Any help would be great. Rear spring on my octy estate broke, to replace do i need spring compressors or can i get by without? As far as i know the process is jack up, wheel off, remove shock bottom bolt then spring.

Thanks

jack up an support car put your jack under the lower arm remove arm bolt from hub and lower the arm with the jack until tension released,

 and the spring will fall out . 

Do both rear springs.

Just had a go it doesn't come out seems the top rubber sits on a nipple thing and it wont move. No room for two compressors either only one and it loosened one side but still wouldn't come out

You don't need spring compressors to do the rear springs.

 

Like this, disregard the coilover part

 

Thanks for the vid now i know where i went wrong, i only removed the bottom bolt from the shock not the control arm, oops

If ever you want to know how to do anything just search on youtube

The Haynes manual actually says to use compressors to take them out. No mention of taking bolts out from the control arms. Can't figure out why. It'll be easier doing it like the video shows imho.

Yep only took 15 mins:)

Yep only took 15 mins:)

Glad it's sorted. Did your bottom shock bolt come out ok? I'm gonna have to fit new rear bump stops soon but not sure how its going to go. It does look straight forward very similar to the mk1 octavia.

The shock is dead easy to replace the bottom shock bolt is 21mm

21mm. Spot on buddy. The shock looks fine it's the foam bump stop needs changed. It's common on the mk1 too.

I did my bump stops a while a go easy done i think 16mm offset spanner to get top nut off sho k

The Haynes manual actually says to use compressors to take them out. No mention of taking bolts out from the control arms. Can't figure out why. It'll be easier doing it like the video shows imho.

I haven't had much to do with Haynes but when I was an apprentice we had Gregory's manuals.  If the shop was quiet & I'd finished sweeping the floors & getting the boss’s lunch I'd read through the manuals we had on the shelf.  A lot of the "how-to" was quite generic.  I often wondered if they'd actually seen the car they had written the manual for.

I haven't had much to do with Haynes but when I was an apprentice we had Gregory's manuals. If the shop was quiet & I'd finished sweeping the floors & getting the boss’s lunch I'd read through the manuals we had on the shelf. A lot of the "how-to" was quite generic. I often wondered if they'd actually seen the car they had written the manual for.

Some of the stuff in the Haynes isn't great but with the guides on here plus the manual i find i have enough info. Add in youtube and google and it's loads of information.

As above, totally unnecessary to use compressors. Once the bottom bolt is removed the arm drops down plenty far enough far enough for the spring to simply be removed.

Don't believe everything you read in a Haynes manual!

Take the bottom bolt out as suggested and it's a 10 minutes job per side.

Mike

Like brad mentioned a lot of it must be generic. Removing the the springs from the mk1 was easiest taking both rear shock bolts out then lowering the beam on a jack. The springs just popped out but again the manual said to use compressors. Maybe some cars are easier doing it that way so they probably put the same method in every manual. Common sense says it isn't the best way to do it.

Be advised that the bottom bolts, at least in the case of my 2006 Octavia Mk ii L&K Estate, are stretch bolts, and new ones should be used, tightened to 90Nm and then tightened a further 90 degrees.

 

Now, the problem I have is this:  I understood my Octavia (which I purchased from a dealer when it was 3 years old) was originally specified with VRS suspension, but I may have been misinformed by the dealer.  When I removed the broken spring (last 3" of coil, that all rests on the lower buffer), I found both rears marked 1x Blue, 3x Yellow  (The fronts are 1x White, 3x Red)

 

When I rang Skoda, they checked, using the VIN, and told me that according to the database, I should have 1x Blue, 2x Orange, 1x Brown.  I queried this, pointing out that I had Blue, Yellow, Yellow, Yellow, and the technician within earshot of the Parts counter guy said, yes, they were compatible.  But while the springs in their uncompressed state appeared to be the same length, the car now sits a good inch and a half higher at the back, on both sides, and looks odd.

 

Can anyone else advise if I now have a VRS front and a normal rear, so to speak?  How can I check if this was original from the factory, or not?  I believe the additional build data codes the options, in some fashion, but don't know how to proceed.

 

Thanks,

 

Andy

The springs on my 2008 vrs hatch are front red/red/red/white & the rear yellow/blue. not sure if this helps you much? 

I don't know the answer. I could look at my vRS Estate springs tomorrow when it's not raining. Where are the colours located just on the spring coils?

Yes, on the outside face of the spring coils.  On the fronts, on mine at least, they are conveniently located facing the tyre, on each side, but at the back I think one may face forward, on the O/S/R, while the N/S/R faces back, and are on the slightly more than half way up the spring.  A torch and a damp cloth may help reveal what you have...and a bit less rain...

 

Andy

I also found a link to the planet VAG site that let me check my 46 option codes...  2UC says it is a sports model, and H6L confirms the 225/45/17 tyres.

 

PRCode: L55 = "Suspension range 55 installation control only no requirement forecast" leaves me unsure, and

PRCode: G02 = "Front shock absorption" - leaves me a bit puzzled.. shock absorption, or no shock absorption??

 

From what mikey VRS says, we are on the same front springs, and I suspect blue + yellow + yellow + yellow is Octavia II VRS Estate.  But was it on the original car spec or not?? And what is Blue , 2 x Orange, Brown really intended for?

 

Andy

I also found a link to the planet VAG site that let me check my 46 option codes...  2UC says it is a sports model, and H6L confirms the 225/45/17 tyres.

 

PRCode: L55 = "Suspension range 55 installation control only no requirement forecast" leaves me unsure, and

PRCode: G02 = "Front shock absorption" - leaves me a bit puzzled.. shock absorption, or no shock absorption??

 

From what mikey VRS says, we are on the same front springs, and I suspect blue + yellow + yellow + yellow is Octavia II VRS Estate.  But was it on the original car spec or not?? And what is Blue , 2 x Orange, Brown really intended for?

 

Andy

 

Springs vary for standard, heavy duty and lowered suspension. There is a range of strengths depending on the weight of the car and hatch/estate models.

 

Looking at what you've said:

 

Your front springs are 1K0411105DA (3 red + 1 grey, PR-2UC+L55).

Your rear springs were 1K0511115BT (1 blue + 3 yellow, PR-1JC+0YD).

Your new rear spring are 1K0511115DG (1 blue + 2 orange + 1 brown, PR-1JC+0YF).

 

The rear springs have different PR codes for the weight range which could explain the ride height difference.

 

Your best bet is to find a full PR list for your car as the sticker and service book are only partial lists. From this list you can find out which PR-0Y. code your car has and the right springs.

 

A dealer might provide the full PR list for free or you can get a copy from https://erwin.skoda-auto.cz for under a tenner.

Yes, on the outside face of the spring coils.  On the fronts, on mine at least, they are conveniently located facing the tyre, on each side, but at the back I think one may face forward, on the O/S/R, while the N/S/R faces back, and are on the slightly more than half way up the spring.  A torch and a damp cloth may help reveal what you have...and a bit less rain...

 

Andy

Now I'm not sure this is going to help you. Could only see my O/S/R which was facing the rear of the car.  It had a single yellow and single blue. The next coil up also had HFH printed on it in white.  This on a 2011 FL vRS estate.

 

Springs vary for standard, heavy duty and lowered suspension. There is a range of strengths depending on the weight of the car and hatch/estate models.

 

Looking at what you've said:

 

Your front springs are 1K0411105DA (3 red + 1 grey, PR-2UC+L55).

Your rear springs were 1K0511115BT (1 blue + 3 yellow, PR-1JC+0YD).

Your new rear spring are 1K0511115DG (1 blue + 2 orange + 1 brown, PR-1JC+0YF).

 

The rear springs have different PR codes for the weight range which could explain the ride height difference.

 

Your best bet is to find a full PR list for your car as the sticker and service book are only partial lists. From this list you can find out which PR-0Y. code your car has and the right springs.

 

A dealer might provide the full PR list for free or you can get a copy from https://erwin.skoda-auto.cz for under a tenner.

 

Wow, impressive detail.  Thanks for the part numbers, which tallies with what they supplied.

 

I didn't know about the full PR list.  I asked my dealer in an email: they ignored it, but reassured me that the springs are compatible, and to just give them time to settle.  I'll try again, or sign up to the service I never knew existed.

 

It leaves me wondering what a lottery it is trying to get the right springs from any other source, like ECP, if there are so many options.

 

Thanks to others that have repied too.  I've learnt a bit this weekend...

Edited 6 September, 20169 yr by HUD Engineer

A very helpful guy called Anthony at Vindis Skoda was able to establish that the difference between the springs is that the Blue YYY are stiffness Grade 4, while the Blue OO Brown are Grade 6, hence why my normally unladen car is riding much higher at the back now  Both grades are currently available parts, but it isn't obvious why my car had the Grade 4 springs on, unless it left the factory with them, as there is no record of them being changed.  As langers2k noted, the replacement springs I was supplied are entirely correct for the PR code of the car, OYF, but it currently isn't clear whether the BYYY (OYD) were considered by Skoda to be a suitable alternative for my car at some point.  If they are, the next challenge is arguing that I had pointed out what I had fitted on the car, when the new springs were ordered, but wasn't given the option of re-ordering the same thing.  Now, I have a stiffer ride, which I didn't want, but may be what Skoda always intended...