So, I recently bought one of the buyback VWs, a 2013 Passat TDI. The suspension is OK, but could use some improvements... if I don't have to spend too much on it. As it is, the car feels kind of like a German Accord, which isn't entirely bad but could be a touch sportier. It appears a lot of the suspension parts are shared with the Mk V and VI Golf / Jetta, Audi A3, and Tiguan. Are there any interesting upgrades out of the OEM parts bin? Something like putting thicker sway bars on there from a related car, or maybe a whole GTI or R32 suspension package?
Just wondering if there's anything that could give a little more sporty handling with a shoestring budget.
aw614
Reader
7/22/20 11:56 a.m.
I believe Koni makes shocks for the passat, but a budget as a budget upgrade the usual GTI/GLI suspension from a mk5/mk6 should swap right over. I am not sure on the sway bars. Might be easy to pick up the shocks from a kid stancing his stock car.
I would be worried the GTI/GLI springs would be a bit soft/low for the heavier car. Best is to find a junked Rline or takeoffs.
I just bought a 2012 Passat TDI, so I'm kinda in the same boat. I've read a thicker rear sway bar does wonders for the car. There might be a junkyard takeoff option for it. I just got impatient and ordered a 24mm H&R bar. It was about $250.
I figured springs/shocks from a mk6 GTI/GLI would be a little soft, so it'll probably end up with Bilstein B8's or Konis and either H&R or Eibach springs
Thank you. I've figured out that the stock rear sway bar is 19.0 mm and the Tiguan's is 20.8, and a GTI sway bar is 19.6 mm. Looks like the good bar is the Golf R one (which seems to have been available on some Passats too) at 21.7 mm. Part number is 3AA511409 - it looks like this is a bit cheaper than an aftermarket bar.
The B6 Passat is a different platform from the Jetta/Golf. I'm unsure if suspension parts may swap from a Jetta/Golf, but the B6 Passat does share the platform with the A4/S4.
This topic is interesting to me as well, I bought 2015 Passat TDI buyback last year. Does anyone know if the VW CC had a stiffer suspension or bigger sway bars? Those springs and strut/shocks should not be to soft.
JesseWolfe said:
The B6 Passat is a different platform from the Jetta/Golf. I'm unsure if suspension parts may swap from a Jetta/Golf, but the B6 Passat does share the platform with the A4/S4.
While VW seems to have officially called it a B7, this one doesn't have much in common with the A4/S4; it's more of a stretched Golf. Some of the VW part numbers on sway bars show up on both Golf and Passat applications. It appears this split stared with B6s.
The CC has the same sway bars as the Passat; confirmed that with part numbers.
In reply to MadScientistMatt :
Thanks for the correction. I had a 10' CC but never went so far as to do any upgrades. My 12' JSW could use some GTI struts and rear bar.
MadScientistMatt said:
JesseWolfe said:
The B6 Passat is a different platform from the Jetta/Golf. I'm unsure if suspension parts may swap from a Jetta/Golf, but the B6 Passat does share the platform with the A4/S4.
While VW seems to have officially called it a B7, this one doesn't have much in common with the A4/S4; it's more of a stretched Golf. Some of the VW part numbers on sway bars show up on both Golf and Passat applications. It appears this split stared with B6s.
The CC has the same sway bars as the Passat; confirmed that with part numbers.
The B5 chassis Passat had the same underpinnings as the A4/S4 Audis, but they diverged after that with the Passat going back to transverse with the B6/7 on the MQB platform.
From what I have been reading, the North America passat is a slightly different platform than most of the rest of the world, but still MQB. I guess it is like the US Honda accord in that way.
Does anyone know if there a good post-dieselgate tune for these motors? Thinking about possble future mods.
In reply to Chesterfield :
There are a few companies that do aftermarket tunes. The two most popular seem to be Malone and KermaTDI. Malone does delete tunes, Kerma doesn't seem to. If you have a DSG, they also make performance tunes for that. I'm planning on both, but I've still got basically the full 4 years on the emissions warranty that VW tacked on after dieselgate
Yeah, I've still got over 3 yrs on my dieselgate warranty. I just curious about possible tunes that were up to date and not delete tunes. Thanks for the info.
