There are loads of posts extolling the virtues of fitting a RARB to the Octy to reduce roll etc (mines an estate so I am particularly keen to address this). However, there are no posts saying whether there are any down sides. Is this really because it is that good a mod?

On my last car everyong raved about H&R springs so I changed over to them and found the ride was far from comfortable. When I mentioned this on the forum everyong then said, yeah it's a bit crashy. I evetually changed back to stock wishing that I'd asked before spending cash on the springs.

So, before I invest, are there any (at all) downsides to fitting a RARB? Is the ride really unaffected? How about predictability of handling and creaking groaning from back of car?

Cheers,

iep

I fitted a Neuspeed 28mm rear ARB to my old Octy vRS and its probably one of the best bolt on mods you can do to the Mk1 Octy vRS.

Totally transforms the handling, reduces roll, and no adverse effects, no creaking or groaning at all.

Do it.

it is supposed to be a bit low on the back of the car so can be caught on things but i dont think its particularly low that it would catch on speed bumps etc.

I gather most of the assembly (at least the lowest secions where it bolts to the base of the shocks) moves up and down witht he wheels themselves so oyu are only really in trouble if you drop a wheel off a kerb or the like.

ip

From a recent picture I saw of the Eibach one (http://briskoda.net/octavia-i/what-rear-arb/114530/#post1327602) it tucks up nicely and is kept close to the rear beam whereas I've seen Whiteline and Neuspeed ones which hang down obviously (I was following a black vRS to Gaydon the other week that had one)

Only problem with the Eibach one is they only do them as a kit with the front one and it costs silly money. :thumbdwn:

So other thean possible low hanging compionents on the neuspeed and whiteline models, no other complaints at all!?

Godamnit, why didn't the car come with one?

If I'm being totally honest, the hope is that my wife won't notice the mod. She tends not to spot improvements in the car but has a real sense for when I have buggered up the ride or handling (was not a fan of the lowering springs on the VR6 we used to have).

ip

So, looking at a 25mm bar (either neuspeed or eibach). Anyone got any experience with running one of these with a standard FARB? Any issues?

iep

A rear ARB can make the car a bit tail happy in it's handling.

I thought it might. That's why I'm considering the 25mm bars rather than heavier gauge. Very keen to hear how other people have got on with this and a standard FARB.

iep

I'm not too keen on rear ARB's. I mean I like what they do, but just not how they do it. This is just me being an anal engineer here by the way...

Since they bolt entirely to the same compenent, all it is doing is stiffening up the rear beam, reducing how much it twists normally. Fair enough, that's good. But can't someone (a tuner) just make a reinforced rear beam, or why hasn't anyone thought of reinforcing the beam themselves with a bit of triangulation. You could weld some steel tubes from the spring platforms (or other suitable place on the end of the arms) all the way across to the other side of the beam to the 'armpit' of the beam on the other side, joining the two tubes where they cross. That would make the beam stiff as hell! Is there a mk4 based car that has a reinforced rear beam?

I just don't like how some of the bars attach. With a bit of old box section as a spacer for example. It just looks untidy to me. But then again it is a cheap and easy reversable solution.

That leads me to my next problem with ARB's. Their price! Charging well over £100 for what probably costs a few quid to make is a bit off. You might say well they have to cover development costs, well hardly. Must have taken all of a day to design it!

Rant over!

con: your car will handle so much better you will use more fuel because cornering is so much more fun

con: your car will handle so much better you will use more fuel because cornering is so much more fun

Haha I have that problem after fitting coilovers! Before I'd sail gently around corners, now I hare ar5e around them pulling as much G as the Kumho's can take!

I hate to mention it on here... but a couple of years ago I had a Civic Type R and fitted a bigger rear JDM spec ARB on that as everyone always said about how good a mod it was...

Yeah it was great in the dry, rear end felt very planted... but in the wet or any other poor conditions it seemed to make the back end too stiff and a bit prone to breaking away.

It may have just been me... but the reduction in body roll seemed to take away some of the warning signs of getting near the limit, I ended up taking it off again once winter came.

It's a shame no one has had any made by a local engineers. I know of somewhere I could get one done but without one it's impossible.

They are a rip off as people have said, sounds like a must do mod though!

I find that the RARB can make the car a bit twitchy at the back at times, especially on it's hardest setting. However, on the odd occasion where it has started sliding, it's been vey easy to catch, hold on to and then pull out of.

I find that the RARB can make the car a bit twitchy at the back at times, especially on it's hardest setting. However, on the odd occasion where it has started sliding, it's been vey easy to catch, hold on to and then pull out of.

I come from the days of owning MK1 RS's like the RS2000, Mexico and few cosy's and even a Chevette HSR (what is that I here a few peeps asking) . And all these cars being RWD got very used to the rear end sliding out. So when the VRS does it on the very odd occasion I love it...........

Rather have the back end coming out than the front end...

excuse the pun there

Mmmm.

I've got to the stage of trying to provoke it.

Fast sweeping corner, lift off, twitch the wheel, floor it.

Works for me (on the private military road I work down).

I've got the whiteline and it is lovely, no downsides here.

I might even go for a stiffer one, we'll see.

Do it! Then sell me yours!

Where did you get your Whiteline mate?

I've got a hell of a lot of things to buy before I think about replacing a perfectly good RARB with a (potentially) better one.

I got mine from balance motorsport when they had a group buy on.

I want my car back, I miss it. AAAAAARGH.

I've been offered an H&R one for a fair price. It's 25mm, non adjustable and fits similarly to the eibach one (does not hang down). Originally designed for the audi TT but apparently fits the Octy too.

So, anyone have any experience of these? Better/worse then Whiteline?

iep

Sweedish has one I think.

Sweedish has the eibach one. I can't imagine it is too different from the H&R one but I am still curious if anyone has used the H&R bar.

Cheers,

yes mine is an eibach, like Steevie Wonder (i went with mine on his good advice and am glad i did) it was cheaper than the neuspeed/autotech ones and not quite as thick so will be slightly less snappy, its good quality and important it fits properly, and is well hidden without hanging down, i did not like the way the whiteline ones fitted.

The H&R one looks almost the same as the eibach one so i would go for it, i posted a link to one in another thread on another forum as i read on here recently someone was after one. I would go for it, my friend has a full H&R kit fitted to his octavia 4x4 and they are awesome, i have them on my mk2, H&R stuff is good quality, like most german stuff.

Oh, there is one slight downside, my tyres have worn a lot quicker since i got the bar fitted:rolleyes:

I have been looking into getting one of these for our vRS, however, it might just be me, but the way I see it, these rear ARBS fastening are with Jubilee clips. Now this is where I cannot understand how they tighten up the rear by being fastened by these clips which are normally used for hoses etc (where not 'real' load is required), and any real stress placed on them, they will just open with the stress.

I know the ARBS are attached to the rear suspension struts via bolts, but without a proper centre fix, then surely the ARB will just move around, and not really strengthen up the rear????

I have also read lots of posts from people who have fitted them and who have said how good these are, and the huge difference they have made - but for me, I just cannot understand how it really does work with only using jubilee clips - can anyone please explain?????

Thanks

I thought they had proper metal screw clamps (like an exhaust clamp) to hold them to the middle of the rear beam...? not jubilee clips