02/02/2011 - UniBrace UB + Whiteline Anti-Lift Kit

With all my major mods, I have always told myself that I would do suspension first before power. Too much power without control is pointless and I have always made it a rule to myself that I would try and beef up the stock suspension components before adding on any bolt on supporting power mod. The Anti-Lift kit (ALK) and the UniBrace UB weren't mod's I was considering doing initially but a friend of mine, Jose, was selling the ALK brand new for about half price and I had a few extra cash left over, so I thought "Why not? Let's get the UniBrace UB as well".

Before purchasing however, I did a bit of research. The Whiteline ALK is designed to add 0.5 degrees of static positive caster to both front wheels while changing the nature of front anti-dive & lift. The individual terms are relatively straightforward and self-explanatory with the “anti” reducing or totally restricting the characteristic (lifting or diving). In the front suspension, there may be levels of anti-dive during braking and anti-lift during accelerating (assuming traction to the front wheels is present), similarly in the rear there could be anti-lift during braking and anti-squat during acceleration. It should also be noted that these characteristic can also be reversed into a “pro” characteristic (as in pro-lift at the front under braking). The low compliance bush also maintain higher dynamic positive castor. By changing the front control arm geometry to these new alloy mounts, coupled with the new low compliance polyurethane bushes, it changes the front suspension behaviour. This leads to better traction under power including cornering, reduces understeer & front wheel spin. The additional castor coupled with the new firmer bushes serve to sharpen initial turn-in response. The benefits of the ALK is probably more noticeable in an FF car such as the Golf GTI, however, benefits are there to be had also for the Golf R as it's not a constant AWD system.

Whiteline Anti-Lift Kit. The MK5 models also fit the MK6.

The UniBrace UB is constructed from waterjet cut, CNC bent .25" (7mm) 6061 heat treated aluminum with high temperature automotive powdercoat black or red finish. It weighs approximately 3kgs and compliments the UniBrace XB for chassis stiffening for the Golf platforms. The UniBrace effectively reduces chassis flex, allowing the suspension to come alive, which enables more control and traction.

UniBrace UB for the MK5/MK6 Golf.

The cavity/tunnel of the UB is there to maneuver the exhaust and propshaft (for Haldex models) and is the weakest link of the chassis. Volkswagen attempted to counter this with the stock braces, which are twigs compared to the UniBrace.

OEM Braces. Notice how flimsy they are.

In a monocoque construction, the floor should always be reinforced first and foremost. This is why race teams install rollcages right after they strip the car. While race engineers are forced to reinforce the cabin, (i.e pillars) the primary goal is to strengthen the chassis with as many key points on the flooring as possible. Then they proceed to tweak the suspension. The principle of the UniBrace UB is similar to the UniBrace XB. Each reinforces an open geometry. In the case of the XB it closes the open box of the hatch (similar to a shoebox without a lid. Add the lid and the form is significantly stiffer). In the UB it closes the open form of the tunnel. By closing the open tunnel, especially with a bent plane, torsional rigidity of the floor pan is increased. Try it with a piece of cardboard, open and closed form and you will see the principle.

Installed. Big improvement over the stock braces.

I can honestly say that the UniBrace UB and the Anti-Lift Kit was money well spent. Having installed both of them at the same time means that I couldn't differentiate which is doing what. In a perfect world, I would have installed one, then tested it along some twisties, then installed the other, then go back on the same set of twisties and give my result. But unfortunately, I, like many, don't live in a perfect world and besides, it's cheaper to install them all in one go anyway.

The install for both of these parts were performed by Ramspeed. Ramspeed is a specialist garage that focuses on all things European. From your humble VW and Audi's to the more exotic cars such as Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferrari. The things they do range from your normal sevice, all the way to a full built motor with customisation to the customers specifications. Their attention to detail is second to none and Andrew, the owner, is very particular and meticulous about his work. I knew I was in good hands when I left the car there. And not only that, it wasn't too far from my house either.


If you would like to have them perform anything on your car, please visit :

Ramspeed Pty Ltd
http://www.ramspeed.com.au

UniBrace
http://www.unibrace.com