# Track Prepping my MKIV GTi **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Automotive\ **Created:** [January 6, 2008, 2:46pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358 "2008-01-06T14:46:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MPD47](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/mpd47/32/7383_2.png) [@MPD47](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/MPD47)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358/21 "2008-01-06T19:30:54Z")
> [@fiend540](#): > > It’s totally a preference issue 100% ---
**Author:** ![snowracer101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@snowracer101](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/snowracer101)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358/22 "2008-01-06T20:56:43Z")
> [@MPD47](#): > > Actually, your insurance doesnt go nuts. When was the last time your agent checked every aspect car, much less knew what exactly it was equipped with? > > In my case, I dont trust 20 year old pyrotechnics in my face, hence the stock airbags in both my 5 series and my 951 being removed for Sparco comp wheels. That also has to due with personal preference for a slightly smaller wheel with a slightly larger grip (preferably in alcantara) > > Quicker steering correction, easier at speed to turn it and get a set. Granted, it’s also twitchier and harder to steer at slow speed so it’s a trade off. You always have a danm good argument… He drives a 2002+ vw… so it’s under 5 yrs old. The insurance doesn’t know now…but if he got into an accident and suffered an injury due to no airbag, they could refuse to pay for his hospital bills. ---
**Author:** ![MPD47](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/mpd47/32/7383_2.png) [@MPD47](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/MPD47)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358/23 "2008-01-06T20:58:36Z")
Indeed they could, there is always two sides to every issue, give and take! I try my best to have a good argument summed up before I post so I can refute those who argue 😉 ---
**Author:** ![snowracer101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@snowracer101](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/snowracer101)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358/24 "2008-01-06T20:58:47Z")
Get a GIAC reflash…sure its like $500 but it REALLY wakes the car up. I had H&R springs and Koni yellows for my MK4…they work awesome and won’t break the bank ---
**Author:** ![cky89](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/cky89/32/4945_2.png) [@cky89](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/cky89)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 9:02pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358/25 "2008-01-06T21:02:53Z")
> [@sedlmeier101](#): > > Get a GIAC reflash…sure its like $500 but it REALLY wakes the car up. > > I had H&R springs and Koni yellows for my MK4…they work awesome and won’t break the bank I already talked to bracketracer about this, Should be getting done in feb 😃 I drove Erik’s( BIG E) with the GIAC and holy shit, what a difference EDIT: bracketracer quoted me about 300 for it too, but i’ll find out again. ---
**Author:** ![Jam](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jam/32/7235_2.png) [@Jam](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jam)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 10:59pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358/26 "2008-01-06T22:59:59Z")
> [@MPD47](#): > > In my case, I dont trust 20 year old pyrotechnics in my face, hence the stock airbags in both my 5 series and my 951 being removed for Sparco comp wheels. i remember reading on an e30 forum some guys airbag in his late model e30 went off in his face when he hit a pot hole, breaking his arm, nose, and jaw. ooof ---
**Author:** ![cky89](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/cky89/32/4945_2.png) [@cky89](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/cky89)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 11:03pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358/27 "2008-01-06T23:03:15Z")
> [@Jam](#): > > i remember reading on an e30 forum some guys airbag in his late model e30 went off in his face when he hit a pot hole, breaking his arm, nose, and jaw. > > ooof lol pwned. Not that my e30 has an airbag I’m still opting for a sparco race wheel. ---
**Author:** ![cky89](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/cky89/32/4945_2.png) [@cky89](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/cky89)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 1:53am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358/28 "2008-01-08T01:53:24Z")
![http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g188/euroboy66/Stiff.jpg](http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g188/euroboy66/Stiff.jpg) 🙂 The jack is as far forward as it could possibly go and it lifted the rear wheel up off the ground like nothing. I put the stockers on and put the snows and steelies in the garage and damn can that car handle amazing 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dmoffitt](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/dmoffitt/32/7455_2.png) [@dmoffitt](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/dmoffitt)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 2:03am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358/29 "2008-01-08T02:03:45Z")
don’t mod the car (further), mod the driver. ---
**Author:** ![cky89](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/cky89/32/4945_2.png) [@cky89](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/cky89)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 2:05am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358/30 "2008-01-08T02:05:45Z")
> [@dmoffitt](#): > > don’t mod the car (further), mod the driver. Thats the plan as of now. just getting some tires put on my stock rims for track days and extra pads as well. I should also buy a jack that will fit under my car without the help of 3 people and wood blocks 😃 ---
**Author:** ![d3x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8491ac/32.png) [@d3x](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/d3x)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 4:22am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358/31 "2008-01-08T04:22:29Z")
> [@cky89](#): > > Thats the plan as of now. just getting some tires put on my stock rims for track days and extra pads as well. > > I should also buy a jack that will fit under my car without the help of 3 people and wood blocks 😃 i have this floor jack…its a good quality jack and it will easily fit under your car [http://www.napaonline.com/MasterPages/NOLMaster.aspx?PageId=470&LineCode=NLE&PartNumber=7916402&Description=Floor+Jack](http://www.napaonline.com/MasterPages/NOLMaster.aspx?PageId=470&LineCode=NLE&PartNumber=7916402&Description=Floor+Jack) along with brake pads, i would also recommend dot 4 synthetic brake fluid like Motul RBF600 and stainless steel brake lines so your less likely to overheat your brake fluid. ---
**Author:** ![Fry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fry/32/7284_2.png) [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 6:20am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358/32 "2008-01-08T06:20:18Z")
Well, lets see. I took up autocrossing last year in a MKIV so I oughta be able to add something. I’d recommend not modding it anymore. For autocrossing at least, the car will be better than you for your first season. If you don’t believe it run a few events then ask one of the Potocki’s to drive your car for you for one run. I’ve got $20 that says they’ll be at least a couple of seconds faster than you. Also, this will give you time to learn what you don’t like about your car before you start throwing money at it based on internet banter. My suspension was totally stock worn out 100k mile pieces and I still managed to turn in faster times than quite a few “faster cars.” On the flip side there were tons of faster drivers that turned in way better times than me regardless of what they were driving. Wait till you get pwn3d by the chick 2 footing an automatic Beatle! 🤣 After my first race I changed brake fluid and got a set of decent pads. I didn’t pony up for them but I should have gotten Hawk HPS or HP+ pads. If you don’t have decent summer tires, get some. I used Khumo Ecsta SPT’s and they worked decently and were cheap. I replaced the frame-side dogbone mount bushings with polyurethane ones and it cut down on wheel hop quite a bit. All autocross though. I know nothing about track days. Oh, and one of the few really really good things about MKIV’s is that they’re one of the safest cars on the road. Don’t ruin it by ditching your airbag. ---
**Author:** ![cky89](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/cky89/32/4945_2.png) [@cky89](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/cky89)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 8:29am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358/33 "2008-01-08T08:29:28Z")
> [@d3x](#): > > i have this floor jack…its a good quality jack and it will easily fit under your car > [http://www.napaonline.com/MasterPages/NOLMaster.aspx?PageId=470&LineCode=NLE&PartNumber=7916402&Description=Floor+Jack](http://www.napaonline.com/MasterPages/NOLMaster.aspx?PageId=470&LineCode=NLE&PartNumber=7916402&Description=Floor+Jack) > > along with brake pads, i would also recommend dot 4 synthetic brake fluid like Motul RBF600 and stainless steel brake lines so your less likely to overheat your brake fluid. Thank you for the link to the jack! Someone on dubs in the buff reccomended me the same brake fluid, so I believe thats what I’ll be running as well. > [@Fry](#): > > Well, lets see. I took up autocrossing last year in a MKIV so I oughta be able to add something. > > I’d recommend not modding it anymore. For autocrossing at least, the car will be better than you for your first season. If you don’t believe it run a few events then ask one of the Potocki’s to drive your car for you for one run. I’ve got $20 that says they’ll be at least a couple of seconds faster than you. Also, this will give you time to learn what you don’t like about your car before you start throwing money at it based on internet banter. > > My suspension was totally stock worn out 100k mile pieces and I still managed to turn in faster times than quite a few “faster cars.” On the flip side there were tons of faster drivers that turned in way better times than me regardless of what they were driving. Wait till you get pwn3d by the chick 2 footing an automatic Beatle! 🤣 > > After my first race I changed brake fluid and got a set of decent pads. I didn’t pony up for them but I should have gotten Hawk HPS or HP+ pads. If you don’t have decent summer tires, get some. I used Khumo Ecsta SPT’s and they worked decently and were cheap. > > I replaced the frame-side dogbone mount bushings with polyurethane ones and it cut down on wheel hop quite a bit. > > All autocross though. I know nothing about track days. > > Oh, and one of the few really really good things about MKIV’s is that they’re one of the safest cars on the road. Don’t ruin it by ditching your airbag. I agree with ditching the airbag, I may just get a smaller stock wheel if I can find one, but I’m not stressing over it. By the end of the month I should have the VF engineering dog bones from Trent on DITB. ---
**Author:** ![fiend540](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bcef8e/32.png) [@fiend540](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/fiend540)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 9:01am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358/34 "2008-01-08T09:01:12Z")
> [@d3x](#): > > i have this floor jack…its a good quality jack and it will easily fit under your car > [http://www.napaonline.com/MasterPages/NOLMaster.aspx?PageId=470&LineCode=NLE&PartNumber=7916402&Description=Floor+Jack](http://www.napaonline.com/MasterPages/NOLMaster.aspx?PageId=470&LineCode=NLE&PartNumber=7916402&Description=Floor+Jack) I can get you a deal on this jack. ---
**Author:** ![Bacon](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/bacon/32/7230_2.png) [@Bacon](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Bacon)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 11:02am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358/35 "2008-01-08T11:02:31Z")
> [@Fry](#): > > I’d recommend not modding it anymore. For autocrossing at least, the car will be better than you for your first season. . Making mods handling wise without being able to push the limits stock will make it all that much harder for you to push the car to it’s limits. And realize what the car is doing with any new mods. There is a lot the car is doing that you may not realize the first few times. And blindly making mods could give the feeling of it handling better when in reality it might be worse overall. Brakes, tires, and simple comfort mods to make it easier for you to control the car. MPD47’s recommendations early in this thread are spot on at this point. ---
**Author:** ![VANDIT](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/vandit/32/4977_2.png) [@VANDIT](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/VANDIT)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 2:18pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358/36 "2008-01-08T14:18:31Z")
> [@MPD47](#): > > In my case, I dont trust 20 year old pyrotechnics in my face, hence the stock airbags in both my 5 series and my 951 being removed for Sparco comp wheels. Your 951 and 5 series have no where near of a complex airbag/bcm system as the mk5 gti… the mk5’s all use CAN with advanced airbags and insane tolerances due to hundreds of calculations per second… also if you remove one your car will not like you very much!!! you should remain quiet for a while… ---
**Author:** ![MPD47](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/mpd47/32/7383_2.png) [@MPD47](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/MPD47)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358/37 "2008-01-08T18:04:36Z")
> [@VANDIT](#): > > you should remain quiet for a while… lol remain quiet, are you stupid? Besides the fact that I made probably the best suggestions in this thread on “cheap/simple” mods that he should do for his first season… I’m well aware of how advanced onboard electronics are now compared to 20 years ago. I used those as EXAMPLES, but clearly stated that it was purely an option. The car will function FINE without an airbag. :blah: ---
**Author:** ![fiend540](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bcef8e/32.png) [@fiend540](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/fiend540)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 6:41pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358/38 "2008-01-08T18:41:47Z")
> [@MPD47](#): > > lol remain quiet, are you stupid? > > Besides the fact that I made probably the best suggestions in this thread on “cheap/simple” mods that he should do for his first season… I’m well aware of how advanced onboard electronics are now compared to 20 years ago. I used those as EXAMPLES, but clearly stated that it was purely an option. The car will function FINE without an airbag. :blah: Dude he works at a dealer as a salesmen, he knows everything… ---
**Author:** ![VANDIT](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/vandit/32/4977_2.png) [@VANDIT](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/VANDIT)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358/39 "2008-01-08T20:01:06Z")
> [@fiend540](#): > > Dude he works at a dealer as a salesmen, he knows everything… :massmoon: ya see =) :massmoon: besides i have 10 of the best volkswagen minds within 25 feet of me at any time during the day, before i respond to ANYTHING (and so i dont sound stupid) i ask at least 2 people… vandit pwnts fiend540 ---
**Author:** ![MPD47](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/mpd47/32/7383_2.png) [@MPD47](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/MPD47)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 8:11pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358/40 "2008-01-08T20:11:03Z")
> [@VANDIT](#): > > besides i have 10 of the best volkswagen minds within 25 feet of me at any time during the day, You work with Schimmel?!? Oh, wait, no, a bunch of VW dealer techs :bloated: [Previous page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358.md?page=1) [Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/track-prepping-my-mkiv-gti/41358.md?page=3)