I've recently fitted some cobra -30mm lowering springs to my Octy mk1 Vrs. I didn't fancy coilovers really as I didn't want to go that low and comfort was important. The front looked really good not too low and the car drove well ( new shocks fitted too ). However, as has been mentioned before regarding springs on these cars there was an issue with the rear going way further than the front and really looked strange. Not wanting to go out paying more money for coilovers I was wondering if I could fit some adjuster perches from a coilover set to raise the back end up? Does any one know if these will fit a standard size spring or are the coilover springs wider? I've started looking at prosport coilies but as I've mentioned I've just bought lowering springs plus 4 new shock absorbers!!

You are unlikely to get away with just the adjuster.

The bottom of the spring might not sit properly on it. so you would need the rear springs also.

If it was just a cheap fix you are looking for and not too worried about handling you could try spring assisters. I think Grayston make cheap ones that you can probably get in halfords.

Also, it's not the kind of thing that somebody will definitively say is OK, (too much risk) but you may be alright.

I did think my springs wouldn't seat on the collar right as most coilover springs are flat on the end but I have seen coilover springs that are round. The inner diameter of a normal non coilover spring is 55mm. If any one has some perches to measure that would be good.

I did think my springs wouldn't seat on the collar right as most coilover springs are flat on the end but I have seen coilover springs that are round. The inner diameter of a normal non coilover spring is 55mm. If any one has some perches to measure that would be good.

 

The springs on coilovers are thinner and are designed to fit exactly on the perches.

 

You are either better off buying spring assisters which are ok for the purpose you need or buying just a rear set of springs that are better suited.

 

Even if coilover perches were the correct fit they would be way more costly to buy than a set of springs.

Cheers Bowders how's your car going with those polybush mounts? No creaking? Yeah now looking into these assister things. Can't say I've ever considered them if I'm being honest. Has any one used them?

I had same problem with my coilovers, i had some spaces made up to fit under adjuster so i could lift it up at back.

 

Decide how much it needs to come up at back and get some spaces fabricated up,

 

You can buy the metal lower spring seats from skoda for sod all so get a couple of them and then get some round alley off ebay bigger than the seats and get the bottom milled out to shape of beam and upper to mirror the beam and a hole through middle to bolt them to the rear beam

Noticed these on eBay earlier when I was looking at coilovers

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=111177096085

Only problem is i already have JOMs admittedly the plus kit (which should be better) and even wound all way to top it sags,

 

Altho axle weight seems ok on those

Cheers Bowders how's your car going with those polybush mounts? No creaking? Yeah now looking into these assister things. Can't say I've ever considered them if I'm being honest. Has any one used them?

 

Poly bushes are doing Fine mate, no creaking at all. Seem to have settled in well. 

 

That slight extra travel of coil over shock now gained was worth it too..

Only problem is i already have JOMs admittedly the plus kit (which should be better) and even wound all way to top it sags,

 

Altho axle weight seems ok on those

 

Might be ok for Meaty101 though if he has lowered fronts by 30mm as may be enough travel to balance up to the front and not be wound  to the top?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/mk4-golf-coilovers

These gave me the idea. Don't seem too expensive. But the seller seems a bit vague regarding its size. They told me the threads were 70mm width so they are too big. I was happy with the front the rear tyre went under the arch. So comparing how the front sat it would have to come back up by maybe 15mm?

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=321218369366

Sorry this one!!

Right, a conclusion to this i think! I Thought i would post some info on the -30mm cobra springs i bought from europerformance to 

lower my mk1 octavia vrs. sorry about the photos i couldnt work out how to do it any better than this.

 

The main issue i had with these springs is the rear. While the front went down by about 25mm, the back went down 50mm. I wasnt very happy how the car sat to be honest and it bounced quite badly at the back too. I put this down to the fact of it hitting the bump stops it felt weird. At this point i was a bit fed up, toyed with just going back to standard. However, i started this thread and got a few good ideas and turned out well imo.

 

 

started with this silver 4x4 look!!

 

 

 

 

 

two new front shocks went in along with new springs anti roll bar links bearings and vw polo rubber top mounts.

 

 

I then had some alloy seats/perches made. these were made to fit the rear beam to the correct size. 

 

 

 

 

End result.

 

 

Overall i`m happy with it. Its not too low but looks better than standard. The ride is still more on the comfortable side. Its a little stiffer than standard but it needed to be! Great compromise. in total the front has gone down 25mm with springs plus another 15mm with polo top mounts. The rear as it is now with the spacers on has gone down 30mm.

 

 

 

Right, a conclusion to this i think! I Thought i would post some info on the -30mm cobra springs i bought from europerformance to 

lower my mk1 octavia vrs. sorry about the photos i couldnt work out how to do it any better than this.

 

The main issue i had with these springs is the rear. While the front went down by about 25mm, the back went down 50mm. I wasnt very happy how the car sat to be honest and it bounced quite badly at the back too. I put this down to the fact of it hitting the bump stops it felt weird. At this point i was a bit fed up, toyed with just going back to standard. However, i started this thread and got a few good ideas and turned out well imo.

 

 

started with this silver 4x4 look!!

 

 

briskoda photos 005.jpg

 

 

 

two new front shocks went in along with new springs anti roll bar links bearings and vw polo rubber top mounts.

 

briskoda photos 008.jpg

 

I then had some alloy seats/perches made. these were made to fit the rear beam to the correct size. 

 

briskoda photos 002.jpg

 

briskoda photos 003.jpg

 

 

End result.

 

briskoda photos 010.jpg

 

Overall i`m happy with it. Its not too low but looks better than standard. The ride is still more on the comfortable side. Its a little stiffer than standard but it needed to be! Great compromise. in total the front has gone down 25mm with springs plus another 15mm with polo top mounts. The rear as it is now with the spacers on has gone down 30mm.

 

Glad you got it sorted dude.  Nice compromise...

How's it going bowders? Yeah I'm happy with it its still ferrying kids around so I needed it fairly comfortable. Racing handling isn't top of my list now!! The one thing that did annoy with the springs was the two back springs. Dropped way too far for me. Just one more thing regarding cobra springs, the bloke at euro performance told me these were specific to the vrs, and that's how they list them on their web site. However, when they arrived the paper work listed 1.8t, 1.9tdi etc but not the vrs! And also stated a 50mm drop. So I would take the vrs specific line with a pinch of salt. To be fair the car is driving lovely with them but I've also fitted 4 new shocks

AH, if they weren't actually vRS lowered springs that might explain the motorboat rake. My Elegance has a fair bit of rake as standard, and my mate's vRS was more or less level.

When I first got them and seen the paper work I was in two minds to send them back having read all the various issues people have had with non vrs springs. But while I know what you mean about the boat stance! This doesn't really explain much. As far as I know rear axle weight on all model Octavia is the same its the front that differs. So really the back shouldn't have went down like that. So it did mean a lot more hassle to get them on. I've lowered all my cars with springs and never had as much bother as this.

Another update/problem. Took the car for a wheel alignment today due to all the suspension work I've done, now the steering wheel is off centre!! So, took the car back, alignment equipment back on, bloke took me through and showed me all the readings on the front wheels as being in the green so within tolerance. But, he said one of the back wheels is out of alignment( drivers rear iI think he said ). As its a fixed axle I don't what to do about this. He did mention about the car having lowering springs fitted and this could be the cause, but I got the impression he was a bit miffed the car came back to the garage. Can anyone offer some advice?

I have the same problem.After my last aligment me steering wheel was of center.All the times we tried the wheel was a little bit of center

 

At the end we remove the screw of the steering wheel and put the steering wheel to the center

The car isn't pulling off or anything, its driving lovely the best I've had it in the 6 years I've owned it. Its just the wheel is off centre. The bloke said it might scrub the back tyre. I could have done without the lecture about why I shouldn't modify my car how Skoda knows best because they spend millions designing cars!! Some people are so naive.

The car isn't pulling off or anything, its driving lovely the best I've had it in the 6 years I've owned it. Its just the wheel is off centre. The bloke said it might scrub the back tyre. I could have done without the lecture about why I shouldn't modify my car how Skoda knows best because they spend millions designing cars!! Some people are so naive.

The steering wheel off center is due to the idiots not being exact in the alignment process. They probably rushed setting the track rods and toe in when doing alignment. These places just annoy me as they don't care. I have found a great place to do mine and won't go anywhere else. Pro tyres in cosham offer a great service. And lol, I have to tell them to set my alignment up as a 2wd audi TT due to having R32/TT Wishbones/hubs and same camber. (it is superb setting to)First time in they looked at me strange but now they know and are used to car. I never get "should of left it as skoda built it "and if I did I would never go back.

They also get me to test it and confirm if I am happy before I pay.

Setting your steering wheel is easy to do and won't cause issues but would bug me as should of been done right at the garage. But I am a fussy git.

Sent from my Samsung S3

He was annoyed the car came back to him with a problem I think. The car was in the day before also but they couldn't track it the first time as the lock nuts on the track rods were stuck and I had to book it in with them. After his attitude I won't be going back to them. Spent over 400 quid last year with them too for a full set of continentals. I followed some you tube videos today using plumb lines down the car ( not sure how accurate that is) and fiddled a bit. I must say wheel is back straight and no pulling off. So fairly happy in the end whether it scrubs tyres or not time will tell.

Mk4 platform front wheel drive cars all suffer from this you have to fit shims to bring them back which you can get from psi tuning

When I first got them and seen the paper work I was in two minds to send them back having read all the various issues people have had with non vrs springs. But while I know what you mean about the boat stance! This doesn't really explain much. As far as I know rear axle weight on all model Octavia is the same its the front that differs. So really the back shouldn't have went down like that. So it did mean a lot more hassle to get them on. I've lowered all my cars with springs and never had as much bother as this.

I think you've mis-understood me; what I was meaning was that the vRS has relatively shorter rear coils than the other models. If we say that a normal Octy has 8" free length all round, a vRS might have  7" front and 6" rear.

Guss84 any chance of a link for those shims? I will look into those.