Well guys, I've got them fitted and first impressions are it was £540 well spent! :clap:

 

Only done a few miles so far on A and B roads plus a short stretch of dual carriageway up to about 65mph and I would say that this mod has improved handling, improved damping and improved the overall stance of the car. 

 

I've driven it over a few of the roads where I know the OEM suspension was harsh and crashy and now it feels more compliant over all road surfaces.  Bearing in mind I have lowered it 30-35mm which you would expect to have an adverse effect, I would say on good and fair road surfaces the ride is improved and on poorer roads (we have some very bad roads in Sheffield!) it is no worse than before.  I did hit a couple of larger potholes which still let me know about their presence but they still did not leave me looking in the rear view mirror to see if the wheels had fallen off! 

 

At expansion joints over bridges, it definitely seems to soak up the transition from one surface to the other much better, as previously the whole car often felt like it was jumping or twitching laterally.

 

Handling around the bends and at roundabouts seems to be a little more positive and as for stance, the attached before and after pics speak for themselves....

 

Before...

 

After...

 

I'll update further once I've been on the motorway, and I'm also going to get the 4 wheel alignment checked at the end of next week once the springs have had chance to settle.  I'm also running on relatively worn out tyres so expect the ride to improve a little further once I get new rubber boots fitted!

 

In summary, if it had come out of the factory riding and looking like this, then I'm pretty sure those of us who have been left feeling short-changed by poor ride quality would have been much more satisfied with the car as a whole. 

 

I'm now looking forward to another 2 years of O3 motoring and hopefully my recent hankering after a Merc or a Jaag will be quashed, at least until I re-surface from negative equity!

Edited 20 April, 201511 yr by Matt Pez

Sounds great Matt, please do keep us informed, how much were the shocks BTW, I was looking at the softer VW Golf shocks with a rear anti roll bar but, thats proving difficult to buy without the front one.

I got all four shocks for £165 incl vat from Demon Tweeks, which was a great deal compared to the price they quoted online which were incorrect part refs btw. Discount may have been helped as I paid £195 for the pro kit which can be had for less elsewhere if you shop around.

I got the pro spring kit from PBT-racing in Germany via e-bay for £96 + £20 postage.

 

They're being fitted (eventually) but running on standard shocks until I get problems, then I'll change to the Billy's.

 

The second photo looks spot on   .

 

In the first photo the ride height is that of a 4x4, are you sure they didn't fit "Scout" suspension by mistake! 

Great to know Matt! No, sadly the standard Elegance is really too high, that's why I'm leaning towards lowered springs.

If I were enclined to keep my Elegance 2.0 forever more I think id probably look to follow MattPez's actions plus the following:-

Rear ARB

DTUK stage 2 box (200ish PS)

312mm front brake conversion from 184 TDI/180 TSI

Paint Teron alloys gloss black

Retro fit black pack mirror caps and front grille

Retro fit darkened front fogs (fitted with xenons)

Retro fit Golf GTD rear back box and exhaust trims (even regular Octavias should have been given visible exhausts...cost saving no doubt)

Retro fit grey vRS cloth seats front and rear (perhaps source from breakers)

Retro fit grey stitched vRS flat bottom wheel (breakers or superskoda)

Elegance would look great then, but I have no inclination to spend the money on it :-)

Edited 21 April, 201511 yr by pipsyp

....as Ive posted a dozen times before I think it is about time Skoda bought an Sport/Elegance Sport trim to market. There is a definite market for such a trim level I think.....the Dynamic package as available in other markets would at least be something.

One of the things I dislike about the Elegance is the front seats.....they look good in leather/alcantara but completely lack lateral and under-thigh support...also the manual lumbar adjustment barely works (IMHO).

I got the pro spring kit from PBT-racing in Germany via e-bay for £96 + £20 postage.

 

I was unsure about the part refs when I ordered as not many have fitted these to O3s yet so decided to stick with UK sourced parts.  Cheapest I found in UK was about £180 for the springs but the same company wanted over £120 more for the shocks so decided to stick with DT.  I think they gave me around 60% off list price for the shocks in the end, but I suspect if you were to order just the shocks they wouldn't offer as much discount as they must have made a fair bit on the springs.

Edited 21 April, 201511 yr by Matt Pez

Good news.  Please do keep us updated as it settles and you get more experience.

 

I could see myself getting a set of dampers, particularly if the stock ones fail outside warranty.  Actually I could see myself getting different springs if they fail.

(BTW, it's really hard to get options for parts for my AWD)

 

 

In the first photo the ride height is that of a 4x4, are you sure they didn't fit "Scout" suspension by mistake! 

Its normal height. Its called a car!!

Its normal height. Its called a car!!

My comment is "Tongue in cheek".

 

Hence the exclamation mark at the end!

My comment is "Tongue in cheek".

 

Hence the exclamation mark at the end!

I gathered that. So was mine. Hence the exclamation marks!!

 sadly the standard Elegance is really too high,

It needs to be that high. Extra suspension leeway for when you have your mistress in the car with you;)

Its what you call- Simply Clever;)

Edited 22 April, 201511 yr by JungleJames

I got all four shocks for £165 incl vat from Demon Tweeks, which was a great deal compared to the price they quoted online which were incorrect part refs btw. Discount may have been helped as I paid £195 for the pro kit which can be had for less elsewhere if you shop around.

What Matt keeps refusing to tell us, is that he needed to sell his body to get the shocks for that price   :no:

It needs to be that high. Extra suspension leeway for when you have your mistress in the car with you;)

Its what you call- Simply Clever;)

 

:D

I gathered that. So was mine. Hence the exclamation marks!!

Doh!!!!

 

 

 

I'll be happy with the ride height on my VRS when I get the springs on.

 

I don't have to worry about the ride height for a mistress, I can't afford one now I've spent all my money on a new car!!!!!!

 

 

Sorry getting carried away with the exclamation marks   .

Took her on a 150 mile round trip today, plenty of motorway, dual carriageway and rural A/B roads. I'm definitely much happier with the ride and handling now, wish I'd done this upgrade 12 months ago!

On the ride quality, it's still firm, but soaks up the bumps so much better over manholes, rumble strips, expansion joints and most pot holes, with only the worst pot holes letting you know you should have swerved! Cornering feels more direct and the car is generally less wallowy.

The car also just sits so much better, I can't stop admiring it's new stance, and it's got that new car feeling all over again! Parked next to a colleagues Golf Mk7 GTD, the ride heights are now identical.

Happy Days! Now I just need some window tints!

Took her on a 150 mile round trip today, plenty of motorway, dual carriageway and rural A/B roads. I'm definitely much happier with the ride and handling now, wish I'd done this upgrade 12 months ago!

 

Does the wife know you mention her on the internet like this

The car also just sits so much better, I can't stop admiring it's new stance,

Doctor!!

Doctor!!

 

You can talk, all that time you spend staring at trains!  

You can talk, all that time you spend staring at trains!  

Not quite sure that's true.

But hey, even if I did, at least I don't get a hard on if it sits a couple of cm lower than the train next to it