standard height my 6n would clear most obstacles with ease. rolling on 13s with 155/70

Standard height is not an option. I have a 2 mile farm track, the snow drifts to upwards of 2-3 feet in places but is generally about a foot deep. Car will be fitted with oversize winter tyres. Looking for at least 8" ground clearance as a few inches will easily clear with the splitter.

at standard height my 6n would clear most obstacles with ease. rolling on 13s with 155/70

If you saw the road Toby has to battle in the winter when it starts snowing you'd understand the need for what he is proposing to do.

Gwynnespeed are always advertising works kit car parts including suspension. Ask them what they have.

You don't want to lift the front end much, it's designed to have a certain amount of droop. Better to use big tyres. That's what I've done with the Golf. I've tried limiting the droop before and even with proper shocks, the car skips off the road. The rear end should be 20-30mm higher, which is what it would be as standard.

I should however be able to use Mk3 Golf front shocks with B4 Passat springs to lift the front a bit.

may be it's just me being a little retarded, but how would fitting different springs to shocks make it higher? there's only so high a shock will go and a standard shock will already be at full stretch with standard springs?

unless the idea is that the passat springs are of a higher rate meaning that the front won't drop so much when the weight of the car is on it?

infact that sounds like i might of just answered my own question

Gwynnespeed are always advertising works kit car parts including suspension. Ask them what they have.

You don't want to lift the front end much, it's designed to have a certain amount of droop. Better to use big tyres. That's what I've done with the Golf. I've tried limiting the droop before and even with proper shocks, the car skips off the road. The rear end should be 20-30mm higher, which is what it would be as standard.

Cheers for that, will have a look. Thanks for the info too. So are you suggesting not to touch the suspension height at all or just keep it sensible? As I'm sure VW offered a package for countries with rougher roads with increased ground clearance. Perhaps that was simply oversized tyres.

I should however be able to use Mk3 Golf front shocks with B4 Passat springs to lift the front a bit.

may be it's just me being a little retarded, but how would fitting different springs to shocks make it higher? there's only so high a shock will go and a standard shock will already be at full stretch with standard springs?

unless the idea is that the passat springs are of a higher rate meaning that the front won't drop so much when the weight of the car is on it?

infact that sounds like i might of just answered my own question

Nah I worded it wrong, meant Passat shocks with Golf springs.

So are you suggesting not to touch the suspension height at all or just keep it sensible?

Just had a read of the Polo 6N GpN info and they ran a ride height of 375mm measured between the centre of the hub and the top of the wheel arch. The standard car, which is the 1.6 16v, was 325mm, so they found another 50mm from somewhere. Add this to a 6x14" rim and a tall section tyre, which most rally and snow tyres are, and maybe it'll do the job. My tyres are 605mm diameter. So you could have a wheel arch height of around 670mm.

Sweet cheers for that. My tyres are ~590mm which are roughly 40mm larger diameter than OE 6n tyres, so along with a theoretical 50mm increase in ride height, that's 70mm higher than standard.

3" more clearance sounds good to me.

Is that group N info pretty hard to come by? Just wondering how they got the extra height...

Thanks again.

It doesn't really say how they did it apart from spending alot of money on each corner with Proflex. They did run 15" rims though which will add another 20mm. The GpN info is here.

Depending how much exposed thread there is at the top of the shocks - you could machine a metal bush and put it under the topmount?

It doesn't really say how they did it apart from spending alot of money on each corner with Proflex. They did run 15" rims though which will add another 20mm. The GpN info is here.

Alright then, thanks again. Don't think I'd want to go too oversize with the wheels as then I'd be getting into needing a taller final drive and I can't be bothered with that. Unless of course I got a cheap 6n with a dead gearbox... Thanks for the link.

Depending how much exposed thread there is at the top of the shocks - you could machine a metal bush and put it under the topmount?

That's always a suggestion too, should be able to get 10-15mm that way I'd have thought...

One problem which I have is that the driveshaft hits the chassis as the suspension drops fully. I plan on limiting the shock travel eventually. Lowering the whole assembly will only make this worse, you need almost as much downward travel as upward for rough roads. Plus there's the cv plunge to worry about.

I'm not sure how extreme I'd need to go so I might not hit too many snags. Basically, my road is almost usable with a standard height car on winter tyres, traction isn't the issue, clearance is. A couple more inches clearance under the car should sort things out and I'd be able to get about without resorting to a 4x4 (ie, losing man points ).

I can drive my winter tyre shod Mk2 Golf when the snow is fairly deep, and it's lowered 2" rather than raised 2" but it rips the bumper off!

What sort of terrain do you use your Mk1 for?

just a random point, quite a few people on ukmkiv's use Polo 6n topcaps for lower suspension, which should imply that if you use golf mk4 top caps it should raise it?

What sort of terrain do you use your Mk1 for?

Everything It's got huge ground clearance, although the back end is too high even for me. I intended to road rally it, just haven't got around to it yet.

I will be doing the Mongol Rally in a mk3 this year and am looking to raise the suspension as well. How did you get on raising your suspension and what was the best method?