I've now had the vRS for nearly 3 months. Initially, following many of the threads on here I had been considering a remap for some improvement in power delivery from 30, 40, 50 etc.. However now I am pushing it harder the most disoncerting thing I find is the cornering ability and how vague the back end feels and that it could go at any time. I am not a speed demon but enjoy progressive driving and maintaining my speed rather than constantly accelerating then braking. Currently I have winter tyres on 15" steel rims fitted so also not sure if they are adding to the feeling and it would be better on the alloys and proper tyres.

So as I cannot justify doing everything at once I need to prioritise things to maximise my enjoyment of the vehicle. The options as I see them are:

1. Lower the car, probably with the Skoda approved springs which are now available.

2. Fit a RARB, although there doe not seem much choice out there and one manufacturer seems to have an issue with it fouling on the exhaust and is not developing it further.

3. Leave it bog standard as in reality it is a nice fun car to drive and it won't cause issues with insurance, warranty, etc..

Not sure what will give most benefit between 1 and 2. 3 is the easy option but I will always be wondering how it could be improved. I could, money permitting, go for 1 and 2 but I would then be thinking were both really necessary and what actually improved things the most.

Ultimately I will go for a remap, it is not a question of if but just when. I want though to ensure that the car is capable of handling the power in more than just a straight line.

All advice gratefully recieved.

I've now had the vRS for nearly 3 months. Initially, following many of the threads on here I had been considering a remap for some improvement in power delivery from 30, 40, 50 etc.. However now I am pushing it harder the most disoncerting thing I find is the cornering ability and how vague the back end feels and that it could go at any time. I am not a speed demon but enjoy progressive driving and maintaining my speed rather than constantly accelerating then braking. Currently I have winter tyres on 15" steel rims fitted so also not sure if they are adding to the feeling and it would be better on the alloys and proper tyres.

So as I cannot justify doing everything at once I need to prioritise things to maximise my enjoyment of the vehicle. The options as I see them are:

1. Lower the car, probably with the Skoda approved springs which are now available.

2. Fit a RARB, although there doe not seem much choice out there and one manufacturer seems to have an issue with it fouling on the exhaust and is not developing it further.

3. Leave it bog standard as in reality it is a nice fun car to drive and it won't cause issues with insurance, warranty, etc..

Not sure what will give most benefit between 1 and 2. 3 is the easy option but I will always be wondering how it could be improved. I could, money permitting, go for 1 and 2 but I would then be thinking were both really necessary and what actually improved things the most.

Ultimately I will go for a remap, it is not a question of if but just when. I want though to ensure that the car is capable of handling the power in more than just a straight line.

All advice gratefully recieved.

I've got the ARB fitted (Whiteline model - no problems at all with installation) and I'd say you go for 1+2. I've certainly felt the difference when I installed it, firmer back end, more tendency to oversteer etc. but only improved it up to a point, which 1) I got familiar with very quickly, and 2) I now feel isn't sufficient for my liking. IMHO, this car, as enjoyable and powerful it may be in stock form, it just sits too d@mn high. I have already decided to lower the car with H&Rs pretty soon and I believe this will finish off the steering improvement.

If you can't afford both at the same time, better go with lowering first. At least I would choose that over the ARB If I had to choose again. But I'd add the ARB at a convenient time even If its contribution is less than the springs as its a relatively cheap upgrade that offers a lot for the price.

I've got the ARB fitted (Whiteline model - no problems at all with installation) and I'd say you go for 1+2. I've certainly felt the difference when I installed it, firmer back end, more tendency to oversteer etc. but only improved it up to a point

I had the thick whiteline rarb on my car and it made a nice difference but like newbie69 said, up to a point. When I had a remap, even with brand new tyres it still skidded up. I'd recommend lowering first and then RARB. The Fabia is deceptively quick but as you've pointed out, handling is an issue.

With lowering to be recommened the skoda approved lower it 30mm if remember rightly but have seen as low as 20mm drop and as high as a 40mm drop. lower thw better i know but if i drop 40mm is the ride gonna be much harder then it already is???

With lowering to be recommened the skoda approved lower it 30mm if remember rightly but have seen as low as 20mm drop and as high as a 40mm drop. lower thw better i know but if i drop 40mm is the ride gonna be much harder then it already is???

Not exactly. The Skoda UK approved ones (Eibach) lower it by 20mm and the H&Rs which have been fitted to a few members here lower it by 40mm. I haven't seen a set yet to do exactly 30mm (unless you talk about coilovers).

I don't agree with "the lower, the better" in general but for the vRS, it seems that 40mm is indeed better than 20mm. More than that would start to cause problems with stock dampers etc. As for the ride on 40s, it's been said that it's firmer but not unbearable or crashy so sounds ok for me. I mean I wouldn't exactly expect a comfort improvement after lowering with just a set of springs, but as long as it doesn't break your spine every time you forget to break over a curb, which it doesn't, then it should be fine.

Edited 23 February, 201214 yr by newbie69