Hi,

I have just got a 2005 Oct Estate 2.0 tdi and one of the first things i would like to tackle is the 4x4 arch gap and wheels. Wheels is easy, buy new ones and bolt on... either 17" or 18". But when it comes to lowering I'm not quite sure.

I have the usual option of... just stick on some Eibach lowering springs on the OEM shocks and hope for the best. I know the shocks will wear out quicker so I could just upgrade to something better when they wear out... or i could go the whole hog with shock and spring combos, but by the time you have done that you are firmly in Coilover cost range. When looking at coils online some say they would also fit the mk5 Golf, B6 Passat, Mk3 Rocco, Mk2 Leon etc... could i just use mk5 Golf versions as there seems to be greater choice of price?

So my list of thoughts..

So which to do?

What has everyone done and your experiences?

How comfy would just fitting springs to OEM shocks be?

Would mid range 250-300 quid coils be harsh?

Are mid range coils really any better than the £170 JOM ebay specials?

btw... im not looking for frame scraping lowness just something to reduce arch gap and make it a little more pleasing to the eye

sorry for the long post and multitude of questions!

Rich

A set of Eibach pro springs won't get you even close to 'laying frame' but should reduce your arch gap and have a more noticeable effect than say lowering a vRS. My personal opinion is you won't wear your OE dampers out any quicker with a set of Eibachs. Any lower and I think it would be a different story.

I personally wouldn't buy a set of cheap coilovers, I'd rather buy some better branded ones (3x your budget probably) or go for a spring/shock combo - a B12 kit or an H&R Cup kit is around £550-£600.

A set of Eibach pro springs won't get you even close to 'laying frame' but should reduce your arch gap and have a more noticeable effect than say lowering a vRS. My personal opinion is you won't wear your OE dampers out any quicker with a set of Eibachs. Any lower and I think it would be a different story.

I personally wouldn't buy a set of cheap coilovers, I'd rather buy some better branded ones (3x your budget probably) or go for a spring/shock combo - a B12 kit or an H&R Cup kit is around £550-£600.

+1 this is good advice.

Thanks for the replies. Yes good advice.

Is the Oct the same suspension as the mk5 golf etc? spring rates etc? Only saying this as second hand coilovers often pop up for sale and you can grab some bargains on AP, Spax and Weitecs if you are lucky!

Also 17" or 18" which would look best?

Nope.

Same fittings, but it's different weight, so make sure you get octavia springs (it's particularly the rear).

I went from standard PD140 estate height to lowered with Eibachs and have to say that it was well work it. I wouldn't want to go much/any lower though...

I think it came down 30-35 mm from standard ride height.

While they were doing the spring change I had them fit Bilstein B4 shocks - standard length - to replace the standard Skoda ones that were on about 95,000 miles at the time (although not showing any sign of failing at that point).

While I'd recommend the springs for looks, ride height, comfort, handling improvements (not that I have much experience to go on), I'm not 100% convinced by the shocks which are probably better than worn standard ones, or even new standard ones, but not as good as I had hoped. I'd look a bit further up the range for shocks - and consider shortened ones (although I don't know if you would need shorter drop links as well with shortened shocks).

You'll also need springs specifically for an estate or diesel (if you have either).

I wouldn't go for 18" wheels, but stick with 17". I've been toying with either 16" or 17" to replace my 15" ones and have been leaning towards 17" ones if they come up at the right price and condition and location.

Check the PCD is correct as well at the ET and the rolling radius with similar to current wheels otherwise you could have issues with tyres rubbing or speedo / odometer being out. There are lots of threads on here about both suspension and alloy upgrades. Have a read around before committing.

Nope.

Same fittings, but it's different weight, so make sure you get octavia springs (it's particularly the rear).

Whilst the OE parts are specific in terms of weights, springs rates, etc., many of the aftermarket kits are designed to fit the MK5, A3, Leon and Octavia - a good example is the Bilstein B14 kit which has the same part code for all four cars. I know someone else who used a Golf KW kit on their vRS with no ill effects.

While they were doing the spring change I had them fit Bilstein B4 shocks - standard length - to replace the standard Skoda ones that were on about 95,000 miles at the time (although not showing any sign of failing at that point).

While I'd recommend the springs for looks, ride height, comfort, handling improvements (not that I have much experience to go on), I'm not 100% convinced by the shocks which are probably better than worn standard ones, or even new standard ones, but not as good as I had hoped. I'd look a bit further up the range for shocks - and consider shortened ones (although I don't know if you would need shorter drop links as well with shortened shocks).

You'll also need springs specifically for an estate or diesel (if you have either).

I wouldn't go for 18" wheels, but stick with 17". I've been toying with either 16" or 17" to replace my 15" ones and have been leaning towards 17" ones if they come up at the right price and condition and location.

Check the PCD is correct as well at the ET and the rolling radius with similar to current wheels otherwise you could have issues with tyres rubbing or speedo / odometer being out. There are lots of threads on here about both suspension and alloy upgrades. Have a read around before committing.

A shorter shock *should operate more efficiently with a shorter spring but if you don't go too low, I still think that an OE spec shock should be capable of dealing with a 30mm drop. I ran Eibach springs in conjunction with OE spec B4s on my Focus and it was very good but every individual case is different.

Re the wheels, the vRS I thought rode very well on 18s on the standard suspension and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. Bian (on here) has a B14 kit and 17" Zeniths on his PD140 and the ride is very good (although wasn't quite as low as mine and better for it I think).

As long as you stick to the OE tyre sizes, you won't have any speedo issues. 195/65/16, 205/55/15, 225/45/17 and 225/40/18 are, IIRC, virtually identical in terms of rolling radii.

Up your budget to £500 and get AP coilovers. Your current shocks have already had 8 years of use so you might as well replace them with coilovers in my opinion. I can recommend them highly. Decent quality. 2year warranty. Plenty comfortable as long as you don't wind them all the way down.