Traction in 1st

[Blue9N3]

I can't seen to get traction in 1st gear even on dry Tarmac. Car has APR stage 1 (was done in late 2013) and new Kumho KU39's on the front. Front and rear sway bars (white line)

I had a 280hp Focus XR5 (sadly stolen and written off) before the POG which seemed to be able to put its power down better and it didn't have particularly special tyres either

Is this normal?


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[rollehgoo]

I'm running KU31s, sways and strut bars front and back. 1st and 2nd depending how heavy footed I am it will lose traction. Iv noticed there's a fine line between grip and spin when driving more spirited then usual.

[sambb]

I think the stock springing/damping doesn't help. Personally I find it better with the ESP off when I do a hard launch. With ESP on in my car when I break traction it seems to get locked into a bad axle tramp loop. With ESP off I atleast get progressive wheelspin.

[Stuwey]

Aftermarket suspension will greatly help, as does some firmer suspension bushings.

All of which makes your nice city car not a very nice city car :(

[seangti]

The XR5's have launch control (limit revs on launch) and lower power delivery in 1st and 2nd gear. You don't get full power till 3rd. Plus wide tyres to start with. The Polo doesn't lower power.

Are you launch the car from stand still, or rolling and punching it? Eitherway, it'll spin, but if launching you're best revving it to around 2500rpm and slipping the clutch a bit, anymore and it's turbo territory and tyre spin.

[Blue9N3]

No launch, this is rampant wheelspin from a roll, would better lower control arm bushes help? (Might reduce toe in on power?)

My xr5 used to get full boost (1.2bar) in 1st as it had been reflashed. used to wheelspin too but seemed to be able to put power down a bit better. Was lowered with the front sitting a bit lower than the rear, maybe that helps reduce front lift.


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[Stuwey]

Don't forget that your Polo is merely a $14,000 budget hatchback, with an old-generation turbo motor and a red stripe on the grille.

They're not all that fantastic, and those of us who want more, more, and more only highlight its' shortcomings.


Not that I have a problem with that, it's all part of the challenge!

[Blue9N3]

To be honest, other than build quality, ride,road noise, vibration and comfort, it craps all over the xr5 :) Besides, I've got a Merc for all of the above as the sensible car.


The Pog though handles better, feels quicker off the mark and is just more fun to fling around than an xr5 ever will be. Just can't figure out why traction is do bad....


Oh yeah, it was a $10k hatch ;)




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[gavs]

The VW lower control arm design does flog out rear bushes quicker than many other cars, to be perfectly honest the bushes will be well past their best by 40,000kms if you drive on any surface other than a race track and drive like a nanna as well. Do front bushes, replace the rears with solid Mk4 R32 bushes, anti-rollbar bushes and all nuts and bolts with new ones and see if that helps, look at a stiffer dogbone bush as well....

[noone]

Lots of little things need to be addressed, but the tuned polo has a very lumpy torque spike.

I cant hammer 1st, but on even ground can usually get all of second down. Some things that helped;
- coilovers
- FSB, RSB
- Rubber control arm bushes
- 215/40/17 RSR's up front
- Nolathane rear engine mount
- Front strut brace
- Practice

Lots of fun, not a lot of refinement, but a great little toy.

[h100vw]

The VW lower control arm design does flog out rear bushes quicker than many other cars, to be perfectly honest the bushes will be well past their best by 40,000kms if you drive on any surface other than a race track and drive like a nanna as well. Do front bushes, replace the rears with solid Mk4 R32 bushes, anti-rollbar bushes and all nuts and bolts with new ones and see if that helps, look at a stiffer dogbone bush as well....

Can you read that again gavs. There's no where R32 bushes fit a 9N that I can think of. Seat Sport do solid rear bushes, is that maybe what you are thinking of?

Gavin

[Blue9N3]

Got the sway bars and dogbone, suspension and bushes are probably next. They should help reduce front end lift/geometry changes when accelerating. Had a brand new mercedes A180 with the AMG pack as a loaner the other day, kind of put in perspective how squidgy the Polo's front end (ok all ends) is and what brand new shocks and bushes feel like.... The A was gutless though ;)


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[Blue9N3]

10880

And I can't get over how much the rear looks like a Corolla!


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[gavs]

Surely it's the same? 1J0407181 the factory bushing? Is in the Mk4 golf and the 6r polo...

[noone]

i dont remember seeing the OEM voided bushes in the 9n3 being used in other models

[h100vw]

Surely it's the same? 1J0407181 the factory bushing? Is in the Mk4 golf and the 6r polo...

Nope, the hole in the bush runs fore and aft like a MK5 Golf. Seat Ibiza Mk4 Front Left or Right Wishbone Bush 6LL407183 | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seat-Ibiza-Mk4-Front-Left-or-Right-Wishbone-Bush-6LL407183-/360884926033?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Car+Make%3ASeat%7CModel%3AIbiza&hash=item54066af651)

Gavin

[Blue9N3]

Update. Got Nolathane front rear control arm bushes ($75 or so for the pair from repco). Traction is just as bad but at least it doesn't axle tramp now... Shocks and rear beam lock bushes next.


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[kaanage]

Nope, the hole in the bush runs fore and aft like a MK5 Golf. Seat Ibiza Mk4 Front Left or Right Wishbone Bush 6LL407183 | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seat-Ibiza-Mk4-Front-Left-or-Right-Wishbone-Bush-6LL407183-/360884926033?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Car+Make%3ASeat%7CModel%3AIbiza&hash=item54066af651)

Gavin

For most of our cars. flat6 had pics that showed the very late models reverted to the vertical bush layout of the MkIV Golf/6R (in his girlfriend's GTi). I can only assume VW had completed tooling for the 6R and had run out of the older lowert front end assemblies at that point

[flat6]

Funny thing is both cars are OCT 08 build dates, hers registered in 09, mine in 10

My Car - The Super Pro bushes help with getting the power down
14580

Mrs Car
14581

Having the APR tune I found the only way to get through first happily is by swapping to the 95 octane tune, feels like the power band is around the 130kw range (Polo GTI Cup), even with Bridgestone RE02's with about 15k on them I still get a fair bit of wheel spin in first using the 98 tune.

[h100vw]

Boots up ETKA :D

EDIT

nothing in ETKA leads me to believe there was a change in those front wishbones over the whole life of the 9N3. I went from 2006 to the last chassis in 2010 and the all have the same console and subframe part number for GTIs.

They all had the same 1K0 part number for the rear bushes too.

Although my ETLA is a good few years old. It was last updated with 6R Polos so I don't reckon it would be wrong completely.

I'd be really interested to see the part numbers off the wishbones and subframe.

Gavin