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Touch of Mojo Mk2 Golf GTI Championship Rounds 5 & 6
Snetterton 300
15th & 16th June 2013
Race reports
There was no shortage of action in this weekend’s rounds five and six of the Touch of Mojo Mk2 Golf GTI Championship at Snetterton, when first James Bark and then Jamie Martin both survived intense battles at the front of the field to claim victories in race one on Saturday and race two on Sunday respectively. Once again, the competitiveness of the series shone through, with both drivers having to fight hard to claim the top step of the podium.
In Class 1, the category for eight rather than 16-valve engined cars, Andrew Aldridge continued his winning ways and scored an impressive double victory, bringing his total of wins for the year to five out of the six races.
Using the longest version of Norfolk’s well established circuit, the championship joined – for the first time – an MSVR meeting that hosted a range of high-profile championships: British GT, BRDC F4 and VW Cup. This programme – which was added when the first two rounds at Oulton Park were cancelled due to bad weather - brought with it a number of professional teams and drivers, as well as a large number of spectators.
Although the clouds looked threatening for a time, Saturday morning’s qualifying session was held in the dry. Taking pole position for the very first time was a delighted Harry Vaulkhard, who managed to go 0.5-seconds faster than Henry Wright, who was also pleased with his performance.
Lining up on the second row were the increasingly quick Simon Gusterson and the always quick James Bark, whilst just behind them in P5 was Jamie Martin, the 2012 champion’s pace compromised due to the ?? kgs of success ballast installed in lieu of his double victory last time out at Cadwell Park. Less surprisingly, quickest of the qualifiers in Class 1 was Andrew Aldridge.
Race 1 (round 5)
Unfortunately the weather had changed before the start of the race and consequently Vaulkhard wasn’t able to make the most of his pole position. Not getting the traction he needed, before he knew it, he was passed by Wright - and then Bark - on the run up to Riches, the right-hander at the end of the start-finish straight.
Wright was delighted however, as it saw him lead a race for the first time and, at the end of the lap one he crossed the line fractionally ahead of Bark, then Vaulkhard and then Martin, who was clearly struggling with his overweight car.
Further back, the action in Class 1 was getting a little too close and, as Tim Cox, Simon Tomlinson, Mark Hodder and Alex Nuttall turned into the tight left-hander at Murrays, an almighty tangle ensued, causing all but Nuttall to retire on the spot and seeing Cox left with a heavily damaged car.
Back at the front, Wright led until lap three, until Bark eventually found his way past. Then, on the following lap Vaulkhard followed suit and closed right up on the leader. Try as he might over the next three laps, Vaulkhard could not find a way past and consequently crossed the finish line 0.8-seconds behind, with Wright third and Martin out on his own in fourth.
Aldridge was once again the class of the Class 1 field and finished comfortably ahead of Matthew Petts and Adrian Ward, who had been having a race-long battle for second place.
Click here for round five results
Race 2 (round 6)
With the finishing positions of the first race dictating the starting positions for the second, it meant that Bark was on pole, with Vaulkhard alongside him in P2. But it was Gusterson who impressed on the first lap, threading his way from sixth on the grid and into second behind Bark as the cars started lap two. Right on his tail was Vaulkhard, with Wright fourth and Martin – now running with only 45 KG of success ballast having lost 20 KG due to finishing outside the top 3 in Race 1 – in fifth and getting ready to pounce.
Lap two saw Wright pass Vaulkhard for second place, whilst Martin moved up two positions to take third. Playing a waiting game, the 2012 champion then seized the opportunity to pass Wright at the end of lap five and positioned himself on Bark’s back bumper. A good run through the Bomb Hole saw the two leading Golfs neck and neck into Coram and then the slow left-hander of Murrays, with Martin getting the better traction and then edging past as they crossed the start-finish line for the final lap.
At the finish there was just 0.3-seconds between them, the pace of the leading pair creating a small gap between them and a chasing Vaulkhard and Gusterson, who had both got past Wright on the last lap. All of this frantic activity at the front of the field confirmed yet again, that the Touch of Mojo Mk2 Golf GTI Championship is one of the most competitive of its kind.
Click here for round six results
It was a perfect double-win for Andrew Aldridge in Class 1, with Alex Nuttall and Simon Tomlinson second and third, having repaired their cars following the first lap incident in Saturday’s race.
Competitors now prepare for a trip to Belgium, when the series makes its first ever visit to an overseas circuit for rounds seven and eight at the legendary Spa Grand Prix circuit on 13th 14th July. Whatever the outcome, there’s no doubt that a memorable weekend is in store for all concerned.
The 2013 Touch of Mojo Mk2 Golf GTI Championship is sponsored by: the Touch of Mojo creative brand agency, SuperPro suspension parts, Dunlop tyres, Milltek Sport, Tarox brakes, Forge Motorsport, Petronas oils, Bilstein suspension, Louth Volksworld, JCM Direct, Retro GTI and The Lubricant Consultancy.
Highlights of the races at Cadwell Park will be shown on Motors TV. Please check TV listings for details.
Source: www.golfgtiracing.com
SuperPro VAG Trophy Rounds 5 & 6 Snetterton 300 15th & 16th June 2013
Race reports
This weekend’s SuperPro VAG Trophy double-header on Snetterton’s 300 circuit continued the season’s now familiar trend of dramatic racing, when Arron Mason won Saturday’s round five and Ken Lark did likewise in Sunday’s round six. As usual, the races were no straightforward affair and, with 34 cars entered, there was always going to be action.
Following the cancellation of the year’s first meeting at Oulton Park in March, due to bad weather, series promoters MSVR added the two postponed rounds to this weekend’s high profile programme that featured British GT, BRDC F4 and VW Cup races. Consequently, with VW Cup cars eligible to run in Class A in the SuperPro VAG Trophy, the weekend’s grid was bolstered by a number of drivers that chose to enter both championships.
This cross-fertilization was evident from the qualifying session on Saturday, when the Golf Mk5s of Martin Depper and Arron Mason lined up alongside each other on the front row. But behind them the balance was redressed, with two regulars from the SuperPro sponsored series occupying the second row, in the form of 2012 Champion and round one winner Paul Taylor in his Mk4 Golf R32 and regular series front-runner Joe McMillan in his Seat Leon Cupra.
However, on damp and drying track, Taylor could have given more, if his four-wheel-drive VW had not broken a driveshaft towards the end of the session. Further down the field, James Bradley-Silverstone qualified his Seat Leon in 16th place and first of the Class B runners, whilst James Dowding was second in the category and first of the competitors contesting the Mk4 Golf TDI/GTI Challenge.
Race 1 (round 5)
Competitors lined up for the first of the weekend’s two races on a relatively dry track, the Class A cars on slicks and the Class B runners on treaded road tyres by virtue of the category regulations. The first three cars got off the line well and retained their grid positions throughout the first lap, with Depper, Mason and Taylor separated by less than a second as they began lap two.
But the man to watch was Seat Leon driver Dan Rose, who had from fifth on the grid to fourth and was now on the attack. Then, as the leader braked for the hairpin at Agostini, his car appeared to lose power and immediately slowed. This allowed Mason to take the lead with Taylor briefly second, until Rose went past the R32 driver before the end of the lap.
Not content to stop there, a bold move into Coram allowed Rose to get alongside Mason and then take the lead as they crossed the line to start lap four. But the 2011 Champion’s glory was short-lived, as the re-appearance of the rain saw him slide wide at turn one, the right-hander of Riches, with McMillan also going off from fifth place on the same lap.
At this point, Taylor took the opportunity to get past Mason and therefore, at the end of lap four, the race was to see its fourth leader in as many laps. But Mason was not giving up that easily and on the next lap re-took the lead and then proceeded to hold off Taylor’s advances for the remaining three laps.
In the meantime, Rose was making a comeback and, on the last corner of the last lap, he left his braking as late as he dare on the approach to Murray’s chicane. The maneuver could have gone either way, but fortunately for third-placed Stuart Lines in his Mk 5 Golf GTI – and unfortunately for Rose – this eleventh-hour attempt for a podium place saw the Seat driver end up on the grass and having to settle for fourth.
With Bradley-Silverstone getting no further than the first lap, it was Dowding who collected the Class B honours, following a determined drive that netted him an impressive seventh place overall. The similar TDI/GTI Challenge Golf of Mike Smith was second of the Class B runners, whilst Steve Rowland completed the top three in the category driving his Mk2 Golf GTI.
Click here for round five results
Race 2 (round 6)
The weather on Sunday was a wholly different affair and, although clouds still punctuated the Norfolk skies, there was no evidence of rain. With the finishing positions of the first race dictating the starting positions for the second, it meant that Mason started from pole, with Taylor alongside him.
When the lights went green, the run down to the first corner saw the now familiar sight of Taylor’s red Golf out-drag the rest of the field. However, by the end of the first lap his closest pursuer was Ken Lark, who had elbowed his way through from fifth on the gird. He was followed by Rose - and then Mason - who had managed to get himself caught up in some first-lap antics.
Having retired from the previous round of the championship at Cadwell Park with a blown engine, Lark was on fire – but not in the same way as he was last time out. This time it was a metaphoric blaze rather than real flames that were emanating from his VW Corrado, as he made the most of his new power-plant and overtook Taylor by the end of the second lap.
Right behind and ready to pounce if the leading pair got it wrong, were Rose and Mason, who themselves swapped places on lap five. Then, a lap later on the circuit’s infield section, Taylor was seen spinning onto the grass and then glancing off an Armco barrier. Although he rejoined the race, any chance of a top placing was now over, as he continued to circulate in eighth for the remaining two laps.
All this activity behind him allowed Lark to pull out a small gap ahead of Mason, who was at first pursued by Rose and then Stewart Lines, another VW Cup competitor in a Mk5 Golf GTI, who edged into third place on the final lap. Lark went on to record his first ever SuperPro VAG Trophy victory and was understandably delighted with the result, especially following the disappointment of his previous outing at Cadwell Park.
Dowding rounded off a perfect weekend by doing the double in Class B, with Rob Allum pleased to score an excellent second, having returned to the championship for the first time since last year. The Seat Ibiza driver finished just ahead of Rowland, who rounded off his weekend with another third in Class B.
Also worthy of a mention is Dave Garnsworthy, who finished in 19th place driving his instantly recognisable VW Caddy van. Another regular VW Cup competitor, Garnsworthy commented that he had enjoyed his temporary migration into the VAG Trophy and found the racing ‘great fun’.
Consequently, with two full grids and two fiercely fought races during the course of the weekend, the SuperPro VAG Trophy organisers were extremely pleased that the competitiveness of the series for cars based on a pre-2006 Golf platform was clear to see, alongside the other prestigious championships that were represented at the meeting.
Click here for round six results
The second half of the 2013 SuperPro VAG Trophy season kicks off in style, with rounds seven and eight taking place at the legendary Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium on 13th & 14th July. This event will mark the first ever overseas foray for the championship and, if the first half of the year is anything to go by, the topography and technical nature of this F1 venue is destined to provide yet another exciting two races.
The 2013 SuperPro VAG Trophy is sponsored by: SuperPro suspension parts, Dunlop tyres, Milltek Sport, Tarox brakes, Forge Motorsport, Petronas oils, Bilstein suspension, Louth Volksworld, JCM Direct and the Lubricant Consultancy.
Highlights of the races will be shown on Motors TV. Please check TV listings for details.
Sources
www.vagtrophyracing.co.uk
www.superpro.eu.com
Veedub refiner APR has produced two of the finest tuned Golfs we’ve ever driven but with over 1100bhp on tap from these two hyper hatches, which would you chose: GTI or R?
I’m smiling as I type this as split almost evenly between these two late model Golfs from tuner APR is an incredible 1170BHP. I’ll be honest; at first I passed these two over as tuner demonstrators with a host of bolt-on parts and some graphics designed to lure you in. Whereas I need soul. Where is the essence of a modified VW that we all crave? These appear to be computer-designed, clean sheet builds that haven’t earned my respect through being built in a small garage somewhere, or having skinned a bunch of knuckles, or emptied wallets along the way. Yes, there’s all that power and comfort combined in the subtly tweaked yet recognizable Mk6 body shapes but for me there has to be that extra something. So where’s the soul?
Well, talking to Guy Harding, head man at Harding Performance, home of ARP Australia, I realize the soul can be found in him and his team. As he talks, his passion for VW becomes obvious. He’s instilled decades of experience in the builds, and that’s what I’m looking for.
Thinking laterally, for me, these two are the modern interpretation of the traditional air-cooled Cal-look Beetle - which makes a lot more sense when you talk to Guy because that’s his background. They’re not retro styled with recreated wheels or faux aged stickers designed to ape a look from decades ago. Instead they’ve been made with the same ethos as those giant-slaying Beetles. Subtle, everyday cars made to destroy and embarrass more expensive and supposedly capable machinery. Your Porsche GT3 just got whipped by a Golf R?
That just happened. Guy shows me photo albums of foreign travel laden with rare and obscure air-cooled VWs going back to the mid-80s. this Wolfsburg thing has been in his blood for a long time.
For the last 15 years the water pumpers have come to his attention and under the APR banner this is the core business, working out of an immaculate and well-equipped workshop in Brisbane. If the sanitary feel is not something you really ‘get’ then imagine this is the clinical operating table that Guy and team use to bring these incredible machines to life.
That’s what they are you know, incredible. Both are the second incarnations for APR, as Guy explains: ‘This is our second Mk6 GTI. We previously built a 400bhp manual transmission vehicle. Once again, the never-ending search for speed made us move to a DSG car and extract more power.”
So what were the priorities when you started the project with a new car? “This vehicle has been made as a real sleeper (decals aside). Driveability and comfort are the number one priority. No vibration, no extra cabin noise, civility throughout,” Guy replies.
To achieve the 570BHP that the GTi does is no mean feat, especially when you consider on race fuel that also equates to a sledge hammer-like 700Nm. All the figures I’m going to be quoting are dyno hub proven too, so put the doubt away.
We know from talking to other builders that the newer gen engines aren’t the easiest to work on. Guy agrees: “Building these engines is a much bigger task than those of the engine family of the Golf R, and sourcing parts is not as easy. But the stock cylinder head is capable of this big horsepower.”
Upgraded rods and pistons go into the package as well as the usual attention-to-detail a build like this demands. Now in street-legal trim and running on treaded tyres the GTi can run an 11.5-second quarter-mile with a 124mph terminal speed.
“These engines, whilst comparatively making more power than their Golf R brothers have an issue pulling Gs around corners,” Guy continues. “To allow for the deficiencies in the oiling system we run a drain to sump catch can and an ‘Accusump’ which is secondary pressurised oil system.
To fit in a three-quart system, the easiest way we could do this was relocate the battery to a secure box located in the boot.”
Look inside and it’s all very factory. Again I’m looking for the personal touches and the discreet digital gauge on the steering column hints at its ability to monitor boost and trans temperatures. I’m starting to feel like that really is enough, the massive potential hidden beneath really will more than satisfy. This kind of approach is indicative of the new-skool approach: less is more.
Back outside if you forget the graphics, which are there for obvious reasons, there really are very few clues as to how potent the GTi is. One thing kind of stands out though. “Putting all this power down through the front wheels is a challenge – that’s why we stepped up to wider front wings to allow larger tyres and a wider track,” explains Guy. To see how this all comes together please check the video link over the page.
The Golf R programme has developed into something very different and the more time I spend with these two the more I notice how they server seemingly similar yet specific purpose whereas the GTi is almost the hooligan machine, the R seems like the dedicated weapon. I might be splitting hairs here but I have to discern between the two, otherwise I’m simply going to want both.
The cabin is almost stock. I say almost because those are Japanese spec Recaro SR-6 seats in there along with an AIM data logger display to inform you what’s going on. But swap the original sat nav/headunit back in and you’d never know the power was there. Guy runs us through how it’s all come together: “This is also our second Golf R, we previously built a 430bhp manual transmission vehicle. And again our search for all out speed made us move to a DSC car and up the ante a little!”
A little? That’s another 170bhp Guy is referring to there! “The car is circuit-focused, and spends a lot of its time upsetting GT3s at Porsche club events and is no slouch in a straight line,” Guy grins. “It still holds the record as the world’s fastest Golf R by quite a margin.” Guy also runs a 550bhp, turbo converted Porsche Cayman, so he knows what he’s talking about.
However hard it is, and we’re not about to say it’s easy, straight line handling is simpler than going around corners, which is why we need to know just how Guy makes the most of the R’s insane power? “Getting the transmission to handle the power and torque was no easy task,” he replies. “A careful combination of software and hardware took quite some time to work out. The temperatures are controlled with an additional SSP oil cooler.”
Guy is rightly a little guarded about just how it all works but the team at APR work closely with suspension specialist Fulcrum who produce the globally-known SuperPro brand of bushes. Along with its Custom arms, these go a long way to helping the pair put the power down.
Unlike the GTI, the R’s head has been swapped for an off-the-shelf APR item, again the engine build taking place in-house to exacting standards needed.
So what are they like to drive? “Perfectly mannered on the street with the damping wound off a touch,” says Guy. “Even grandma could go for a run to shops in them.”
I can’t think of a situation where these two cars wouldn’t shine, or equally blend in to the background if you so desired and I think that’s the key here. Have we all become too hungry for the extremes of the show car scene when sometimes you just want to drive really fast- literally to disappear in all possible ways.
Maybe when you buy an APR kit, you get a little bit of soul food with it, two. An attitude upgrade that makes this inanimate object around you come alive, the added power and attention needed waking up sense so that you respond to the car on a deeper level than normal. If you pit the soul in yourself, you get so much more back out.
Respected chassis specialist SuperPro has released several exciting new suspension enhancements for VW Group cars, offering enthusiasts the chance to dramatically improve the handling and control of their vehicles without ruining ride or refinement. The parts fit many key VW, Seat, Skoda and Audi models like the Golf, Leon, Toledo, A3 and Octavia.
The all-new Supaloy light-weight aluminium control arms for MK5 & MK6 Golf based cars from the various Volkswagen Audi Group manufacturers are now available from stock in Europe and represent the latest innovation from SuperPro. Combining the class-leading performance of SuperPro polyurethane suspension bushes with lightweight, high-stress & corrosion resistant metal-alloy arms, delivering a 44% reduction in un-sprung weight when compared with VAG original cast steel arms. The package is supplied with the separate rear mounting bracket as standard, making installation for the workshop a straightforward process.
Please Click here to read the full article
Outstanding auto aftermarket people, products and promotional materials were recognized at the Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo held at the Sydney Exhibition Centre Darling Harbour, April 11-13.
Organized by Expo host—the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA)—the Awards to Industry program is run every two years in tandem with the Expo to promote excellence in the industry and to recognize the achievement and commitment of the industry’s people, and the research and development they invest in innovative products and marketing techniques.
SuperPro has received the honour of winning the Gold Award for Best New Aftermarket Product, Parts for the SuperPro Sport-Align & Lift-Align arms.
Products submitted are subject to the following stringent criteria:
The products SuperPro put forward to win the category were the new SuperPro Lift-Align arms and the SuperPro Sport-Align arms.
Our SuperPro R&D Team noticed that when modern Hilux and Navara 4x4 vehicles are lifted they run out of Camber and Caster adjustment,
With this realisation, SuperPro has designed a product that will provide a solution. With the modern trend to fit accessories, larger tyres & rims and suspension lift kits to the modern 4 X 4 has exposed the lack of Camber and, particularly, Caster Adjustment required to return the suspension geometry to OEM settings. Leading to undesirable handling and driveability issues like wandering all over the road, uneven and premature tyre wear along with the steering wheel vibrations.
The new Lift-Align Arms from SuperPro Roll Control are manufactured from a hybrid of high stress, cold formed steel tube and forged steel, with an adjustable position Ball Joint and are fitted with SuperPro bushes.
SuperPro have developed & released new Sport-Align Front Arms for the VE Commodore in response to the need for an upgrade to the standard OEM style rubber bushings and ball joint. Both Arm Kits come supplied and fitted with SuperPro Polyurethane Bushings as well as both Ball Joints.
The front suspension bushings in the VE Commodore have always been notorious for excessive movement, in particular the front caster bush, which leads to a multitude of undesirable steering, braking, alignment and tyre wear issues. Add to that the trend by OEM Engineers to incorporate the ball joints into the arm assemblies, requiring those customers wanting to upgrade to superior bushings to purchase OEM style arms and then replace the bushings with SuperPro.
That is now a thing of the past; SuperPro Roll Control Sport-Align Arms are not only the perfect Performance upgrade, but the logical Repair replacement for VE Commodore owners wishing to restore that “New Car” feel.
SuperPro also received the distinguished Bronze Award for Excellence in Export which, in a time of the high Australian dollar and pressures in the world is a fantastic achievement to the SuperPro export team.
SuperPro has been recognised twice at the recent AAAA industry awards receiving the Bronze Award in the 2013 Export Awards category. This followed on from the Gold award for Best New Aftermarket Product at the awards breakfast that morning!
The Export Awards recognise
• The degree of innovation in the applicants marketing strategy.
• Export growth achieved and the ability to sustain that growth.
• The overall company commitment to international market development.
SuperPro are proud to have been recognised in this highly competitive category.
“We acknowledge and would like to thank our SuperPro team in Australia, as well as our overseas customers and distributors that have continued to support us through what have arguably been some of the toughest few years globally in many of our key markets. We plan to continue to expand and grow our International distribution channels and presence”
Graham Scudamore Smith Founder SuperPro
Just how many handling mods are available for the new Dodge Challenger?! Judging by the seemingly bottomless pit of choice upgrades plucked out of the air by Eibach and its supporting cast - apparently loads! Not only is this great news for anyone out there in reader-land running one, or a Magnum/300c, of course but it also means that the American car scene suddenly has a GT/Sports platform to rival the best that Europe can offer - given a few tweaks and a little time and money...
To jog your memory - or to bring new readers up to speed thus far Eibach’s sizeable SRT-8 had been dynamically shrunken with the addition of its Pro-Street S coil-overs and adjustable anti-roll bars. not only had this allowed for a far more aggressive stance, giving the Dodge a real sense of purpose, but perhaps even more importantly, the improvement in lateral stiffness had made the considerable bulk of the Challenger much easier to handle in the twisty bits.
The only problem when you make such a comprehensive change like this is that the new, more brilliant componentry starts to reveal inadequacies elsewhere in the drivetrain. After a full shakedown session at Bruntingthorpe a few weeks previously, Eibach’s UK chassis team still felt a huge amount of inaccuracy in the steering and handling of the car. ‘You can actually feel some of the components moving on their factory bushes when power is applied quickly, or during hard cornering,’ explained general manager, Greg Kirby. Not only is this reducing the effect of the accuracy we have achieved with the Pro-Street S coil-overs and the anti-roll kit, but it also doesn’t really inspire any confidence when driving at speed. We need to change that.’
As is often the case with these things, the answer comes from the track. Eibach’s technical partners SuperPro make an extensive range of polyurethane bushes for a wide range of cars, fortunately offering a simply bewildering away for this Chrysler platform(1). In days of old urethane was always a mixed blessing on a road car, with the precision and lack of movement being a real boon, but the noise and harshness created by its fitment being anything but! Thankfully, moulding and plastics technology has moved on considerably in the last decade or so and these days, thanks to a top-secret formula more closely guarded than even Tony-the-Tiger’s Frosties recipe.
SuperPro has managed to achieve an impressive balance where ride quality and refinement are barely affected, but precision and feel move up several notches. These aren’t just your author’s findings either - the range has recently been granted ‘Official Accessory’ status by Subaru UK after the product had been tested proved to be a huge advantage dynamically, without any NVH issues. So, if it’s good enough to gain manufacture approval, you can probably guess that it’s more than up to the job in the aftermarket!
As the pack shot shows, there are an awful lot of bushes in the SuperPro kit. Every single rubber bush on the Dodge can be upgraded if required, which are you can imagine, is quite some job. Not only is this all made considerably easier with the right tools, which we will come to in a minute, but also with the right talent. Stepping into the breach once again for the camera. They work pretty fast, these guys!
Unbolting most components on the Dodge was still thankfully relatively easy, with the car being so young(3). Carnetix has an impressive set of press tools which allow each old bush to be precisely pressed out without damaging the arm that it came from - and then ensuring that the new bush can be re-fitted without any damage to its outer shell(4). The care and attention that was taken here was truly impressive - everything was measured and checked (5), correct threaded extraction tools were used for inaccessible bushes and every arm had its surface rust removed (6) before being coated with black paint to ensure that the corrosion is kept at bay, before being refitted (7).
As well as the inner and outer control arms, trailing arms and every single suspension pick-up point, the SuperPro kit also included uprated damper top bushes for the rear (8) and even steering rack bushes (9)! Any factory bush that has a load-bearing steel shell is faithfully replicated in higher quality urethane, but many of the other bushes are recreated in a much simpler-to-fit ‘halved’ design that simply bushes in each side of the carrier before a crush tube is slid inside after being well lubed with the special grease supplied (10).
As one would expect from an outfit of this level of ability, nearly every bolt was only ‘nipped’ whilst the car was in the air (11). ‘We don’t torque anything until the car is on the four-post lift and under load.’ Said Glenn with a serious look. ‘it’s the only way to ensure the bushes are sitting correctly and you’re not inducing any pre-load into each component from the bush acting like a small torsion bar.’ Once everything had been fitted, checked, and re-checked, Becky moved the car onto the four-post lift to allow for final fettling and precise torquing up.
Dave then fitted the light plates for the Hunter rig(12) which allowed for toe and camber settings to be adjusted to get the car pointing in the right direction. The team spent well over an hour on this bit making sure everything was perfect(13), before rolling it out into the Autumn sunshine to allow us to try difference for ourselves. Driving the Dodge on the superb Leicestershire back-roads around Carnetix revealed what a very worthwhile exercise this had all been . Gone was the ‘slop’ of the factory bushes and in its place was a very palpable feeling of being viscerally connected to the moving parts of the car. The steering suddenly felt very precise and direction changes were communicated back in a most un-American way. Best of all, as promised on the packaging, the SuperPro bushes have in no way trashed the ride quality. Sure, it’s a little bit stiffer than the factory’s ‘chewing gum’ offering, and there’s a tiny bit more road noise, but neither are in any way an issue. In fact, conversely, the ability to ‘feel’ the road through the Challenger’s chassis now encourages much more spirited cornering, with the car really letting you know what’s happening and allowing you to explore the grip much more. So, yet again, another worthwhile mod and a great one for many of you to consider out there. Each of those bags can be bought separately, so you can spread the cost and effort over a longer period if you don’t have a team like Carnetix to fit them for you... but our advice? Give them a call and let them sort it out. Their attention to detail, alignment skills and constant supply of chat and tea will make the trip to the Midlands worthwhile!
Source: American Car Magazine
Hidden away beneath your 4x4, your suspension bushes may not be high on your list of components to upgrade, but you might be missing a trick reckons chassis experts SuperPro. We decided to find out for ourselves.
When it comes to spending money on your pride and joy, certain mods are always easier to justify than others. New wheels and tyres tick both ‘form’ and ‘function’ boxes, a sturdy new winch also offers chunky good looks and a feeling of off-road invincibility, but suspension bushes? Surely the time to change these is when they expire and not before! Spending large amounts on items that you never see and believe you can’t feel is never going to make it to the top of your ‘to do’ list now, is it?
The thing is, suspension bushes are the one component that really gives a vehicle that ‘as new’ feel. If you were lucky enough to own your 4x4 from new, those tight and perfectly-formed bushes would have been a major factor behind the tautness of the ride and steering and the bedrock of precise and communicative feedback. Factor in a few years and several thousand miles of wear and tear, and I’m prepared to bet that the now soft and pliable rubber bushes aren’t holding on to key components like they once did. The trade-off from this fatigue is a vehicle that doesn’t quite do what it’s being told to do in quite the way it once did..
This usually happens over such a long and gradual period that the effects are imperceptible. Tiny deteriorations over such a large timeframe are very difficult to note, but drive a low mileage car back to back with a higher mileage equivalent, and it starts to become dramatically apparent.
Replacing the old bushes with new OEM equivalents is a great idea, but for not a great deal more money, Australian manufacturer SuperPro offers a wide range of bushes made from a more durable and hardwearing polyurethane formulation. The problem with these type of parts in days of yore was that, generally speaking, they were fine for dedicated off-road or competition machinery, but usually too harsh and too noisy for general road use, where, let’s face it, most of us rack up the majority of our miles.
SuperPro changed the game significantly with its clever formulation and neat moulding tricks, which imbue the recipient vehicle with a great deal more precision than the factory parts offer, yet cleverly manage to balance this with improved longevity and a complete lack of noise, vibration or harshness. These aren’t just your author’s findings either; the range recently gained full approval from Subaru UK as a genuine accessory after extensive technical trials revealed improvements, even on brand new vehicles.
Words and photography: Paul Cowland 4x4 Magazine November 2012 www.4x4i.com
Not sure how Australians got so good at suspension bushes, but they’ve clearly stayed off the Bundaberg to get it right: two class champions in this year’s UK Time Attack Challenge plus numerous other front-runners were using SuperPro bushes
Source:Practical Performance Car Magazine
SuperPro makes a proud stand at Rally Day 2012, showing a good selection of vehicles proving we can cater just as easily for classic car models as we do for new track cars.
Richard Fearn, SuperPro Europe talks to Road2Race about SuperPro’s market leading suspension products.
G+: Hi Richard, so you're the man behind those excellent SuperPro polyurethane suspension bushes...
RF: "Well partly, as the European distributor we can take sine if the credit. However the real praise needs to go to Graham's been working on the design and materials necessary for polyurethane to work as a replacement for a suspension bush for over 30years, the result being outstanding performance and long life without making the car hard or increasing noise levels. The SuperPro range has included bushes for the MK1 and Mk2 Golf for many years. However after requests to offer bushes for other Golfs and also Polo we quickly got the Mk3 and Mk4 finished, sorted the variations on the 4WD cars, launched Polo and then soon after Mk5 Gold. Interestingly, while the development of these new products was quick. Graham and his engineers still came up with innovative and unique solutions to the inherent problems presented by the original VAG designs."
As published in October edition of Golf World www.thegolf.co.uk
Jamie Martin continued his perfect run of scores in this season's Mk2Golf GTI Championship, by winning rounds five and six at Oulton Park. These two victories add to his previous four, making it six wins out of six so far. Second and third in the first of the two 15 minute races were Henry Wright and Colin Hays, whilst occupying the two remaining steps on the podium in the second race were Darren Bedford and Martin Walsh.
As published in October edition of Golf World www.thegolf.co.uk
