Hi folks,

Three weeks ago, I bought a '56 plate 2.0TDi Octavia Elegance Estate from a dealership in Doncaster. An excellent motor she comes fitted with 17" Pegasus Alloys and sports suspension. On the test drive, I thought she was great, but on driving her on roads up here in Aberdeenshire the ride is just too firm. It's worse when you're in the passenger seat since you notice it more. Cornering is great, but you feel every judder from the road surface, and the ride just isn't as smooth as my '02 plate Fabia Estate.

So, we have a problem. How do we soften the ride? I'm fearful that the cost may mean we simply have to sell her on and get something else which would be a crying shame.

Any advice gratefully received.

Cheers,

Dave

koni fsds shocks are apparently very good, or why not try and swap with someone who has standard suspension sure someone would be up for that

You could drop down to 16inch wheels, with higher sidewalls they will soften the ride quite a bit.

You can often pick up a set of ex-AUDI 16 wheels on Ebay for reasonable price with usable tyres and keep for when you resell the motor - or sell to cover cost.

Much cheaper option than changing suspension and if the 16s do not give a soft enough ride then you can resell them on Ebay

Take your shocks and springs off, post them to me and I'll post my standard ones back up to you when I've fitted them :p

Interesting opinions about the relative conditions of English and Scottish road surfaces.

I disagree, finding the much heavier traffic (in Derbyshire anyway) has badly damaged the roads whereas the little used rural roads in Scotland (in general) to be in superb.

A matter of personal perception.

When I tested the Skoda the dealer made sure I used a variety of road surfaces and speeds and conditions. Especially important when testing "sports suspension".

I found a slight difference in ride stiffness with the latter set up. The road noise is a problem for SWMBO and effect on ride quality has only been significant on the frost shattered roads around here which have still NOT been repaired.

Get a set of standard 15" steel wheels and tyres as a cheap option .

I can't believe you find that 'Sports' suspension too firm on the Elegance, but I suppose this highlights how different people can be

I found it the body control to by abysmal and the ride in general to be soft, wallowy, indirect and uncommunicative and I've replaced it with some KW coilovers instead. Suppose it's what you're used to.

How many miles has the car done? It could be that the shocks are not providing enough damping.

Cheers,

Steve

I've just replaced my dampers with Bilsteins and kept the sport springs and found the ride to just as firm but not as harsh or crashy, another nice cheapish alternative and the parts are readily available at EuroCarParts for not much money

Good shout. Which Bilstein version did you go for? Could be that there's a softer Bilstein model available, that might be more suitable to the OP.

We'll see how many miles the car has done anyway. It could be that this is just a symptom of worn dampers, resulting in a poor ride. It does happen that when dampers start to fail it results in a harder ride, rather than them going ultra soft!

Alternatively, if it's found that they're operating correctly, a drop in wheel size to a 16" and a 50 or 55 profile sidewall would improve things.

Steve

I'm guessing they are B4's?

Euro Car Parts Link

My car has just over 60,000miles now and noticed a significant improvement

Yep, B4s would make sense.

Shame the OP is so far away from you, to go for a test run out

Which kw did you get steve?

You could drop down to 16inch wheels, with higher sidewalls they will soften the ride quite a bit.

You can often pick up a set of ex-AUDI 16 wheels on Ebay for reasonable price with usable tyres and keep for when you resell the motor - or sell to cover cost.

Much cheaper option than changing suspension and if the 16s do not give a soft enough ride then you can resell them on Ebay

Thanks for the info Octavia5 - changing the wheels would probably by the first port of call.

Interesting opinions about the relative conditions of English and Scottish road surfaces.

I disagree, finding the much heavier traffic (in Derbyshire anyway) has badly damaged the roads whereas the little used rural roads in Scotland (in general) to be in superb.

A matter of personal perception.

When I tested the Skoda the dealer made sure I used a variety of road surfaces and speeds and conditions. Especially important when testing "sports suspension".

I found a slight difference in ride stiffness with the latter set up. The road noise is a problem for SWMBO and effect on ride quality has only been significant on the frost shattered roads around here which have still NOT been repaired.

Get a set of standard 15" steel wheels and tyres as a cheap option .

I tested the car on a good variety of road surfaces and twisting roads. I thought she did very well - supremely well balanced through the cornering, but she feels a bit 'jittery' (for want of a better word) on even the best roads. My usual route to work in Aberdeen involves heavily used unclassified roads on the outskirts of the city which took a deal of punishment last winter. In hindsight the sports suspension perhaps wasn't the best choice! Changing the wheels would seem to be the most likely/cost effective option.

I can't believe you find that 'Sports' suspension too firm on the Elegance, but I suppose this highlights how different people can be

I found it the body control to by abysmal and the ride in general to be soft, wallowy, indirect and uncommunicative and I've replaced it with some KW coilovers instead. Suppose it's what you're used to.

How many miles has the car done? It could be that the shocks are not providing enough damping.

Cheers,

Steve

Thanks Steve - just over 40,000 miles on the clock on this one. As I said above, she's supremely well-balanced through the corners and for me there's virtually no roll. It was so much better than an '06 Ambiente I drove on the same route. That car was wallowy (by comparison it felt like the tyres were under-inflated). With the motor I bought, it's just that you feel every single crack in the road surface as you go along. My daughter in the back's voice judders as we go along! You definitely feel it more as a passenger than when you're driving.

I've just replaced my dampers with Bilsteins and kept the sport springs and found the ride to just as firm but not as harsh or crashy, another nice cheapish alternative and the parts are readily available at EuroCarParts for not much money

That sounds good Matt. Did you do it yourself? Any idea what it might be to get a reasonable garage to do it? If I can get rid of the 'jitteriness' then it would definitely be worth it. I usually go to a Volks Centre (independent & ultra-reliable) near me so would probably get any work done by those guys. Was warned off doing any modification work to the suspension by Specialist Cars Skoda in Aberdeen as it would invalidate the 12-month skoda warranty and potentially substantially increase the insurance.

Thanks for all your opinions guys - much appreciated. Keep them coming if you would.

Cheers,

Dave

I would say factor in 25 mins per corner for the change Dave. Yes, a reputable reliable garage would have no trouble sorting it for you.

As for the change - you would technically have to inform your insurers as you're altering the car's standard specification. I believe I'm right in saying that the Bilstein B4 are manufactured to be an OEM replacement for standard shocks. And would the garage notice they were different and invalidate your warranty? I doubt it. And even if they did, they would have a job invalidating ALL of the warranty, say if the radio broke or something completely unconnected to your change in suspension components! Sounds a bit like a scare tactic to me that.

Steve

Which kw did you get steve?

Mark - went for KW V1 Inox-line. SO much better round a corner! Had an Autotech RARB fitted at the same time. Set a little too low for everyday terrible surfaces at present, but will have that tweaked when I put in for a full suspension/alignment check.

Cheers,

Steve

That sounds good Matt. Did you do it yourself? Any idea what it might be to get a reasonable garage to do it? If I can get rid of the 'jitteriness' then it would definitely be worth it. I usually go to a Volks Centre (independent & ultra-reliable) near me so would probably get any work done by those guys. Was warned off doing any modification work to the suspension by Specialist Cars Skoda in Aberdeen as it would invalidate the 12-month skoda warranty and potentially substantially increase the insurance.

Thanks for all your opinions guys - much appreciated. Keep them coming if you would.

Cheers,

Dave

Dave,

I did it with a friend whos a mechanic as my skills aren't upto the job. The B4 Bilsteins are a Direct replacement for the OEM dampers and not a performance upgrade, with regards to informing your insurance its a grey area I suppose, should you inform your insurance company if you replace your disc's and pads with non Skoda purchased ones if they aren't performance items? I haven't informed mine as they are a direct replacement item.

Replacing OEM dampers with the Bilstein dampers will probably void the warranty on your original dampers and possibly the springs but nothing else in your car is affected by the change of dampers.

As Steve (wardy) says, allow around 25min/40min per corner depending on tea breaks

Matthew

Thanks for all your comments guys. It's very useful to get your opinions & experiences before shelling out. I've been mulling over the options available and the most sensible ones seem to boil down to these:

1) Replace the dampers with Bilstein B4's as per Matt above.

2) Reduce the wheel rim size - perhaps to a 16" or even 15".

3) A combination of 1 & 2.

4) Trade her in for a similar model with 'standard' suspension.

Matt - you describe the ride with the Bilstein B4's to be "just as firm but not as harsh or crashy". Does that mean they iron out the bumps a little better for you? As I said, I'm hoping to get rid of the 'jitteriness' on mine and keen to hear a bit more about what you think the difference is for you. Ideally I'd pop round and see for myself but we're a bit too far north for that!

On the last point (option 4) - we've discovered virtually the same vehicle available from an Arnold Clark dealership in Edinburgh (Elegance Estate, 2.0 TDi PD but 46,500miles rather than 41,000miles and an '07 plate rather than a '56) but with the standard suspension and 16" Vegas alloys rather than the sports suspension and 17" Pegasus alloys. It's on at roughly the same price as we paid for the current motor. At the moment we're considering paying a visit if she's still there at the weekend to test drive that one to see what the difference in ride quality is. If it's all good then we'll see what sort of a trade-in deal can be struck. Then it will be a judgement call on whether any adjustment to the current car will be both effective (which we can't really know until it's done) and cheaper than switching her for the newer motor in Edinburgh.

Either way the wife's convinced that something has to be done, and the more I drive her (the car) on the back roads round here the more I'm inclined to agree.

Cheers,

Dave

It's a good idea to go and see whether the other Elegance drives better, for what you're aiming to achieve.

On the points above, I certainly wouldn't drop below a 16" wheel on the Octy2. I feel the profile used with a 16" wheel is more than sufficient to improve the ride for you.

Overall, the damper change will make the most noticeable difference, most of the time. A drop in wheel size does help over a rough surface and helps the suspension cope with a 'sudden' change, i.e. a pothole. The sidewall can absorb a bit more of the impact, before the rest of the 'shockwave' gets sent to the shock and spring to deal with

Best of luck,

Steve

Thanks for all your comments guys. It's very useful to get your opinions & experiences before shelling out. I've been mulling over the options available and the most sensible ones seem to boil down to these:

1) Replace the dampers with Bilstein B4's as per Matt above.

2) Reduce the wheel rim size - perhaps to a 16" or even 15".

3) A combination of 1 & 2.

4) Trade her in for a similar model with 'standard' suspension.

Matt - you describe the ride with the Bilstein B4's to be "just as firm but not as harsh or crashy". Does that mean they iron out the bumps a little better for you? As I said, I'm hoping to get rid of the 'jitteriness' on mine and keen to hear a bit more about what you think the difference is for you. Ideally I'd pop round and see for myself but we're a bit too far north for that!

On the last point (option 4) - we've discovered virtually the same vehicle available from an Arnold Clark dealership in Edinburgh (Elegance Estate, 2.0 TDi PD but 46,500miles rather than 41,000miles and an '07 plate rather than a '56) but with the standard suspension and 16" Vegas alloys rather than the sports suspension and 17" Pegasus alloys. It's on at roughly the same price as we paid for the current motor. At the moment we're considering paying a visit if she's still there at the weekend to test drive that one to see what the difference in ride quality is. If it's all good then we'll see what sort of a trade-in deal can be struck. Then it will be a judgement call on whether any adjustment to the current car will be both effective (which we can't really know until it's done) and cheaper than switching her for the newer motor in Edinburgh.

Either way the wife's convinced that something has to be done, and the more I drive her (the car) on the back roads round here the more I'm inclined to agree.

Cheers,

Dave

Dave,

Yes, the new dampers certainly make the ride better but it doesn't get rid of all the harshness on the worst condition of roads. The roads in Sheffield are appauling and on my drive to work I often think the ride could do with being a little more refined and despite the Bilstiens it does still feel a little harsh and skittish when being pushed on these roads.

Personally I would get yourself down to the dealer with the normal elegance and give it a try, the only difference your car will have is Sport Springs & 17" alloy wheels with a low profile tyre. Don't get too hung up on the 'sports' comment on your current suspension as it's only a spring and the damper will be the same on your car as it will on the elegance in the garage

I upgraded my old octavias suspension to KW Sport Springs & KW Sport Dampers and found the ride more comfortable and less jittery than my current Octavia but that was running a 16" wheel on my old car.

Matthew

I bought a 2005 Elegance Estate two months ago and I'm just north of Aberdeen. In contrast, my previous car was a Honda Civic with rock hard suspension and 18" alloys and I'm finding the normal suspension and 16" Vega wheels quite soft. The softer ride is better for the amount of pot holes up here and I do notice a big difference between the low profile tyres of the Civic and the larger sidewall of the Vega wheels.

Reading your post above, I had a quick look at Arnold Clarks website and I assume your looking at the Blue Octavia in Edinburgh, looks good but if you notice one of the pictures shows you the interior and you can see the inside of the drivers door.............looks like damage to the trim (I'd be annoyed driving down there and finding that)

I assume this one:

http://www.arnoldclark.com/used-cars/skoda/octavia/2.0-diesel-tdi-elegance-5-dr/2007-(07)/ref/arnbd-8150/

Dougall

Edited 23 September, 201015 yr by Dougall

I've been trying to insert the picture in question but I can't work out how to do it

I bought a 2005 Elegance Estate two months ago and I'm just north of Aberdeen. In contrast, my previous car was a Honda Civic with rock hard suspension and 18" alloys and I'm finding the normal suspension and 16" Vega wheels quite soft. The softer ride is better for the amount of pot holes up here and I do notice a big difference between the low profile tyres of the Civic and the larger sidewall of the Vega wheels.

Reading your post above, I had a quick look at Arnold Clarks website and I assume your looking at the Blue Octavia in Edinburgh, looks good but if you notice one of the pictures shows you the interior and you can see the inside of the drivers door.............looks like damage to the trim (I'd be annoyed driving down there and finding that)

I assume this one:

http://www.arnoldclark.com/used-cars/skoda/octavia/2.0-diesel-tdi-elegance-5-dr/2007-(07)/ref/arnbd-8150/

Dougall

Thanks Dougall well spotted - yes that is indeed the car we are intending to test drive, and we have also noticed apparent damage to the trim from the photographs (but difficult to tell exactly what it is due to their poor resolution). They still have the car, so we're going to test drive it tomorrow (Saturday) to see how she drives. If she's too spongy, wallowy and corners like a bus, we'll stick with the current one and likely switch the dampers for Bilstein B4s (see above) at the next service. If not then we'll see what sort of a deal can be struck. We're visiting relatives in Edinburgh too so it won't be a wasted journey in any case.

Dave,

How did it go in Edinburgh? Are you now an owner of an Octavia with standard springs?

Also you mentioned in an earlier reply "I usually go to a Volks Centre (independent & ultra-reliable) near me so would probably get any work done by those guys" I wondered where this was as I'm undecided if I'll get a main dealer to look after my car or an independent

Dougall

Had a gentle drive from Dundee to Loch Earn yesterday.Glorious sunshine. The Scottish A roads roads were as undamaged and bump free as usual. Elegance with sports suspension was in no way harsh or overfirm riding four up. No wallowing or rolling either at a legal pace. I'm very happy with my set up.

SWMBO still says the road noise on M ways is unbearable- will investigate fitting some sound deadening to the boot and under the rear seat area.

Edited 27 September, 201015 yr by gregoir

Had a gentle drive from Dundee to Loch Earn yesterday.Glorious sunshine. The Scottish A roads roads were as undamaged and bump free as usual. Elegance with sports suspension was in no way harsh or overfirm riding four up. No wallowing or rolling either at a legal pace. I'm very happy with my set up.

SWMBO still says the road noise on M ways is unbearable- will investigate fitting some sound deadening to the boot and under the rear seat area.

How did u avoid ur insurance increasing due to the bigger alloys and lowered suspension? I spoke to More Than who said they wouldn't insure a car which had bigger alloys and if the suspension was different from standard. When I went on Confused and Gocompare the price was more expensive than a VRS when I added optional alloys as a modification. Lowered suspension doubled the quote!

If you're going to modify, you need to use different insurers. Simple as that really, as a general rule. You could start by talking to some of the insurance partners on here. They'll hopefully be a bit more sensible with their answers :yes: