The 5 Best Chassis Upgrades For Your Mk5 Golf Platform
Posted by Awesome on 10th Dec 2019
Awesome GTI Blog – The 5 Best Chassis Upgrades For Your Mk5 Golf Platform
The Mk5 Golf GTI was a highly significant car for VW, perhaps one of the most important in its long existence. The previous generation had certainly marked a departure from the fairly unloved Mk3, yet the fourth gen wasn't exactly without its problems or its detractors, with a series of niggling faults (central locking and dash lights, anyone?) serving to sully what was otherwise a very capable package. The Mk5 was a true return to form for VW then, and it was a car that finally allowed it to face off against the ever rising tide of highly capable hot hatches in the middle of the last decade, something it managed with aplomb.
The Mk5 has since gone onto become one of the most important cars within the tuned VW community, something that's likely to only become more apparent now that prices for decent used examples have dropped to attainable levels. Good as the Mk5 was, there are plenty of ways to go about making it even better, and the Awesome GTI web store is most certainly the best place to start!
With this in mind, here's our rundown of the greatest chassis tuning parts for the Golf MK5 and the A5 platform in general.
1) SuperPro Alloy Wishbone Kit Golf Mk5/Mk6
The Mk5 Golf's continued and growing popularity in club level motorsport means that there's no shortage of race inspired parts for the model, though this wishbone kit from SuperPro is easily one of the most effective. Developed off the back of the Mk5's use in the Production GTI Championship, the alloy wishbone offers a number of benefits over and above the standard component, the most obvious one being the ability to increase the degree of caster thanks to the incorporated anti-lift kit, a move which has creates a more precise steering feel and can contribute to sharpened handling.
The product's alloy construction also has another benefit, light weight. Indeed, SuperPro's wishbone kit represents a significant weight saving when compared to the VW original, meaning that its fitment can reduce unsprung weight.
Last but not least, the addition of SuperPro's polyurethane bushes means that the kit also has proven roll control benefits, decreasing flex and component movement when cornering, in turn giving you the confidence to carry greater speed, and ultimately be a faster driver.
2) KW Variant 3 Coilovers
Few aftermarket firms can claim to have a better reputation than KW, the spring and damper expert having been at the forefront of the suspension industry for decades now. KW has an array of suspension options available for the Mk5 Golf and its various siblings (head over to the Awesome GTI website to see the full range), but we're a particular fan of its Variant 3 coilovers as they represent an ideal compromise between price and capability.
As you might expect of a KW product, the Variant 3s offer broad scope for adjustment. Both ride height and damping rate can be easily toggled with the coilovers in situ, but what really sets the KW product apart is the ability to adjust both the bump and rebound settings, effectively giving you compete and total control over how your car handles.
https://www.awesomegti.com/shop-by-brand/kw/kw-variant-3-coilovers-vw-golf-mk5/
3) Vagbremtechnic Brake Range
It's a fact that larger, more effective brakes will make you a faster driver, and this is entirely down to the confidence boost they're sure to give you. Big brakes mean you can brake later and carry greater speed, an important point if you're the kind that likes to attend trackdays on a regular basis.
Vagbremtechnic's (VBT) range of advanced braking options has been tailored for VAG products, meaning that there's no shortage of hardware intended for A5 platform cars, the MK5 Golf included. The sheer size of the range and the myriad different fitment options in comprises means that there's simply too much info to include here, but it should be noted that VBT has established itself as one of the most effective providers of brake setups in operation today. If you're keen to stop in a hurry, then you're certain to be well catered for.
https://www.awesomegti.com/shop-by-brand/vagbremtechnic/
4) Powerflex Bushes
You're probably well aware that A5 generation VAG models respond very well to more involved chassis additions like bush kits, and the offerings from Powerflex have been proven to make a dramatic difference to these cars' handling abilities. Their Anti Lift Kit is extremely popular, replacing a bush that in OE form fails before long and replaces it with a bush with a lifetime guarantee and performance qualities. Its complex polyurethane construction is also able to resist the chassis 'flex' that's part and parcel of driving any car in a spirited manner.
https://www.awesomegti.com/shop-by-car/volkswagen/golf-mk5/bushes-by-powerflex/
5) Neuspeed RSe102 Alloys
Lightweight alloy wheels are another all too often overlooked product. Granted, you might well swap your OE alloys for some better looking aftermarket versions, but there's no guarantee that doing so will give you any benefits in terms of handling. Those keen to turn their Mk5 Golf into a true cornering titan could certainly do a lot worse than considering the Neuspeed range of ultra lightweight alloys, all of which promise substantial reductions in unsprung weight when ranged against the standard wheels.
Wheel choice is very much a personal thing of course, yet we think that the RSe102 is one of the best looking alloys in the range, its simple multi-spoke design harking back to motorsport classics. It can also be ordered in one 4 stunning finishes, tips the scales at a mere 20lbs and comes with a VAG-friendly offset, PCD and centerboard, so a good buy all round and one which is all but certain to look right at home peeking out from behind the arches of your Mk5.
https://www.awesomegti.com/shop-by-brand/neuspeed/neuspeed-rse102-light-weight-wheel-19x8-5-5x112/