Lowering Springs

[pauldazzle]

I had a set of new H&R 35mm drop springs fitted by my trusted mechanics yesterday & although the car corners much better & looks great, it now bucks & bounces over road undulations :S Over 50 mph it's a bit unpredictable, & disconcerting to drive.

Having spoken to the suppliers today they have suggested that the original shockers could be tired & not working very well being far more compressed than they're used to & fitting shortened shocks all round as a solution.

Has anyone on the forum fitted lowering springs & if so what is their advice?

Edited 24 September, 2010 by pauldazzle

[jim16v]

hi, sounds like the shockers are old and due replacing, also did youe have a 4wheel alignment done?

[pauldazzle]

Had the alignment done after fitting the springs.

[Oet]

yup best practice with suspension is change springs/shocks together with matched units (or coilovers) as using old shocks on new springs will create this type of ride, as the new springs are putting more stress on the shocks.

Shame you have to pay again to have shocks fitted as is far easier to do all in one go.

[Oet]

also worth doing your top mounts and bump stops at the same time incase they are on the way out, fitting new suspension will only speed their demise too.

[Lloyd55vrs]

both my brothers octys were like that with just srings mate, bouncy bouncy :yes: he never got to do the shox as he sold the cars 1st

[pauldazzle]

I had lowered springs fitted on 2 of my previous mkiv Golf's, without any problems, which is why I chose that route this time.

My options are.

1. Put the old springs back on.

2. Buy matched shocks.

3. Buy a set of JOM coilovers.

Whatever I do it's gonna cost me another £100 on top to get fitted.

[Lloyd55vrs]

hmmm :wonder:

i always feel bad about spending other peoples money :(

i went straight for coilovers, on the other hand if youve already spent on springs maybe looking what a set of weitec or kw shocks

again tho mate have a think of what you were planning anyway?

were you ever thinking shocks or was it just a case of springs? :yes: i also here koni strt or something mentioned alot?

i hate that £100 quid bill that pops up for shocks n springs and stuff thats when a handy mechanic mate is dandy unless.............. there are some friendly folk on here who are mechanics i think :thumbup::thumbup:

Edited 24 September, 2010 by Lloyd55vrs

[jim16v]

have you got a picture of it on the h&r springs? thinking of getting some for mine

[Bowders1]

I had lowered springs fitted on 2 of my previous mkiv Golf's, without any problems, which is why I chose that route this time.

My options are.

1. Put the old springs back on.

2. Buy matched shocks.

3. Buy a set of JOM coilovers.

Whatever I do it's gonna cost me another £100 on top to get fitted.

Hi , unfortunatley the Octy VRS is a different car for suspension than a Golf is, even though they share the same platform. It is all about the weight difference.

The VRS is a fussy car when it comes to suspension. H&R springs are top notch, but very strong and normally tired or high mileage shocks will struggle to cope with them, especially with a 35mm drop. H&R do a 20mm drop which would probably be less severe as with 35mm you are effecting the rebound off the standard shock more.

Edited 25 September, 2010 by Bowders1

[olit]

Hi!

You definately need to get new shocks that are up to the task taming the rebound of your new lower but stronger springs!

Bilstein B8 Sprint or Koni Sport should do it.

I suppose the new springs came with certification from Tüv. Can you please tell the kg/lbs-rates for the front and rear axle according to that paper?

Regards

Olit - Norway

PS! By the way - a friend bought a Bilstein B12-kit to replace his Weitec coil-overs on his BMW 318i (E46). They were not broken, but he suspected B12 would do better. And he was absolutely right!!!! The car became a bit taller (new springs you know..), but it was no competition! He is still smiling 2 months after the change!! DS.

EDIT: I talked to my friend, and he was not sure what make his former coil-overs were. They might be Wmaxx, FK and not Weitec's.... Olit

Edited 27 September, 2010 by olit

[pauldazzle]

Thanks for the advice guys, will keep you posted on what I decide to do.

[TissMe]

Thanks for the advice guys, will keep you posted on what I decide to do.

I never sold a set of lowering springs to anyonw without asking how many miles the OEM shockers had covered

Anywhere near 40-50k miles , I would reccomend shockers with them

Have you thought about the Koni FSD`s on them?

I am sure there was a set in the for sale section not long ago

But may be wrong

Sarah

[pauldazzle]

Ok, I fitted new OEM Bilstein shocks all round, & the boat like handling has gone, however I keep bottoming out going over speed humps even though I've been creeping over them at 2/3mph. :'(

Car does sit much better though.

Edited 30 September, 2010 by pauldazzle

[Kenny R]

The proper H&R springs for the vRS are 20mm drop,looks like 35mm drop is too much if you are having problems.

[pauldazzle]

The proper H&R springs for the vRS are 20mm drop,looks like 35mm drop is too much if you are having problems.

Yeah you're right. The springs were actually for a mkiv Golf.

[Oet]

wrong spring rates then dude...

[pauldazzle]

wrong spring rates then dude...

Seems that way.

I had the springs fitted to a mkiv Golf that I sold last year which I had turned back to stock.

[Oet]

shame, as it physically fits, but as you found out doesnt actually fit properly.

Really you should get the correct springs on the car...

[pauldazzle]

I mistakenly thought that 35mm drop springs for a mkiv TDi would have been ok, but obviously not.

There are several company's selling 40 & 50 mm drop springs for Octy's, I can't imagine how an Octy fitted with those would deal with speed humps.

Edited 30 September, 2010 by pauldazzle

[Kenny R]

Normal octavia's are at least 20mm higher than a vRS,so if you fitted 40mm lowering spring it will end up approx 20mm lower than a vRS thats how.

[JackDeath]

Hmmm i have a 4x4 but is dropped almost the thw floor and i dont bottom out and can take speed bumps ok.

I know yours is a Vrs but is you look at my ride hight its a bit lower then your running.

Only thing that comes to my mined is i think my engine sits a bit higher up as its 4x4 ? is it your sump thats hitting?

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/173914-bbs-ch-replicas-now-on-car/

Can see my car on my post here to see how low it is.

[pauldazzle]

Hmmm i have a 4x4 but is dropped almost the thw floor and i dont bottom out and can take speed bumps ok.

I know yours is a Vrs but is you look at my ride hight its a bit lower then your running.

Only thing that comes to my mined is i think my engine sits a bit higher up as its 4x4 ? is it your sump thats hitting?

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/173914-bbs-ch-replicas-now-on-car/

Can see my car on my post here to see how low it is.

Yeah I saw your car before on your CH post. The wheels do look awesome, totally transformed your car.

No I don't think my car is hitting the sump. It's sounds like it's something under the back half of the car, & a couple of times it's grazed the bottom of the front bumper/spoiler. Sticking it up on ramps tomorrow to try to see where it's hitting.

I usually use our Bora for the school run, but today I used the VRS, for the 1st time since fitting the springs & it hit few humps that it used to clear. I had to be careful even before fitting the springs. There are some really vicious humps around here. They'll be say 3 or 4 humps within a 300 meter stretch of road that all look the same, but they're all slightly different widths & height. (Think it's a deliberate ploy by the local Council) The car will go over some with no trouble, but catches on others. :S

Whatever I'm gonna live with the car for a while as I think it looks & it handles so much better, but it's a bit of a pain when you have rush hour traffic behind & have to creep over every hump. :(

[JackDeath]

Have had to do some speed humps now and then but not had it hit yet,

But up here about glasgow it the pot holes you need to keep your eye out for some would take your wheel off if hit at speed and the rest is just bumpy.

But dose wake your right up on the drive int work .

Hope your find whats hitting and done need to put it back up a lot.