How fast?

[GanXteR]

I'm new to the fold of Skoda ownership. My wife recently had twins and my Audi TT had to go. I love the 1.8t so my choice was a black vrs estate. I must admit I'm loving it except one thing. I'm finding it a little scary at high speed. The car feels so weird after about 80 so much so I feel reluctant to press on. The back feels so twitchy and from what I see on here they can be like this but really?

I mean the car is capable of 145+ but I wouldn't even like to know what it would be like getting to those speeds.

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[green beard]

Hi and welcome to Briskoda.

I have an estate with 1.8T, not a vrs but not that much down on power, it's old but feels fine at motorway speeds.

However, I have replaced both front wishbones and the rear bushes, so all the suspension bushes and the front bottom ball joints are new. 

Also tyres on front match a couple of uniroyals and a pair of budgets on the rear.

 

If all the bushes, springs and tyres check out ok I would say look at the rear dampers. On my Fabia VRS I had Koni Sport kit on it and one of the dampers at the rear was soft - got it replaced and car was a lot more planted under acceleration and at speed. By comparison the car was dangerous beforehand, which seems to be what you're saying.

Not that Koni would listen to any of that - lifetime guarantee my arse! 

[BrownBarge]

Could just be worn bushes on the rear mate

[Lloyd55vrs]

Treat yourself to some super pro bushes mate and a rear anti roll bar

Should tighten things a bit

And some coilovers

[green beard]

If you need new rear bushes, get Fabia Mk1 VRS bushes, they are stiffer without making the ride uncomfortable.

[GanXteR]

Cheers for the quick replies guys. I've got a rear arb from a 4motion I was going to fit on my TT but never got round to it. Would this also fit the octy?

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[STSKODA]

won't fit as vrs is not 4x4

[billy2981]

Bushes n shocks.

Wheel ballancing too?

My vRS felt more planted the faster it went.

On the airfield at 14 sigs that is. Did a ton 45 down there and it was epic fun. That was when the car was bog std tho. She was well modded later on.

As said its prob on original stuff so changing it will improve things no end.

Do you do track days n that or you on the continent?

[GanXteR]

That's a shame the arb won't fit. The car is original and 92000 miles. Front wishbone and rear bushes done March last year and new tyres and balanced so I spose the stocks are the only last part of the puzzle eh

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[Beryl's Chief Pilot]

I really used to get un nerved by the 'floaty' feeling in mine at speed. I had a fixed Whiteline RARB fitted to help with cornering and was pleasantly surprised to find the floaty feeling disappeared.  

[Bowders1]

I'm new to the fold of Skoda ownership. My wife recently had twins and my Audi TT had to go. I love the 1.8t so my choice was a black vrs estate. I must admit I'm loving it except one thing. I'm finding it a little scary at high speed. The car feels so weird after about 80 so much so I feel reluctant to press on. The back feels so twitchy and from what I see on here they can be like this but really?

I mean the car is capable of 145+ but I wouldn't even like to know what it would be like getting to those speeds.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

These cars are getting on now and the suspension is deliberately soft as new . The Skoda Dealers were not allowed to compete with more expensive cars like the Audi's and Golfs of same platform and steal away the sales(in the early days)so some things on the Skoda are not of same quality. So you have the same engine and drive train producing the same power through a inferior suspension set up.

 

The  Octavia like the Golf and 2WD Audi's are fitted with a rear anti roll bar  inside the rear beam.

However it does not serve as good a job as expected and a lot of folks fit a aftermarket rear stabilizer bar(RARB)  something like a Eibach , Neuspeed or Whiteline. These hook up further back on the shock mounts and rear beam. 

They are considered to be one of the best mods to buy as they greatly improve straight line stability and cornering, something that the Octavia greatly needs.

This mod alone is better than replacing suspension for handling.

 

Look for a VW golf MK4 as they are the same platform 

 

hope it helps.

[Lofty79]

Go vw golf Yeah

chintzy suspension

[Bowders1]

Go vw golf Yeah

chintzy suspension

 

lol he's......back...

[Tonka972]

Check out whiteline - they do a 22mm rear sway bar. Will tighten things up....

[ruffday]

Also get the tracking checked on a decent 4 wheel alignment unit. 

[Guest BigJase88]

If your feeling the car is already twitchy then a rarb add on will just excentuate this and make the car more unstable at speed.

What you need to do is give the suspension components a refresh (shocks / springs). They are bound to be passed their best by now. Bushes also wouldn't go a miss just to tighten it all up nicely

Edited 11 March, 2014 by BigJase88

[rwbaldwin]

Check the MOT for any advisories. My guess is that you will find something like

nnn Rear (axle xxxxxxx) Bonded suspension unit deteriorated but can function as intended [2.4.F.3]

If there aren't any advisories, check the tyres and get the geometry checked.

[GanXteR]

Well the car went into midland vw and they have found that the front arb needs replacing so I now have an r32 arb on the way. Hopefully this goes some way to helping out the twitchy feeling. Not got the funds to fit a rear arb just yet but at least it's a step in the right direction. Once again guys thanks for all your input.

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[ash_1909]

Ive done 132 at max and my back end was also verry light and twitchy but now it has been lowered 40mil as when i did it before the front was way too high and made it un stable but not tried too see what i can do safely yet since lowering

[Guest BigJase88]

Gotta love private roads.....

Or was it the M1, M6 maybe??

Lol

[ash_1909]

Definately a private road in south wales

[billy2981]

Lol

Youll find putting the r32 23mm farb on might make it worse certainly in the corners.

Needs a 25mm rarb min really I preferred the 28mm with the r32 front.

[Bowders1]

Lol

Youll find putting the r32 23mm farb on might make it worse certainly in the corners.

Needs a 25mm rarb min really I preferred the 28mm with the r32 front.

 

+1

[michael1]

Twitchy seems like an unusual description. Mine felt indirect and floppy before fitting the rear anti roll bar.

So as said, now it's more twitchy if anything, but thats a good thing, avoid twitching at those speeds and all is good!  :sun:

 

With the R32 front anti roll bar what you've done is further stiffened the front and left the rear floppy, so it's going to be a bit of a pig unless you're prepared to really drive it  . I can't recommend a rear bar highly enough, there should be a few around second hand if you have a look. The car will be transformed with both bars on.

[Tonka972]

I'd definitely fit a rear bar ASAP - as previously mentioned, you've over egged the front end...