Ground Control weld-in kit question...
 

So I ran into KevinBtz at a local autocross event in town (I live in Blytheville and the only two things that are nice about it...SCCA comes to town and cheap shop space!). I got to see his BAD A$$ REPU and chew his ear off about his FB and look for pointers...yada yada... He suggested, among other things, that I look into the GC weld in kit so I can get some wider wheels/tires up front. So I jump on them and order pretty much that day...

So now I am actually getting around to cutting the stock perches off this last weekend and test fit the coilovers. I read somewhere, which I cannot find now, that people weld the ring such that the sleeve is as close to the strut nut thing as possible; IE flush with the top of the tube. I mocked this up and I got scared to weld it before I asked. This looks quite low! I have some really high rate springs for this thing but still! The instructions from GC, which states for a 7-8" spring, that it should be 6.5" from the base of where the tube meets the spindle thing. The springs that came with the kit are 6"...so add an inch or so to that...I guess.

I guess long post short...where did everyone weld their perch? I guess as high as possible?

Pictures:
The GC instructions...
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7430/...988f42ec_s.jpg

Instruction height vs the lowering springs which were on it when I bought it...obviously this height is ridicules.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7329/...7b0a6cd8_s.jpg

Instruction height at full perch height...
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7352/...c2dc8595_s.jpg

With the sleeve topped out against the strut capture nut thing.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7424/...ca92988e_s.jpg

I am guessing that I need to top out the sleeve on the capture nut thingy but I figured Id see if anyone has any advice! I am going to autocross this thing mostly and gonna have a fiberglass front end so Id like it to not rub the ground...hahaha.

generally you want the top of the adjusting sleeve about flush with the top of the shock, although it certainly doesn't need to be. the neat thing about the 2.5" springs is that you can get them in any length you want

Ahhh awesome! Thanks for your help!!! I'll have to upload some more pictures once it get it all welded up.

I was thinking I could chuck the capture nut for the shock in the lathe and blast the hex part off if I needed to raise it any higher. I'm glad I can grab new 2.5" springs if it sits too low...nice peace of mind. I did notice that the T3 weld in kit seems to have logger springs...

Attachment 630427

I turned the hex off the gland nut to let me install the cheap eBay threaded sleeves. I used 7 inch springs and it works great. I am going to have to redo it a bit now that I am going to bilsteins

Basically flush with the top of the strut tube body is where you want it. Remember you can always thread the collar to adjust height or buy shorter or longer springs. Leave enough clearance so you can get some channel locks around the strut tube nut to tighten it down after the sleeve is dropped in place. I have the 8 inch springs kit with mine welded flush and I sit about 1.5 inches lower than stock with the collar bottomed out.

This picture and info is super helpful...Thanks! What kind of ride height do you see vw stock?

Ahh cool! I didn't realize until this thread that the springs were fairly standard. Thanks for your info on ride height. I was looking at the GC website and saw they had the tender springs and coupler perch to add to the 6in springs I have...I may go that route if it sits too low with the collar at the heigh position. I'm gonna head to the shop in a bit to weld the perches and work on my FC caliper brackets. I'll post the results!

eibach, among others makes 2.5" ID springs in every rate and length you can think of, and a few you can't. part of the reason that we use them

Done...
 

Haha, I see what you mean after looking at the Eibach ESR catalog! Wow...there are a lot of pages.

I managed to get it all welded last night before my feet froze and I had to go home.

I used the two rings to space the ring out and protect the Al sleeve...not thinking that I only had two of them.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7297/...2e9cff76_n.jpg

Clamped the tube to the welding table...
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7337/...4bb081ed_n.jpg

One side I ground the stock perch welds off completely...so I added a few large beads around the radius.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7390/...325aa860_n.jpg

Done...I didnt get them at the same height (off by about 1mm) but this should only effect my sleep at night and not the coilover performance...
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7302/...e282a1ce_n.jpg

Now Im going to have them powder coated or just etch-pimer/enamel paint...

1mm difference between the two won't make any difference at all, the collars usually don't end up at the same height anyways.

the GC sleeves are nice, 4 turns = 1"

Plus mine sat a bit uneven so one side is threaded about 1/4" lower than the other. I also have the driver side 1/8" higher so when I sit inside its at the same height all around.

exactly, the front left (on an LHD) is always heavy, and the RR is always really light

Bump

When you installed these, did it come with instructions on how to mount the spring to the top spring perch? I'm a little confused by that searching around

Not sure what you mean by mounting the spring to the top spring perch? You just drop the spring and spring perch over the strut and bolt the struts into the camber plates, done.

Man. you're the best. I also just read your post on custom ebay 50$ sleeve kit. It doesn't seem that the GC kit offers more than that (with the exception of boxed springs). Right?