Hello everyone,

 

First of all I'm sorry for asking my query for VW Jetta in Skoda forum, but since its the same chassis, the query is not too out of topic, and I believe this is the best place to get my doubt clarified.

 

I'm looking forward to upgrading to Bilstein B16 on my Jetta (1K)

Sturt Diameter - 50mm

Front Axle Load - 1070kg

Rear Axle Load - 960kg

 

The compatible bilstein model is 48-135238, which is rated for axle loads upto 1210 for front and 1100 for rear.

 

I have the following doubts,

 

1) Will the higher axle load on this kit make the car stiffer than desired and affect the handling in a negative way.

I'm based in India where the roads are pretty bad, comfort is not my priority, but it shouldn't be so stiff that the tyre lose contact with the ground on undulated surfaces.

 

2) Bilstein catalogue suggest the same model number for all the PQ35 cars like A3, Octavia, Golf. Is Bilstein ignoring the fact that all the cars need different weight springs? Or the slight weight difference doesn't matter much in this case for the B16?

 

Thank You.

I have driven in India.  I have also run an octavia with a Bilstein B16 kit.

 

Simple advice is don't do it.  The B16 kit is way too stiff for road use IMO and is really aimed at hard core track day use - that based on my experience driving here in the UK.  I took  mine off.  On indian roads it would be much worse.

 

To answer your question - yes the hight load will mean stiffer springs than you need.  Do you really need coilovers?  Given the state of the roads there i'd not want to run a lowered car - have you considered keeping the stock springs and adding some better quality dampers?

Great to get a response from someone who has experienced both the situations. 

 

For me, losing out on comfort is not a problem with this car, I have another car for practicality and family use. I just want the best handling. But I feel it shouldn't be so stiff that it actually ruins the handling on our road conditions. I know someone who is happily running the B16s on Octavia here, but again that car has different axle weight which has put me in doubt.

 

The bigger question is, as the common logic goes, springs with higher load than specified will make the ride stiffer than desired and every car requires a different one. So why is Bilstein giving the same part number for all the PQ35 cars? Because this way obviously there will be cars lighter than mine, like the Golf which will get the same kit. What is their logic behind this?

 

About the ride height, the cars in India are already ride a little higher than what you guys get there, so going a little lower is no harm. And yes, I'm considering better dampers (but with lowering springs as the cars needs to go lower to an extent) as a last resort, but coilovers are the first option considering the customisability they offer.