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Octavia II Estate - Bilstein B4 shocks & Eibach springs


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Good afternoon (again!)

 

I fitted standard length B4s on the back last year, in conjunction with the existing KYB OEM spec (allegedly) standard length rear springs, but, as I also fitted a VRS ARB just before I fitted those springs, the straight-line ride is rather too hard at low speeds around town.

 

So, I am wondering if the Eibach springs which are 30mm shorter, and IIRC  progressive rate, would:

a) be OK with the standard B4s?

b ) result in a slightly softer ride at low speeds over mild road surface bumps and so on (we have a LOT of those in London!) ?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

John

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5 hours ago, jeallen01 said:

So, I am wondering if the Eibach springs which are 30mm shorter, and IIRC  progressive rate, would:

a) be OK with the standard B4s?

b ) result in a slightly softer ride at low speeds over mild road surface bumps and so on (we have a LOT of those in London!) ?

 

I've got the B4 shocks and Eibach spring combo and am perfectly happy with it.  I replaced the drop links at the same time as fitting a Whiteline RARB and it all seems to work quite well.

The ride is a lot better than standard but my OEM shocks & springs had about 90k miles on them.  I've never been in a MK2 with new standard shocks & springs so I can't say what I have is better than when the car was new,

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6 minutes ago, skinnyman said:

 

I've got the B4 shocks and Eibach spring combo and am perfectly happy with it.  I replaced the drop links at the same time as fitting a Whiteline RARB and it all seems to work quite well.

The ride is a lot better than standard but my OEM shocks & springs had about 90k miles on them.  I've never been in a MK2 with new standard shocks & springs so I can't say what I have is better than when the car was new,

Thanks as that is what I was hoping - just one question: in what way is the ride better(softer?)?

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Just now, jeallen01 said:

Thanks as that is what I was hoping - just one question: in what way is the ride better(softer?)?

 

Compared to my old/worn original set up the ride is far more taut, handles undulations and bumps better and gives me far more confidence in the corners.  The ride is more composed and less crashy than before so I guess you could say it's softer as a result.

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  • 1 month later...

I've looked at getting the Eibachs & some more B4s for the front - but I'm still worried that the ride will be too hard at the rear.

 

Therefore I was wondering if standard Saloon, as opposed to Estate, rear shocks would fit (yes, I know there might be a length issue with standard springs, but hopefully not with shorter progressive-rate Eibach springs) and would a softer option because I know from a fair amount of experience that soft shocks and stiffer springs seem to give a smoother ride than stiff shocks (and the current rear B4s are quite new and so quite stiff) and stiff springs or even softish springs?

 

Any thoughts?

Edited by jeallen01
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  • 3 months later...

In the end I settled for a pair of used standard Octy II estate Skoda/VAG shocks (marked as coming from Sachs)!  Fitted them today and then drove down the worst-surfaced local street that I know - what a "relief" to my (and my wife's!) back as compared with driving along the same street this morning! :) May still have to tweak the rear GTI/VRS ARB drop link positions, but can do that as I drilled an extra pair of holes in the bar, which be used to stiffen up the response, before I fitted it in 2016.

 

BTW: Even after I took the B4's off, they are still very stiff after only around 5k miles - now need to find a "new home" for them!

 

BTW2: got the "new" shocks from A1 German Breakers (www.a1germanbreakers.co.uk) in Oldham - seems a very good place to buy used stuff from as the parts are in good condition and the prices are very reasonable.

 

 

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Having now driven the Oct for a few days with the used rear shocks - and having "ragged" it round a few roundabouts! - my impression is that the handling is only slightly worse than with the Bilsteins  but the overall ride is a lot more comfortable.

(BTW: ride comfort is important to me/us because I've had a slightly displaced L4 disk for decades, and my wife has a degenerative spinal condition which is only going to get worse :( )

 

Overall, this reinforces my impression that, whilst B4's probably do work well with the progressive rate Eibach springs, they result in a very hard ride if used with non-progressive rate standard springs - especially when a stiffer rear ARB is fitted.

 

This also reinforces the impressions from my Mk2 Astra and Mk4 Golf days (all estates, BTW) that running a combo of harder rear shocks and a stiffer ARB with standard rear springs (especially hard ones) is a BAD idea if you want a half decent ride!

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I think peoples "satisfaction" with ride harshness is relative.

 

I lived in the outer suburbs for 20 years and most of my 90km commute was motorway.  I was really happy with my Koni Yellows and 30mm drop Eibach estate springs on my sedan.

 

For the past 12 months I've been living 5km from the CBD and mainly use my car on the weekends (train commute).  I am now totally over the firmer ride and the lack of ground clearance.  It's not the cars fault, it's the change of environment.

 

I'll have a work area available to me soon and am looking forward to fitting the factory springs and getting a more suitable spring rate and ride height for the roads I drive on.

 

Note: the heavier the spring, the more damping you need.  The B4s are probably over-damped (surprising) for the spring rate, hence the lack of low speed compliance. Maybe B2 would have been better but it's good that the Sachs have fixed the issue.

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Brad

 

Nice to hear from you again (I was beginning to think that you had disappeared from the forum - not that I'm a very frequent visitor here myself). I think you assessment of the effect of the "environment" - notably the conditions of the road surfaces (the UK is in "crisis" over the number of potholes and generally poorly-maintained road surfaces) - is totally correct, and so the right combo of springs and shocks is essential. If you live in an area with dead flat/smooth surfaces and want the ultimate in handling then go hard springs/shocks/arb, but if not then think carefully about what you really DO need before you make the decision as to what to fit.

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19 minutes ago, jeallen01 said:

Brad

 

Nice to hear from you again (I was beginning to think that you had disappeared from the forum - not that I'm a very frequent visitor here myself). 

 

A bit busy mate.

 

Since late 2016 I've been executor of an estate in my spare time (almost finished); plus a marriage breakdown with associate legal tomfoolery; plus I've moved residences 3 times (and due again in May but that's it for a few years); plus trying to maintain contact with my teenage daughters plus a lot of pressure at work due to an incompetent Team Leader that doesn't understand the terms "strategy", "planning", "vision", "training" or "preferred outcome".

 

On the bright side, I get the keys to my own house next week  and it has 2 undercover car spaces and a 4mx4m cage I can turn into a workshop.  I also have a  new woman in my life that thinks I'm wonderful and am going to the USA for Coachella, hiking, some fast laps around the race track in las Vegas and a few other things in April.

 

Lots of long overdue maintenance planned for the Octy before Xmas.  

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Sorry to hi-jack the thread chaps. 

 

I have a 2006 Octavia VRS estate TFSI and looking to refresh the rear suspension. My bump stops are shot to pieces so I ordered some new bump stops and some new Bilstein B4 shockers as the old shocks look tired. I was also looking to replace the rear springs but having trouble tying to find the correct set for my car, my local parts shop weren't able to provide me with a part as my car has sport suspension. 

 

I had a look on the KYB web catalogue and its suggesting KYB RH7121 for the rear, however it says its for cars with a standard chassis? I want to keep the ride height OE so standard springs  for a VRS estate are what i'm after. Has anyone recently bought standard rear springs for a VRS estate? If so can you share the P/N with me? 

 

Thanks! 

 

 

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11 hours ago, brad1.8T said:

 

A bit busy mate.

 

Since late 2016 I've been executor of an estate in my spare time (almost finished); plus a marriage breakdown with associate legal tomfoolery; plus I've moved residences 3 times (and due again in May but that's it for a few years); plus trying to maintain contact with my teenage daughters plus a lot of pressure at work due to an incompetent Team Leader that doesn't understand the terms "strategy", "planning", "vision", "training" or "preferred outcome".

 

On the bright side, I get the keys to my own house next week  and it has 2 undercover car spaces and a 4mx4m cage I can turn into a workshop.  I also have a  new woman in my life that thinks I'm wonderful and am going to the USA for Coachella, hiking, some fast laps around the race track in las Vegas and a few other things in April.

 

Lots of long overdue maintenance planned for the Octy before Xmas.  

Brad

 

Sounds like it's been a tough 18 months or so - and I had a bit of everything you mention except those related to marriage (and certainly far too many incompetent, or downright stupid managers/ team leaders!) so I know a little of what you went through - but glad to hear that most things are improving.

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