Hi all, its time overhaul the suspension on my FL Mk2 L@K 1.8 tsi Octy. (2011)

 

I have hit the 85K mile mark and its getting more wallowy and the shocks are near the end of life due to all the speed bumps.

I'll probably do the steering bushes etc at the same time.

 

The L@K has standard suspension I believe so whats the best option to go for to replace the suspension and improve handling a bit?

I wouldn't mind the ride height being reduced but I don't really want a rock hard type suspension that makes the ride uncomfortable, but I do do lots of mileage on A or B roads, as West Norfolk is bereft of motorways  or fast cruising roads.

 

What are my options?

 

 

I'd have thought that replacing the old with OEM new would make a huge difference.  If you don't want to go for a more sporty setup, simply replace with original stuff and it'll feel so much better. 

Maybe I didn't make my post as clear as I could have.

 

I have a lovely remapped 1.8tsi which absolutely purrs, doesnt drink oil, and has timing chain issues sorted (The engine has only done 45k miles) .... but standard wallowy octavia MKII. suspension lets the side down quite a bit.

As I said its done 85K and now's the time to do something about it.

 

Now I don't want to change the ride into some sort of bum numbing track day racer, but I would appreciate a better cornering capability, than than the standard wallowy octavia MKII. suspension  gives you.

Something between what it is and close to a VRS setup would be better, if there is such a thing? I dunno? Thats why I'm asking for options.

 

I expect to keep the car for at least another couple of years as its in pristine condition and still ticks most of the boxes for me.  .

 

Edited 3 March, 20188 yr by promethian

We put the H&R -50mm Cup Kit on the VRS (actual drop around 35mm on VRS) and it's been pretty good.

 

Much better handling and a firmer but comfy ride.

 

Your other option is Eibach springs (Pro Kit or Sportline) and uprated shocks (Bilstein etc).

 

Replace the top strut mounts and bearings also. You may also need to change the wishbones etc.

Edited 3 March, 20188 yr by FatblokeVRS

Search BilsteinB12 kit

 

Many on here have fitted it

 

I wished I had fitted it sooner, and had people comment on the ride quality of the car as well as the handling

2 minutes ago, FatblokeVRS said:

We put the H&R -50mm Cup Kit on the VRS (actual drop around 35mm on VRS) and it's been pretty good.

 

Much better handling and a firmer but comfy ride.

 

Your other option is Eibach springs (Pro Kit or Sportline) and uprated shocks (Holstein etc).

 

 

Just had a look at those... seems there are 2 options the "Touring" and "Sport".

 

I don't really care about ride height so the former "touring"seems a better option for me. (Prob get a better comfort/handling payoff? ) Seems to be a 35mm lowering in any case.

 

 

 

 

If you don't want to lower you could try bilstein b6 shocks, they are mono tube and same spec as the ones in the b12 kit.

Apoligies for my previous reply.

I went for the Eibach Sportline springs with B4 dampers.  A year down the line, so far so good and the ride height is just about right.  Also, there's no rubbing, even when fully loaded for a family holiday with five of us in the car.  The Whiteline RARB also helps keep things in check.

Hopefully this is a bit more useful.

33 minutes ago, skinnyman said:

Apoligies for my previous reply.

I went for the Eibach Sportline springs with B4 dampers.  A year down the line, so far so good and the ride height is just about right.  Also, there's no rubbing, even when fully loaded for a family holiday with five of us in the car.  The Whiteline RARB also helps keep things in check.

Hopefully this is a bit more useful.

 

Yep thats interesting, how do you find the B4 dampers and springs, as they are the cheaper option compared to the B6, when compared to the original stock VRS suspension setup?

 

2 hours ago, promethian said:

 

Yep thats interesting, how do you find the B4 dampers and springs, as they are the cheaper option compared to the B6, when compared to the original stock VRS suspension setup?

 

Forgot to add have you got the standard or sport B4's... I should imagine you have the Sport version?

wow.

2 x standard B4 for £99.84 ebay sale from demon tweeks

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-Bilstein-B4-Front-Suspension-Gas-Shock-Absorbers-Dampers-22-131614-/311506178254

 

2 hours ago, promethian said:

Yep thats interesting, how do you find the B4 dampers and springs, as they are the cheaper option compared to the B6, when compared to the original stock VRS suspension setup?

 

Forgot to add have you got the standard or sport B4's... I should imagine you have the Sport version?

 

I got these dampers,

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bilstein-B4-Front-Rear-Gas-Suspension-Shock-Absorbers-Kit-22-139191-19-127439/141881255707?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

They are absolutely fine for what I need.  I'm not tracking the car and it has to cope with everything a family estate has thrown at it. I know there are more sporty setups but having run this for a year I am quite happy with things for now. 

Have a look at Autodoc.  That's where I got mine from.

 

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/spares-search?keyword=19-127439  - Rears

 

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/spares-search?keyword=22-139191 - Fronts

 

They may be cheaper, maybe not but at the time there were a good few deals to be had.

I've ordered the sport B4's (oem) from the demon tweeks ebay site as auto docs was out of stock... ordered sachs oem springs to retain ride height, as I didnt want to change spec and irk the insurance gods. Total cost £360 delivered.

I couldn't really justify the B6 or B12 options... rather spend the extra £3-400 on some more wine tokens 

 

Thanks all for your help... its a minefield to try and get a decent product without breaking the bank or more importantly suffering the wrath of 'er indoors' when the comfy ride has gone all harsh.

Edited 4 March, 20188 yr by promethian

11 hours ago, promethian said:

I've ordered the sport B4's (oem) from the demon tweeks ebay site as auto docs was out of stock... ordered sachs oem springs to retain ride height, as I didnt want to change spec and irk the insurance gods. Total cost £360 delivered.

I couldn't really justify the B6 or B12 options... rather spend the extra £3-400 on some more wine tokens 

 

Thanks all for your help... its a minefield to try and get a decent product without breaking the bank or more importantly suffering the wrath of 'er indoors' when the comfy ride has gone all harsh.

 

I noticed that Autodoc was out of stock after I'd posted the link - sorry about that.

Good news that you are sorted.  It should make a difference over the current quality of ride and keep you in the good books with SWMBO.

I'd suggest a good quality springs and shocks kit. Let me know if we can be any help with info or prices.

 

Damian @ DPM Performance 

RARB alone made a massive differnce on my mk1 octy. 

Update to this thread.

 

60 reg 1.8 tsi L&K 85k miles.

 

Replaced all 4 springs front and rear with standard Sachs.

Replaced all 4 shocks with B4 Bilsteins (non sport)

Replaced 2x strut suppt/bearing.

Co-incidentally replaced rear discs and pads as they needed doing too.

 

Carried out full Hunters 4 wheel alignment.

 

Results....

 

The ride is still as comfortable.... which will keep the missus happy.

The handling is now as  tight as a drum.... which makes me very happy

 

Car is in excellent nick and engine is only 40k miles old, as it was replaced under warranty when the timing chain jumped(previous owner) 

New engine is 2014 vintage, and timing chain issues resolved in this iteration.

1.8 tsi remapped is a delightful engine...  L&K has all the bells whistles and leather seats.

 

Hopefully I'm good for another 85K+ miles until they make me buy an electric car.

 

 

 

Edited 3 April, 20188 yr by promethian

Where are you guys getting your top mounts from?

Are the springs really necessary if they're not broken? My old MkII golf rode on the originals with a koni top adjustable damper set up on all corners and was amazing so It's interesting that this set up works well as it's likely the way I'll go, but just haven't had it explained as to the need for replacing the springs when my understanding is that it's the dampers that 'go'? Especially if they're the same as what was on before but just newer.

On 06/04/2018 at 22:12, Rjg said:

Where are you guys getting your top mounts from?

 

I just got these. Mount and bearing kit.

 

http://www.mister-auto.co.uk/en/suspension-struts/febi-bilstein-22502_g1180_a10122502.html?av_notify=1&KTypeNr=26623

 

On 07/04/2018 at 21:49, blackspaven said:

Are the springs really necessary if they're not broken? My old MkII golf rode on the originals with a koni top adjustable damper set up on all corners and was amazing so It's interesting that this set up works well as it's likely the way I'll go, but just haven't had it explained as to the need for replacing the springs when my understanding is that it's the dampers that 'go'? Especially if they're the same as what was on before but just newer.

 

The springs could well last... but experience has it that they start to snap as the car approaches 100K miles or 8 years old as mine is. I live on an estate with sleeping policemen, and the amount of potholes these days are horrendous.

 

If you replace them one by one as they fail... if they fail, then you need to carry out a wheel alignment each and every time, which can be an inordinate false economy, rather than doing all 4 with the shocks in one foul swoop, with 1 alignment.  

 

 

Edited 8 April, 20188 yr by promethian

18 hours ago, FatblokeVRS said:

 

I just got these. Mount and bearing kit.

 

http://www.mister-auto.co.uk/en/suspension-struts/febi-bilstein-22502_g1180_a10122502.html?av_notify=1&KTypeNr=26623

 

 

Same place

Dear friends, I have been happily living with a Skoda Octavia MK2, January 2012 model (yes its a 8 year young car). I had been observing since quite some time that the car is quite bouncy even when the road undulations are not that bad. The best test is when I drive my other car (a 2015 Hyundai i20) on the very same roads there is hardly any bounciness that I feel. In fact the ride is much smoother.
Since I always prefer a smooth ride, I even ended up changing the entire suspension to see if that brings about any change. I replaced the origiinal struts with Sachs (which is a Skoda OEM I was told), all the rubber bushings, basically the works. Initially I did feel that the bounciness reduced but in my yesterday's 300+ km trip I again started feeling that the car is just too bouncy.
I also changed the tyres a little over 2 years back, same specs as the original (no upsizing) and keep a pressure of 30 PSI all around.

Is the bounciness an inherent problem with this car that I have to live with or there is a solution that I might have missed out. Any help will be highly appreciated.

 

BB

Burzeen, the Octavia Mk2 can hardly be considered inherently 'bouncy'. They feel well planted. Whilst not a racing car, they are a performance car and of course the VRS features in the range too, which is rather like SKODA equivalent to a Beemer M series. The engines behind them are essentially the same except how they are tuned. But even the least tuned model should not feel bouncy,, at all. The purpose of the shocks is to control the reaction of the springs when going over bumps, otherwise you will have an unpleasant ride. It might be that you are simply seeking or now favouring more the kind of drive you are getting from your Hyundai i20. Its hard to tell with a limited history about how you experienced developed over "quite some time". Clearly something has happened that was not always the case or you wouldn't have noticed it.

 

My experience, with the VRS at least, is it's significantly harder than the standard 2.0 TDI 16-Valve. It's very hard to understand how, upon swapping out all the parts you indicated, that you could end up with a situation that has not markedly improved. Perhaps your suspension was not worn out at all. If the new suspension is so much the same, its hard to arrive at a different conclusion. Thinking about it a little, I wonder if your experience might benefit from a modest lowering kit. You speak of 'bounciness' but to me that's something subjective. I tend to speak of hard medium or soft ride. It would be a soft ride that would most give rise to perhaps the condition you are referring to. Some people would refer to wallowing, or feeling imprecise as being soft. The VRS feels much harder than the standard Octavia. By replacing everything like for like with OEM or OEM manufacture, one would expect characteristics to be the same, as you have found. If you had perhaps changed the suspension after describing your requirements, in a way that any number of knowledgable people here may have suggested but didn't (Why weren't they excited by the challenge of the case?).

 

Changing suspension is a question I myself am researching. I'm trying to acquire the knowledge, so I may better understand the options and read the experience of other users. I'm hoping to discover the best value suspension upgrades to improve stability. So, yes, I'm looking for firmer still and perhaps, but hardly slightly lower. But I'm not looking for much lower. In fact I'm looking for the best value lowering. In other words I'm not looking on price. I'm looking at value for who is offering what kit. And of course 'value' is another subjective word. As to the performance of your Octavia it is mysterious. Its almost like what one would say they would expect the car to feel like. if  its shocks were shot. If your shocks were shot and they were not really replaced, then your car would of course emerge from the shop performing the same way, except perhaps the new springs might feel marginally better. Once again, not much happens with springs that should be of any concern unless you break one over a bad bump or pothole. You will usually know about it. Springs are incredibly robust. Over last twenty years the technology that has gone into spring making has improved the durability of springs immensely. But a spring does not offer any sort of performance benefit per se other than smoothing out the harshness in the road and suspending the car on its wheels and by a product of the length of the spring. What you get from a spring is just spring. It might be clever spring or progressive spring but its just spring. Your car's manufacturer thought a lot about springs because it has to make sure the car could work anywhere and return great performance. It may be that you became tired with the performance of your shocks over time. Its a little difficult to determine the exact circumstances that lead to you owning a car with the difficulty you described. How much harder was it it when you bought it? Have you used your car for towing?

 

Getting away from the subjectivity is difficult because its most of what we perceive as a result of using our cars. Our engagement is very much a subjective one initially at least. One needs to rationalise the key concepts, such as hardness or softness of suspension. One might refer to responsive shocks which I suspect is a shock that operates differently at different parts of its stroke. Members may correct me precisely what the shocks are going apart from damping the push pull effect the springs are exerting on the strut. The idea being that if one has pulled all these parameters together such that the operation of the suspension is tight, then you are no doubt approaching the ideal. It can be tight and hard or tight and medium, but one is unlikely to run a tight strut in a soft spring. That would seem bizarre but I suppose there are some people who might want to do that in say America or Canada or perhaps Australia. Most people who want performance will no doubt be best advised to seek out a coil-strut combo if you have that kind of strut. Using a kit which means the components have been judged by the manufacturer to provide a good value benefit would be your starting point. After that you may decide, upon reading further, that you want a slightly different strut or spring as to what is in a particular kit.

 

What did happen over your case in the end? Did you ever consult a dealer or an indie workshop? It would be fascinating to know the answers to some of my questions if you ever get back to this! I included a picture of my work car and you will see it is sitting quite low but not so much you would notice it and feel it was too much.