Any idea of how to increase the front ride height, every time I go over any small speed bump or down a single track road that has a hump left in the middle through years of use by farmer Giles the under try keeps catching sometimes quite hard even when going at a snails pace when carrying 4 passengers, and I don't fancy a hole in the sump, I am running on 15 inch wheels and have thought about a metal under tray that's if I could get one to fit.

So it would need to be either longer springs and shockers that's if they are available, only need around 3 to 4 inches

Think you need to check 2 things, firstly is your suspension too soft and in need of replacement/renewal, second check the height of the speed bumps, they should be no higher than 4inches.

Think you need to check 2 things, firstly is your suspension too soft and in need of replacement/renewal, second check the height of the speed bumps, they should be no higher than 4inches.

Had all the shockers replaced around 8K ago, Monroe's on the front, OME on the back, it only happens when I have a full car of passengers

Do you really mean 3 to 4 inches? That is up to 100mm increase which seems a lot on a standard (non lowered) car. Maybe a change of car to a proper 4x4 is required if you need that much more height.

Do you really mean 3 to 4 inches? That is up to 100mm increase which seems a lot on a standard (non lowered) car. Maybe a change of car to a proper 4x4 is required if you need that much more height.

Just been out and measured the height of the under tray across its lowest points, 3 and a half inches across from tarmac to tray,got the family to sit in it, and the tray is not loose, so taking it up to 6 inches would help it, I don't race on so the extra height would help me

Edited 13 August, 201114 yr by skippy41

In which case you need a 4x4.

Messing with the octavia will be ugly, expensive, potentially dangerous handling wise, and insurance minefield.

It's either a 4x4 it accepting the octavia isn't built to be laden with 4 passengers on farm tracks!

I would suggest you have the wrong car for the roads you are travelling on. Not sure even the Scout has that much ground clearance!!!

I would suggest you have the wrong car for the roads you are travelling on. Not sure even the Scout has that much ground clearance!!!

I would have a scout but as they only come with the 2ltr tdi 140 I don't fancy changing the turbo all the time.

I just wonder if the scout suspension would fit??? and yes they do have quite good ground clearance

Is the scout fitted with an alloy under tray if so that could be the answer

Edited 13 August, 201114 yr by skippy41

Yes the Scout comes with a metal undertray. As do most of the 4x4s

Yes the Scout comes with a metal undertray. As do most of the 4x4s

Would one fit strait onto the classic without any mods??

Found one on ebay but its sold

I do not think the turbo on the pd140 is that weak. Some do go but not all of them and not all of the time. Getting a scout would not in itself mean having to buy replacement turbos all the time. Sounds like it is more suited to your use.

I would have a scout but as they only come with the 2ltr tdi 140 I don't fancy changing the turbo all the time.

The downside to forums. Sure turbos fail, but they are often a weak point on a lot of diesels.

It certainly wouldn't put me off buying a Scout, which by the sounds of things would better suit your needs...

get a lada niva they things are amazing aff road.

Cheap too!

At £9,995 on the road it's pretty much two for the price of one

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/255838/lada_niva.html

Odd - the standard Octavia clearance is 140mm, dropping to 127mm IIRC for the VRS and increasing to about 179mm for the Scout. All of these figures are greater than your figures and also greater than the max permitted speed hump which is 100mm.

Odd - the standard Octavia clearance is 140mm, dropping to 127mm IIRC for the VRS and increasing to about 179mm for the Scout. All of these figures are greater than your figures and also greater than the max permitted speed hump which is 100mm.

Just wondering if the front springs have weakened and that's why the front is low, its now done 170,000 taxi miles, so new heavy duty springs may bring it back up, thats if they are available for the classic

Edited 14 August, 201114 yr by skippy41

Is the suspension actually any different to the standard Octavia on either the 4x4 or the Scout?

How do they achieve the increased ride height, I always assumed it was something simple like longer, stronger springs.

I certainly wouldn't recommend changing the ride height more than standard, as mentioned above it may then give you all sorts of problems in terms of handling and invalidating insurance etc. which on a vehicle carrying fare paying passengers sounds risky.

Let's face it 170,000 miles is going to see some wear to the suspension, as you've already replaced the shocks I too would try the springs.

Before the Scout I had a BMW 320d, a weak point was the pig tails on the ends of the rear springs which would corrode and snap. A visual check would reveal nothing, it wasn't until you stood back and could see the car listing slightly that you knew something was wrong...