I have a leaking front damper, car has done 110,000 miles so I'm on borrowed time!

 

What is the best choice to get good ride quality? Better handling would be a bonus but is not the main consideration as it's my daily driving motorway muncher and standard ride quality isn't exactly class leading! I've seen recommendations for Bilstein B4's, don't know if they are the default choice?

 

Many Thanks

 

Jez

bilstein b6 would more suited to a vrs,

 

they are mono tube so it will be an upgrade too but since the vrs is quick stiff anyway don't the ride be any worse

 

http://www.bilstein.de/en-uk/products/high-performance-shock-absorbers/bilstein-b6/

What's the difference between B4 and B6?

Why is one better suited than the other?

B6's aren't that cheap though at £600 and I'm guessing you would need different springs too plus notification to your insurer?

Are you thinking of replacing springs at the same time? I'd probably recommend doing that, if you're renewing the dampers. Seeing as you'll be removing suspension parts anyway.

 

I'd say the Bilstein to use with the vRS is the B8. The B4 and B6 are really just OEM replacement spec, so depends if you want to alter the ride and handling. B6 would probably be more suited if the improvement of ride quality was the priority, although I think B8s would be a good all-round option and certainly better than what you have on at moment.

 

I run the Koni FSD 4090 revisions myself and they're good and certainly far better than the factory setup, combined with Eibach ProKit springs. But if I were doing it again, I'd think very hard about a Bilstein setup, such as the B12 kit (B8 dampers combined with Eibach springs, in one kit).

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/performance/suspension-kits/bilstein-b12-sportline-suspension-kit

B6's aren't that cheap though at £600 and I'm guessing you would need different springs too plus notification to your insurer?

No need to change springs as they are for pairing with oem springs, for those who want sports handling but don't want to lower any further. The valving is the same as b8 with the only difference they are not shortened. If you are planning to change the springs. you might as well go for the b12 kit (consisting of b8 shocks with eibach lowering springs)

Thanks Wardy, that's food for thought , ideally I'd not want to change ride height but that is a definate option. What's the consensus on coilover kits for the Octavia ( had BC's on my previous daily driver) as one benefit is that you can run them at varying heights?

I assume you change top mounts at the same time unless of course the kit comes with them (I know the Biksteins don't)?

B6s start at about £110 each but, depending on where you buy them, it can me more cost effective to buy the B12 kit. You can run a shorter spring on a B4 or B6, but probably no more than a 20mm drop before moving on to a B8. IIRC, FSDs aren't supposed to be used in conjunction with lowering springs as it's alleged to affect their efficiency, but should in theory be no different to pairing with a spring that gives a slight drop.

are there any budget options? I'm on 122,000 VRS PD170 and she's tired now.

 

would like to use eibach springs but are there any other options for say a -20 drop on VRS standard set up?

I can see the b12's are good vfm if you want and improvement and a bit of a drop, looks like there is also a b12 kit that drops less?

Interesting re FSD's as they had a terrible reputation on a different car forum (not Skoda) I was on.

What is the OEM btw and where is the best place to source them?

are there any budget options? I'm on 122,000 VRS PD170 and she's tired now.

 

would like to use eibach springs but are there any other options for say a -20 drop on VRS standard set up?

 

On a budget I personally wouldn't really bother as, like most things, you invariably get what you pay for. Lots and lots of people will tell you how amazing £180 worth of Jom coilovers are, but when they're used in isolation there is nothing to compare them to. Eibach springs are your best bet, if you have to replace the dampers, a new set of OE would be perfectly adequate and you can probably get change out of £250-300 for a set of Bilstein B4 OE replacements, but if you are going to do that spend the extra and get a B12 kit.

 

I can see the b12's are good vfm if you want and improvement and a bit of a drop, looks like there is also a b12 kit that drops less?

Interesting re FSD's as they had a terrible reputation on a different car forum (not Skoda) I was on.

What is the OEM btw and where is the best place to source them?

 

There is only one choice of drop on the vRS, it's the -20(ish) or so based on the ride height of the vRS over non-vRS models. Mk5 Golfs get a choice of Pro or Sportline springs, with the latter being shorter and getting a bigger drop.

 

I think FSDs are the Marmite of dampers. I've heard plenty of reports of how good they are and lots of people who say they hate them. And lots of people of forums who have never used them but give an opinion on what they read. Russ at MCC had a set on his Edition 30 coupled with what I thought was a Pro Kit, but I think might have been Sportline, and they actually felt pretty good.

 

The OE spec replacement from Bilstein is a B4, you used to be able to get them from Euros before they stopped selling Bilstein (or at least had done). I bought a full set on my Focus TDCI for under £200 - a set of Bilstein Pro springs could be had for less than £120 at that time too so to upgrade the whole kit for top quality parts ran to little more than £300. Loads of places still stock Bilsteins though so they shouldn't be too hard to find.

Indeed, how much do OEM replacements run to and where is the best place to buy them? I think this time round it's probably going to be B4 or OEM, especially as I spent fortunes on the other car recently including new Nitron NTR's!

I've only driven a car with FSD's once as I was going to buy them. Like I said it wasn't on a Skoda but I didn't like the way that they initially felt soft and then hardened up. Maybe completely different on another car as that was a Volvo 850R, but I bought BC's and was very happy with ride and handling.

B4 IS OEM spec - they're Bilstein's gas filled OE spec replacements and found them much better than the stock Ford shocks (made by Sachs IIRC) that they replaced.
 

You ought to be able to buy a full set and get change out of £300, as to where from I'd start on Google but I know DPM (forum sponsor) sell them as do Demon Tweeks, Europerformance (the latter I think are £300 for a set, I had to buy a replacement from them for the Focus after I bent one and they were amongst the cheapest).

FSDs aren't supposed to be used in conjunction with lowering springs as it's alleged to affect their efficiency, but should in theory be no different to pairing with a spring that gives a slight drop.

 

Not true. Koni confirmed that FSDs will work within their design parameters, with the Eibach ProKit spring. So you have two options; OEM spring if you don't want to affect ride height, ProKit spring if you want a lowered ride height and slightly firmer and stiffer handling.

 

My point of changing springs is around matching. You're adding a brand new damper to old springs that have done 110k. For the cost of the springs alone, I would consider changing both at the same time. 

Agree with your second part Steve, but my understanding was that originally (did FSDs get revised?) a lowering spring on an FSD shock was alleged to have compromised its efficiency and therefore wasn't recommended but that's a few years back now.

No, I confirmed the same with them when they were first released (2007?) and I was fitting them to the Fabia. Their design brief was a better, more adaptable damper for OEM application. But they then tested them and found they worked well with a lowering spring as well. The tests carried out were with the Eibach ProKit spring. So that was why originally, if you see FSDs being fitted it's usually in conjunction with Eibach springs.

 

I then spoke with them again in 2010, when the 4090 revision was released for the Mk5 platform. Octy2-related, any problems and issues were with the earlier revision. I haven't heard of any issues or failures, since the 4090 was brought out.

Although i found FSD's noticably improved the handling from OEM shocks, their build quality leaves a lot to be desired. Paint flaking off and surface rust are not unusual with them.

 

Not on an my Octavia, though.

Eibach and FSD's are a well known pairing

Although i found FSD's noticably improved the handling from OEM shocks, their build quality leaves a lot to be desired. Paint flaking off and surface rust are not unusual with them.

 

Not on an my Octavia, though.

 

Not my finding either and they've been on 3yrs. I make sure they're kept clean but I would with any setup. Haven't heard build quality reports from elsewhere, either.

Interesting that BC now do coilovers for the Mk2, as you can see they come with their own design of front top mount.  Recommended initially through MX5 circles, I found them very good and very well made and I had a set with adjustable camber:

 

http://www.bc-racing.co.uk/applications/skoda-coilovers/skoda-octavia-mk2-55mm-strut-04/br-series-coilover-type-ra-11983.html

 

The only other thing I'd say about Konis is that I had an adjustable set of dampers on a Saab 9000 Aero and it wasn't long before the damper adjusters became very stiff.

Edited 30 January, 201412 yr by JezF1000

I had FSD's when they first came out along with Eibach springs for which both were recommended to me by several garages and forums. This was on a Leon, not Octavia, but I found them to be very good - did over 70k on them before selling the car and was happy with the results. Ended up only a 15mm drop tho IIRC.

My '04 140 PD had the 2UC sports suspension option on it, which I found a bit crashy. Both rear springs cracked last year so I fitted a Vogtland kit, all 4 progressive rate springs with matched dampers.

 

The Vogtland suspension has surprisingly good reviews so I bit the bullet. 8000 miles later, I have to say it has dramatically improved the ride and handling. The key to the ride improvement is undoubtedly the progressive springs.

 

I do agree that you get what you pay for - I have been impressed with the Vogtlands but perhaps I'm biased because my expectations were low? Ideally I would have gone for the Bilstein B12 kit because Bilstein make the best road car suspension in the world, period. However, I couldn't justify the +£800 expense on a car worth <£4k!

 

If I was in your shoes I would replace the fronts with Bilstein B6 - they'll be great dampers and your ride will be maintained or marginally improved. If you want to improve the ride then Eibach springs are probably the way to go, in which case, as others have said, the B12 kit is the one.

Thanks Mike, I am quite tempted to get the B12's now having had a ponder, I've a few other things that need sorting too so just need to decide what and when! I will change front top mounts at the same time btw.

Edited 31 January, 201412 yr by JezF1000

Are you thinking of replacing springs at the same time? I'd probably recommend doing that, if you're renewing the dampers. Seeing as you'll be removing suspension parts anyway.

 

I'd say the Bilstein to use with the vRS is the B8. The B4 and B6 are really just OEM replacement spec, so depends if you want to alter the ride and handling. B6 would probably be more suited if the improvement of ride quality was the priority, although I think B8s would be a good all-round option and certainly better than what you have on at moment.

 

I run the Koni FSD 4090 revisions myself and they're good and certainly far better than the factory setup, combined with Eibach ProKit springs. But if I were doing it again, I'd think very hard about a Bilstein setup, such as the B12 kit (B8 dampers combined with Eibach springs, in one kit).

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/performance/suspension-kits/bilstein-b12-sportline-suspension-kit

Wardy, the Demon Tweeks website doesn't seem to list those kits for an Octavia? It shows the B12 Pro Kit for £666.

Hmm I'm pretty sure they do offer them, and that others have bought Octy2 kits from them. Their website can be a bit odd at times though.

 

Also give DPM Performance a shout - they should be able to source, and their prices are usually very competitive.