Hi all,

Pretty much as per subject really! I'm fancying a rear ARB but am finding it hard to actually find one that's specified for the vRS, I'm probably being dense, but a lot of people seem to refer to a whiteline one being a good match for the stock front ARB, but I can't find one for sale?

pointers/tips welcome!

Ta

I have a Neuspeed one on my vRS and I got it from Awesome-Gti if that helps?

I have a whiteline one which I purchased from Balance Motorsport. No complaints!

give damian @ dpm http://briskoda.net/forums/forum/160-dpm-performance/ a call

I have a whiteline one which I purchased from Balance Motorsport. No complaints!

They don't have a whiteline one listed for the Octavia, they've got one for the MKIV golf though...

give damian @ dpm http://briskoda.net/forums/forum/160-dpm-performance/ a call

Will get in touch, but I'm still intrigued about this mystical whiteline one. I've got standard front ARB but weitec coilovers

They don't have a whiteline one listed for the Octavia, they've got one for the MKIV golf though...

the mk4 golf fits the octavia as they share the same chassis

Whiteline part numbers for the mk1 OCtavia VRS

BWR22 - 22MM Non adjustable

BWR22Z = 22MM adjustable

BWR22XZ - 24MM adjustable

Neuspeed 28mm adjustable rear arb, fantastic mod to the car, and totally transforms the handling.

Sorry to hijack your topic but will it transform the handling of a 1.8T 4X4 with standard suspension? How easy to fit yourself?

Sorry to hijack your topic but will it transform the handling of a 1.8T 4X4 with standard suspension? How easy to fit yourself?

On your 1.8t 4x4 you already have a RARB as standard unlike the VRS FWD models, so although you can upgrade yours it is a completly different ARB type.

On the FWD models there is a lot of rear end wallowing due to no ARB which is why the VRS benefits a lot from one being fitted.

Sorry to hijack your topic but will it transform the handling of a 1.8T 4X4 with standard suspension? How easy to fit yourself?

Yes fitting the correct uprated arbs will transform your car even with stock suspension.

You cant use the whiteline ones like mentioned in this thread as they are for fwd.

You need either r32 arbs front and rear (about £160ish iirc for both inc bushes

or spend some serious money and buy either kw or h&r arbs which are thicker again than the r32 ones.

Depends what you are trying to achieve, a nice upgrade without spending a fortune means the r32 bars, if you want to spend around £400 look to h&r, they are far more aggressive so be aware of this, i love them on my friends car.

IIRC both arbs need to have the wheel well modded (dented in a bit which still allows fitting of a wheel on the inside) to allow for the bar to fit. (r32 bars def need this)

From your posted skill level i would say this is a bit too advanced as is a fiddly job and probably requires you to buy decent jack and axle stands (assuming you dont have them already). Also i dont know how confident you would be at denting your spare wheel well.....it does seem a bit wrong when doing it lol, but the finished product is soooo worth it!

I have the neuspeed 28mm bar on the rear, and the golf r32 front which I got skoda to supply and fit.

What a difference even with standard suspension.

The Wheel Well Mod:

Personally, I recon the R32 ARB's aren't a good enough mod - they were too soft on the R32, too soft on the Octy too.

Fine for a vRS, but remember an 4x4 weighs more than a vRS ...

The H&R ARBs I have fitted no longer seem to be available, you can only get the new thinner units (25mm front, 21mm rear).

Link to H&R site

They are stiffness adjustable, and therefore allow you to tune your body roll !

Reviewed here

Edited 14 September, 201015 yr by snow_muncher

too soft for you maybe....i have seen the way you drive

joking aside, the r32s are a massive improvement over standard, if thats what you are looking for without compromising comfort and stock safety levels then its great, if you want to push your cars like myself and snow then the h&rs or kws (which i think are thicker than the bar sizes snow muncher lists in his last post) are the ons to go for. H&Rs are overkill for a mildly modded car.

Edited 14 September, 201015 yr by Oet

Whiteline part numbers for the mk1 OCtavia VRS

BWR22 - 22MM Non adjustable

BWR22Z = 22MM adjustable

BWR22XZ - 24MM adjustable

Cheers,

So is a 22mm a good match for the Weitecs, and if so, where is the best place to get one from?

Balance Motorsport. You can search on Google and find the part numbers listed above. I have the 22mm adjustable and combined with the Weitecs the difference is very noticeable in terms of overall handling. Like being on rails when going around bends, etc. I think this is largely down to the RARB however, as i didn't notice that much difference until i fitted it. Still got the RARB on the softest setting at the mo, so can progress two more levels should it be necessary.

Some chaps on here prefer the thicker (dearer) bars offered by Neuspeed (plus others), but it depends upon your budget and how much stiffer you want handling of the car to be.

Purchased from Balance, cheers all, most helpful, and thanks to Balance too, very helpful!

Hi, can the r32 rear arb fit a vRS hatch?

Expanding the above comment, I've become confused over the Octy Mk1 VRS suspension (I have an Estate) as I've heard so many times that the Octy has the same basic structure underneath the skin as the Mk IV Golf (& Audi A3 & bits of Audi TT?), yet the talk in this thread is of differences. :S

I expect detailed differences in some components (eg dampers & springs, cast vs pressed wishbones etc) due to car weights and model purpose (eg VRS & 4x4 different), but the suggestion is of a different rear ssuspension.

So,

• Why won't Golf rear ARBs fit the Octy Mk 1 VRS FWD?
  
• What Golf MkIV, Audi (A3 & TT)& Seat ARBs will fit the Octy Mk 1 VRS FWD?
  

Cheers,

Ian

Expanding the above comment, I've become confused over the Octy Mk1 VRS suspension (I have an Estate) as I've heard so many times that the Octy has the same basic structure underneath the skin as the Mk IV Golf (& Audi A3 & bits of Audi TT?), yet the talk in this thread is of differences. :S

I expect detailed differences in some components (eg dampers & springs, cast vs pressed wishbones etc) due to car weights and model purpose (eg VRS & 4x4 different), but the suggestion is of a different rear ssuspension.

So,

• Why won't Golf rear ARBs fit the Octy Mk 1 VRS FWD?
  
• What Golf MkIV, Audi (A3 & TT)& Seat ARBs will fit the Octy Mk 1 VRS FWD?
  

Cheers,

Ian

Golf ARBs DO fit the FWD vRS, they don't fit the 4x4 one Octavias.

Mine arrived a couple of hours ago and is now on the car, looking forward to the drive home from work now (fitted it in my lunch)

Expanding the above comment, I've become confused over the Octy Mk1 VRS suspension (I have an Estate) as I've heard so many times that the Octy has the same basic structure underneath the skin as the Mk IV Golf (& Audi A3 & bits of Audi TT?), yet the talk in this thread is of differences. :S

I expect detailed differences in some components (eg dampers & springs, cast vs pressed wishbones etc) due to car weights and model purpose (eg VRS & 4x4 different), but the suggestion is of a different rear ssuspension.

Hi Ian, the difference is only with the 4x4 as mentioned as the 4x4 model uses haldex 4WD system and incorparates it's own RARB on chassis

The VRS Chassis is the same as the MK 4 Golf (except R32), Seat Leon, Audi TT (RWD) and Audi A3.

So if we are talking about aftermarket RARB for those models, they will fit the VRS.

As the Golf Mk 4 range is more common in US and none European countries than the Skoda model ranges, you normally only see the RARB listed for a Golf, but it is the same one as folks fit to the VRS.

TomGG, Bowders1, thanks.

So Golf ARBs (front & rear) will fit the VRS except for R32 (which fit the 4x4), but does this include the 4Motion?

its a yes and no, front normal golf will not, r32 will however, either 21mm or 23mm. aftermarket golf front will IF designed for a car with droplinks mounted to the suspension strut.

the vrs shares the same front setup as the leon cupra r, tt, and r32 (minus the 4x4 on the last models), which is better than the standard models in easy terms.

The rear arb is generic and will fit, as long as its not a 4x4 arb, but that would not be of use to you as they are not thick enough.

Ideally you want r32 front and a whiteline/neuspeed/eibach rear.

I run r32 23mm front and an eibach 25mm rear, and find the car very well balanced.

4motion is very similar to r32 so front arb fits, rear no.

hth

Edited 20 September, 201015 yr by Oet

Oet, thanks.

Now you see why I get confused! Either I'm reading things wrongly or people have different opinions.

So, an R32 Front ARB fits (well, Oet, you have one fitted!) and maybe other Golfs (TomGG, you have one fitted, but you don't say from which Golf).

And the Golf rear ARBs fit but they are too thin (at least according to some posters here!) so an after-market is recommended..

Will Audi TT ones fit? Eek.

Cheers,

Ian