1.9 Offset Beam Mounts Or 1.6/309 Central Ones For 309 Beam?

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

I'm currently assembling my 309 beam and I've been rummaging through boxes of beam parts and found 2 pairs of front mounts at which point I noticed the stud offset was different between the two.

 

 

Did a bit of research and learnt that the 1.9 GTi has offset studs - that'll be the top pair.

 

The bottom pair will be the 309 ones.

 

I read that a possible reason that the 1.9 having the offset studs was to bring the beam further away to allow for the larger rolling radius of the tyres. Sounds plausible anyway.

 

There's not a great deal in it, but which pair would people advise I used? I'm fitting VTS arms and will be using 195/50/15 tyres.

 

My 1.9 axle currently fitted does sit quite a way back - not very far at all from the valance in fact.

[Mac Crash 78 1 Cars]

All the 309 GTi's were 1.9 right? if so then it would make sense to use the 1.9 mounts... but wouldn't it be better using new solid mounts for all they cost?

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

I am using solid mountings as in the Ali blocks for the rears and the nylon bushes to go within the mounting bracket shown, there's nothing on the bracket itself that you can make solid like on the 306s etc as the bushes are a separate item on 205/309s.

 

I believe from what I read that all 309s and all 205s use the same bracket apart from the 205 1.9 as shown.

 

I'm happy to use the 309 'centralised' mounts, but using the offset 205 1.9 ones may give minute extra clearance in an area where it could be beneficial.

[Anthony 1,000]

You're correct in that 309 beams originally had the standard non-offset mounts - it was only 205 1.9's that had the offset mounts from what I've seen.

 

I'll be honest in that I've never done a back to back comparison between the two mounts on the same beam. I've always used the original 309 non-offset mounts AFAIK.