By some strange coincidence as I opened the drivers door today the front off side suspension spring snapped with an extremely loud bang, once my heart rate returned to normal I jacked the car to find about 1 coil snapped off the top of the spring.

 The question is where is the best place to buy replacement springs (I'll change both sides)? Eurocarparts are £43.80 per spring (sachs), is this a good price? Also is it worth changing shocks and top mounts whilst it's in bits? "52" with 79k miles. Thanks

You may be better off going for genuine springs as there are many part numbers available for the MK1 Octavia.  The factors may have one part number to cover a range of models, whereas with genuine you'll get the exact one for the VRS.  The spring will have a series of coloured paint markings on them, to ensure getting the correct one it will be adviseable to quote what markings are on yours.

Nonononono. DON'T do it.

 

Many of us have found that supposed replacement vRS springs are not the same height. Sachs included.

 

As far as I know, your ONLY options are to either go for lowering springs such as H&R, or go for genuine parts from TPS.

 

 

Buy cheap, buy twice.

 

 

 

I will add that my shocks all round were completely dead at 49K, but I'm pretty certain mine had done nothing but towing a frigging great caravan for the last 29,000 miles of that 49K.

Go to your local motor factors, there is a company that specialises in performance model springs, ie Sri, gti, etc. Can't remember the name of them though.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4

Just make sure the you get vRS specific springs, these are shorter than standard and your car could end up wonky or taller at the front if you do two by fitting the wrong ones. It has and does happen, so make doubly sure.

 

Perhaps send a PM to one of members breaking theirs for spares, and you could get a whole front strut ready to swap in.

Thanks for all the advice, I'd been a little suspicious of some factors listing lots of models for the same spring, I certainly don't want to turn the firm ride into a jelly! Looks like I'll need to wait until Thursday to get a price on genuine parts before I decide what to do. Out of interest how much would a set of H & R springs set me back?

If you buy H&R springs that are specific to the VRs, then you WILL need uprated dampers to go with them, despite whatever anyone else will tell you.

 

How do I know? Because I fitted a set to mine with the standard dampers - and the car drove in a similar fashion to being on one of those children's garden trampolines! (Looked good though - when it was parked at least!)

 

The standard shocks just don't have enough rebound damping control for the H&R spring rates.

 

I then tried some Bilsteins as well - but now that I had the damping control sufficient to pair with the H&R Springs - the car now drove like a bloody racing car. It was brilliant on the 1% of times when I wanted to drive like an absolute mentalist - but for the other 99% of the time, it was way too unforgiving for our normally crappy roads, harsh and noisy, jarring and uncomfortable - and managed to find every little bit of loose trim inside the passenger cabin and rattle them all to the point of insanity...

 

 

I finally went to my local Skoda dealer, and bought a set of standard replacement springs and stock Sachs dampers. You know, the suspension setup that VAG obviously spent loads of R&D time and money on to get just right to be great all-round on our cars, lol!

 

The total cost was pretty reasonable, and comparable to aftermarket stuff. The car was / is now just perfect - a comfortable, forgiving commuter and quiet motorway cruiser - with enough extra damping and spring rate to be an acceptably sporty ride when I need it to be. Perfect!

 

So - don't discount thinking about stock genuine replacement parts - especially on an older, higher mileage car with worn suspension bushes and interior trim that has seen better days.

 

Hope this helps!

Buy a pair too...

I have two standard front springs kicking about if this helps

Also defo change the top mounts and bearings

 

One of the reasons the spring snaps is the bearing gives out and the suspension is then under constant strain.

 

defo replace both sides too.

 

H&R springs will only work with a new or very low mileage std shocks. 

They will work very well paired with Koni shocks. The ride is very good and forgiving.

 

I have have run H&R on both std shocks(which actually is not bad IMO)  and with Koni shocks which transformed the car,

 

Also I have just replaced my friends VRS rear suspension from Koni FSD (as leaked over 6 years old) to Sach dampers from Euro car parts still with H&R springs and good combination too. 

Thanks again for everyone taking the time to reply, really sound advice all round.

 

guss84 would you be willing to post the springs? if so how much ££ would you want for them?

 

I'll still find out tomorrow how much the genuine replacements are just encase it's not too scary.

Of course am willing to post and wouldn't want much call it thirty quid

Just thought I'd post to close this one down.

 

Big thanks to guss84 for sending me out his old front springs so quickly, just a pity I had to wait for daylight to fit them!

 

Replacement springs and new (standard) top mounts/bearings fitted this morning and all is well.

 

Thanks to everyone who contributed, sound advice all round.

 

Cheers.

Job done!