At NGP, we believe that a good suspension is one of the most important upgrades that you can make on your car. As such, this sentiment was fully embodied in the creation of our own coilover line. The first line we introduced, the Type I’s, were developed with the mindset that they should improve the overall handling characteristics of the vehicle while still giving great ride quality and good looks. This was accomplished by spending the necessary time to find the proper damping settings and the correct spring rates. This research was especially important due to the inconsistent quality of most roads in the US. Afterall, while you might have a great drive to work on a smooth interstate, driving to your favorite restaurant might involve making use of a rather dilapidated old road complete with several potholes. The end results speak for themselves: the Type I coilovers give your car that extra handling missing from the factory, while still providing smooth and compliant ride quality.
Due to very similar suspension underpinnings, installing the Type I coilovers to the CC was no different than any Mk5 or Mk6 vehicle. So if you have one of those vehicles, feel free to use this article as reference for your next suspension upgrade.
Removal of the stock suspension while a little lengthy, is fairly straight forward, and installation of the Type I coilover system is fairly direct as well. Other than some slight differences, anyone comfortable with working on the suspension of most VW/Audi vehicles shouldn’t have too much of an issue removing the stock suspension and installing the Type I’s on their own, provided that all the necessary tools and equipment is available. If you’re not comfortable with working on your car or you don’t have the tools required, please don’t hesitate to give us a call to schedule an installation appointment. All of our technicians are fully trained in suspension work, and we have completed countless suspension installations at either of our shops.
We spared no time and quickly had the stock suspension removed and the car was ready for the new coilovers. After spreading some anti-seize onto the threads of the front coilover assemblies and the rear adjusters, the Type I’s were installed to the car. At this time, we checked the clearance between the wheels and suspension components to make sure there wouldn’t be rubbing issues when the car was driven down the road. A quick trip to our on-site alignment rack and we were ready to go on a test drive.
The test drive confirmed what we already knew: the CC’s handling was significantly improved over the stock suspension. Turn in was now tight and firm, with none of the “floating” feeling we had experienced with the stock shocks and springs. Another added plus, the acceleration was notably improved due to the much stiffer shocks. In addition, high-speed stability was far better than it had been on the stock suspension. The test drive however, showed another weak point that we were already expecting to see: the tires.
Now there’s nothing wrong with the Continental tires that came equipped on the OEM 17″ wheels if you enjoy a smooth, comfortable, soft ride, but they leave a lot to be desired in terms of grip and handling. Knowing this issue would arise, we had a set of new wheels and tires ready to be installed. The wheels chosen were the classically styled Rotiform BLQ’s in 19×8.5 fitment with an ET of 45. The BLQ’s further improve the classy, smooth lines of the CC, and bring out the character of what is arguably one of the nicest looking four-door vehicles VW has produced to date. We chose to install 225/35R19 Falken FK453 Tires to match the handling and performance upgrades already done to the car. After installing the tires, we tested the fitment with the current ride height and found no rubbing issues. Another quick test drive confirmed that cornering ability and overall grip had improved tremendously over the stock tires. The CC was able to take turns at much higher speeds and in addition, straight line performance was also much better due to the increased grip.
All in all for a fairly low investment, the CC’s handling was improved to levels far beyond what the stock suspension could provide. And on top of that, the overall look of the CC was improved as well. If this article has gotten you interested in getting your own set of Type I coilovers installed, please feel free to contact us for more details. Also be sure to check back on our website in the future for more installments of the Project CC series.
Check out the Project CC page for more pics of the car with Type I coilovers and wheels installed.
Parts installed:
- NGP Type I Coilovers for Mk5/Mk6/EOS/B6 Passat/CC FWD
- 034 Track Density Strut Mounts VW Mk5, Mk6, B6 Passat, CC Audi A3
- Rotiform BLQ 19×8.5 ET 45
- Falken FK453 225/35R19 Tires
Project CC Part 1: ECU and Intake Upgrades, Project CC Part 2: Shifter Upgrades