The real reason is that ZF8 is so good with BMW programming, that doesn’t make sense going DCT.
2021 VW GLI - Track Day (Open Lapping) at TMP
- Thread starter dgunay
- Start date
The DCT is still marginally faster at swapping gears and is a true manual transmission with a clutch. I dislike that the higher ups at BMW make such a huge deal about the ZF 8 speed. Yeah it's good but doubt it can match a real dct. A dct just like Ferraris F1 gearbox and Lamborghinis E-gear are true manual transmissions without the floor clutch pedal. If I'm dropping that kind of money I want a real transmission that will hold gears and isn't a slushbox.
My correction. Ferrari replaced their F1 with a dual-clutch when the 458 debuted. F1 and SMG single clutch gearboxes are clunky in stop and go traffi but that's not what they were designed for.
I'd love to hear your experience with these. Of course I get what -2°30' front camber
will provide, however are they actually track-proof, say reliable? A failing ball joint
would be really dangerous and these are a tad taller I presume (to raise roll center).
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I've had 30 hours on track (with a lot of tight turns and braking, not a high-speed track), and 8000 miles in total, mostly spirited miles on public roads especially at turns. No issues so far.I'd love to hear your experience with these. Of course I get what -2°30' front camber
will provide, however are they actually track-proof, say reliable? A failing ball joint
would be really dangerous and these are a tad taller I presume (to raise roll center).
.
Yes, it's recommended for lowered cars, mine is not slammed but around 1 inch lower than the stock, but I bought it to get -2.5 degrees in the front more than raising the roll center. This is the most cost-efficient way but more importantly you don't have to deal with weird suspension noises like you would with an aftermarket top hat.
The only downside is the less positive caster angle, the specs are 7.38 degrees min, and 8.38 degrees max, mine is currently at 7 degrees. Not a huge difference but something to consider.
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I can assure you it's not a slushbox. BMW has the best TCU tune for the ZF-8 in the industry. It feels just as quick as a DCT. (I drove both gen M3s), not to mention the ZF-8 feels much smoother when you drive normally, giving you the best of both worlds.
It can also handle tons of power, lots of G80 owners pushing 800+ hp and they have no issues with the transmission.
This is coming from a guy who drives a car with a dual-clutch trans.
DCT is marginally better. But, and this is big but:
1. Itnis more complex.
2. It can’t sustain that much torque. It get super expensive, which is fine in Ferrari and Lamborghini. In M5? Not so much. Heavy, lots of low end torque to mive all that weight.
There are more negatives for marginal gain.
Thanks for your reply, very helpful. Yes, it appears cost-efficient and without to deal with added noises.
I'm going to fit 034 ball joints along with Bilstein B6 Damptronic (since my GTI sports DCC shocks).
Raising roll center (depending on its extent/length) should be desirable in particular since you seem to
added a thicker rear ARB while you kept the stock front ARB. Raising the roll center accomplishes virtually
the same as a bigger diameter ARB.
Good to know, I appreciate it. Preferably more caster IMHO but I didn't figure on an increase of caster anyway.
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Thanks!
I kept the front sway bar stock but stiffened up the rear as I wanted to get a better turn-in response, especially GLI has a longer wheelbase than the GTI, it helps a lot. For an FWD that's what I'd do, add an aftermarket rear sway bar, and add negative camber to the front for more grip, get a good set of summer tires. That's what I've done so far without spending thousands of dollars (yet).
This year, I switched to 19" Englishtowns with DWS06 (245/35/R19) for public roads, but I will have another 18" aftermarket wheels with semi-slicks (255/40/R18) only for the track. When I do that, I'll probably switch to the Macan calipers and 345mm rotors to the front.
I'll keep the OEM shocks until they are worn. Mine has DCC too and coilovers are really expensive.
I will figure out the caster angle when I get the RS3 aluminum subframe and aftermarket aluminum control arms, that's the best time to change the front sway bars (as you need to remove the subframe anyway).
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How's the ride on the 19"s? I'm rim shopping but hesitant to go with anything bigger than replacement 18"s as my GLI is my daily in the upper Midwest on punishing concrete as it is.
Depending on your suspension setup, mine isn't too bad. If you have a DCC, Comfort mode with the current setup (19" wheels and lowering springs) feels like a Sport mode when everything was OEM. With 18" wheels (just lowering springs), Comfort mode with the current setup felt like a Normal mode, and Normal mode felt like a Sport mode.
I bought Englishtowns because I love the way they look on a GLI. They come standard with 235/35/R19 with the Golf Rs, but I've found they are too stretched, that's why I bought 245/35 which is better for the ride quality and has more grip.
My Eibachs are for the MK7 Golf R instead of GLI because I wanted to keep the ride quality closer to OEM as much as possible. They are one of the few aftermarket linear springs available (this is important if you have DCC shocks, they don't like progressive springs). They are very comfortable for an aftermarket spring, almost as good as OEM. The rear springs are stiffer than the front, which is the ideal setup for a FWD car. GLI-specific aftermarket springs usually slam the car with tons of reverse rake, which I hate the looks. I measured the gap, and all wheels have the exact 13.75" distance from the center of the hub to the fender/quarter panels.
Long story short, the ride quality isn't harsh, but you will definitely feel that it is firmer. You still need to be careful with the big potholes though, lowering springs is not the optimal solution, no matter how good they are. If you have the budget, coilovers are still the way to go.
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I don't have DCC, just the standard suspension. It was only available on the 35th Anniversary edition for the 2019 model year. Englishtowns for sure look good...I'm leaning towards either Nogaros or euro Sevillas, both are 18"s. I'm a fan of minimal spokes and large runs of open rim for easy cleaning
You might consider to wrap them with 235/40 R18. Not actually beefy,
but a tiny bit wider, a tad taller, a tad more robust compared to 225/40
R18 (if it's the same stock size as GTI). Don't expect better ride comfort
though . . . (give heed to load rating 92 vs 95)
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