2G FWD/AWD rear suspension differences?

[warreclipsegst]

Curious if anyone has compared the rear suspension (springs and shocks) and what the difference is between the AWD and FWD. I know the fronts are the same and I remember reading a few years ago that you could use the FWD springs on an AWD but does anyone know the difference in the shocks? I don't have a stock set of FWD rears to compare with. I have a FWD with AGX's on the rear and just some quick measurements showed the AGX was about 1" shorter than the stock AWD from the top of the spring to the lower mount. THIS MEASUREMENT WAS TAKEN WHILE THE SHOCKS WERE MOUNTED ON THE CARS BUT WITH THE WEIGHT TAKEN OFF OF THE WHEELS...

My question is can you use FWD shocks on an AWD with out any problems?

 

[SlowSpyder]

Its been beat to death, springs/shocks are interchangeable between 2nd gen fwd/awd.
Most likley why the awd stock shock seems shorter is because its not fully extended.

 

[warreclipsegst]

sorry, couldn't come up with anything on a search.

but thanks anyways for straightening me out

 

[Turbo Monk3y]

AWD fronts have a higher spring rate. the 2g rears are the same.

 

[wret]

This question comes up often enough and searching for the answer is hard enough that I saved a link to this thread.

http://dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145792&highlight=awd+fwd+theories

 

[jtmcinder]

AWD fronts have a higher spring rate. the 2g rears are the same.

This is not always true. It depends on the year and trim level.

- Jtoby

 

[warreclipsegst]

okay, so I have a 95' GST with eibach pro-kits and KYB AGX's as a donor due to CW. The other car is a 95' Tsi AWD.

Can they be swapped over with no problems or is there something major that could cause a problem. If they were exactly the same then there wouldn't be different part numbers for them.

Wret, thanks for the link. very helpful. but I'm not really concerned with the springs, my main concern is the shocks for the rear.

pretty much everything here is dealing with springs. I already know and said so in one of my post that the springs were interchangeable.

I looking for info on if the shocks can be used from a FWD on an AWD.

 

[RamenPride]

from what I've read, the spring perch on the rear AWD shock is a couple millimeters higher (or lower, can't remember). not sure if it's valved different because of the extra wieght on the rear of the AWD. However, 2G AWD shocks will fit a FWD and vice versa.

 

[silvercoupe97]

I'm curious about the shock question also, since I have KYB AGX 741020 (rear) on now but I have a set of 741019 (rear also) from when my car was a fwd. Perch height wouldn't matter in my case since I have coilovers on them. Is the real question about the valving in these shocks? I've emailed KYB with no answers so, here I am

Oh yeah, the fronts are interchangable...741042 are used on fwd or/and awd, turbo/non-turbo. So...I don't know...