How to increase the ground clearance of a Volkswagen Passat with your own hands
Content
Ground clearance, or ground clearance, is an extremely important value when driving off-road. If the car moves exclusively in urban areas and on paved highways, then the lower the ground clearance, the better the stability and handling will be. Therefore, some car models are tuned to make the clearance equal to 130 mm. But what is good for asphalt is completely unsuitable for cross-country driving. In such cases, extreme seekers seek to increase ground clearance, using various inserts for this.
Ground clearance "Volkswagen Passat"
The modern passenger car Volkswagen Passat in terms of comfort belongs to business class models. The car got its name in honor of the winds revered by sailors - the trade winds, which, due to the constancy of direction and strength, made it possible to lay routes over long distances. Since 1973, 8 generations of the legendary car have been produced. Initially, the cars of the Volkswagen concern have a large margin of safety of all components and assemblies, which makes it possible to make trips to the country, country picnics, as well as on tourist trips.
Everything would be fine, but one problem interferes - a small ground clearance, which varies from 102 to 175 mm for different versions of the Passat. This is easily explained, because the German concern focuses on European roads with excellent road surfaces. In Russia, on asphalt roads, you can find potholes of great depth, hitting a wheel in which leads to serious costs for suspension repairs. In winter, even on federal highways, snow drifts are observed, which are difficult to overcome with low ground clearance. In addition, this clearance is clearly not enough when parking, since our curbs are high due to the constant increase in the thickness of the asphalt. Therefore, the car clings to them with shock absorber mounts, engine protection or other low points of the chassis.
It must be remembered that a loaded car becomes lower by 20–30 mm, so the clearance of a VW Passat with a full weight becomes very small. It is worth thinking about installing a special insert under the shock absorber, which will make the car higher. On the latest VW models, this problem was solved by using special electronically controlled shock absorbers that change the stiffness of the suspension by changing the working length of the rod.
Ground clearance for Volkswagen models B3-B8 and SS
For each new generation of VW Passat, the clearance has changed in different directions. This is due to a change in tire size, design features of the chassis and other reasons.
Table: clearance and suspension characteristics of VW Passat models of different generations
| Generation | Year of construction | Clearance, mm | Wheel size | Front Suspension Type | Rear suspension type | Drive unit |
| V3 | 1988 – 1993 Feet | 150 | 165 / 70 / R14 | independent, spring | independent, spring | front |
| V4 | 1993 – 1997 Feet | 120 | 195 / 65 / R15 | independent, spring | semi-independent, spring | front |
| V5 | 1997 – 2000 Feet | 110 | 195 / 65 / R15 | independent, spring | semi-independent, spring | front |
| B5 restyling | 2000 – 2005 Feet | 110 | 195 / 65 / R15 | independent, spring | semi-independent, spring | front |
| V6 | 2005 – 2011 Feet | 170 | 215 / 55 / R16 | independent, spring | independent, spring | front |
| B7 (sedan, station wagon) Wagon Alltrack | 2011 – 2015 Feet | 155 165 | 205 / 55 / R16 225 / 50 / R17 | independent, spring | independent, spring semi-independent, spring | front full |
| B8 (sedan, station wagon) | 2015 – 2018 Feet | 146 | 215 / 60 / R16 215 / 55 / R17 235/45/R18 235/40/R19 | independent, spring | independent, spring | front |
| B8 station wagon 5 doors alltrack | 2015 – 2018 Feet | 174 | 225 / 55 / R17 | independent, spring | independent, spring | full |
| Passat CC | 2012 – 2018 Feet | 154 | 235 / 45 / R17 | independent, spring | independent, spring | front |
Video: what is clearance
How to increase the clearance of the Volkswagen Passat with your own hands
To ensure a safe ride on the VW Passat with increased ground clearance, it is necessary to choose the right parts for lifting the body. They may be:
- factory polyurethane spacers;
- package for bad roads;
- springs and shock absorbers with special characteristics.
The most popular option for increasing ground clearance by 20–40 mm is the option of installing special inserts between the body and the support bearing on the front and rear suspensions. The material of the spacers is of great importance. Practice has shown that the most effective are elastic inserts made of polyurethane, which are several times more durable than cheap rubber ones. Some owners grind metal counterparts, but they increase the load on suspension parts by 2-4 times, thereby reducing the life of silent blocks and shock absorbers.
The VAG concern itself has developed a package for bad roads especially for Russia, but it is quite expensive (about 50 thousand rubles). When using it, the ground clearance increases by only 1-1,5 cm, which is clearly not enough in our conditions. Owners of Volkswagen cars are recommended to buy this package from car services, which they contact to increase clearance, and official dealers.
All recent Volkswagen models use springs and shock absorbers with adjustable stiffness. It is problematic to make the front suspension adjustable on your own due to the need to make major changes to the software of the on-board computer (the “brains” of the car).
Do-it-yourself step-by-step instructions for increasing the clearance of the VW Passat
We will raise the body of the Passat by installing polyurethane spacers between the front pillar support bearing and the car body.
Tools and materials
To do this job, we need a certain set of tools.
- Candle wrench 21 mm.
- A set of spanners.
- Set of heads.
- 7 hex key.
- Adjustable wrench.
- A hammer.
- Half a sledgehammer.
- Hydraulic jack.
- Chisel.
- Couplings for compression of springs.
- Wooden coasters (blocks, bars, cuttings of boards).
- Aerosol WD-40 (universal tool for unscrewing stuck nuts).
- Set of polyurethane spacers with six extended bolts.
Installing the spacer for the rear shock absorbers
This is the most reliable, simple and effective way to increase ground clearance with normally working C-pillars. Since the German concern categorically advises against changing the working length of the shock absorber rod, you need to raise the attachment point of its lower part. For this, special brackets with bolts are sold, but you can make them yourself.
The work is done in this order.
- The body is hung out with a jack.
- The nut securing the lower part of the shock absorber is unscrewed.
The bracket is installed at the mounting point of the lower part of the rear shock absorber - A bracket is screwed to this place.
- The lower part of the shock absorber is attached to the seat of the bracket.The shock absorber is mounted on special seats in the bracket
Table: dimensions of a homemade stand
| Details of a homemade spacer | Size mm |
| Side walls made of strip steel (2 pcs.) | 85h40h5 |
| Jumpers made of strip steel (2 pcs.) | 50h15h3 |
| Distance between side walls | 50 |
| Steel spacer (2 pcs.) | diam. 22x15 |
| Distance between holes on the side wall | from 40 |
Mounting spacers for front shock absorbers
Changing the attachment points of the front shock absorbers is associated with the removal of the front struts and directly affects the camber and toe of the front wheels, changing the angle of rotation of the angular velocity cardans and other important characteristics of the car. It is recommended that this work be performed independently only by drivers with rich experience in locksmith work. If you do not have the necessary qualifications, it is better to contact the specialists in a car service.
Video: Passat B5 spacer installation
Spacer Tips
Polyurethane spacers have excellent qualities. It is easy to buy them on automotive Internet resources. They not only increase the clearance of the VW Passat for driving on difficult Russian roads, but also dampen the body vibration. The polyurethane composition is not afraid of corrosion, anti-icing sand-salt mixtures.
When choosing parts to increase ground clearance, be sure to pay attention to the make, model, body type and year of manufacture of the Volkswagen Passat. Each generation of this car needs its own spacer sizes, because the thrust bearings and spring seats are individual. This is due to the fact that the dimensions and characteristics of springs, shock absorbers, silent blocks and other products are calculated depending on the total permitted mass of the car, and it is not the same for different generations.
What do spacers change?
While driving on rough roads, suspension components, including shock absorbers and silent blocks, are subjected to shocks, vibrations and other types of loads. Such an impact reduces the service life of these parts, their condition becomes worse. Over time, the suspension begins to respond inadequately to road irregularities - the wheels come off the ground, and the car seems to hang in the air. If at this time you start to slow down, then only those tires that are firmly pressed to the ground will effectively influence the reduction in speed. Uneven braking contributes to skidding. The increased ground clearance shifts the center of gravity upwards, which increases the likelihood of the car tipping over when skidding. The same situation occurs when turning. Therefore, the material from which the spacers are made is very important. Too soft rubber or hard metal during extreme driving can lead to sad consequences.
Video: polyurethane suspension reviews, differences with rubber
In countries with good road surfaces, car manufacturers tend to reduce ground clearance so that the car handles better and is safer when cornering. In Russia, roads are considered one of the main troubles, so increased ground clearance is relevant, popular and often used. When deciding to change the ride height, you need to remember the price of the issue. Incorrectly fitted spacers can shorten the life of expensive front and rear suspension parts, resulting in unnecessary expense. The best option is to put spacers when replacing the front and rear struts with new parts.
