Ok so I wanted to put up a mini guide for this as all my info for this prior install came from MK7 Golf GTI's and R 's which are 95% the same but not identical. There's a few threads on the internet and YT where you can gather the big picture of the amount and type of labour involved in this job (l will link them below) and I don't plan to repeat all of it but rather build upon it with my own DIY oriented tips and findings on the 272 (280 is the same).

Also because we struggled a lot at some points (probably because it was my first time messing with springs on my own) so If I could save another guy's time and trouble doing this for the first time I'd be very glad.

It's a PITA job if you haven't done it before, especially if you follow the "easy" 2x4 method that seems to be so popular online like I did. As someone said it's half art half science and you have to work by feel at certain stages otherwise you might be stuck with a half removed/installed strut...  It took me and a buddy that was helping me out close to 6-7hr for the two fronts but that's because we got stuck at some point, I'm pretty sure I could get them done again in 4hr max now that I know the tricks. Rears are really easy, 2hr is probably all the time you need so around 6hr in total.


Getting the strut out:

So the start was really easy: I removed wheel, lifted the front of the car (i did both ends to avoid working at an angle), and unscrewed the plastic leveling arm bracket, the brake line bracket on the knuckle and the DCC plug (both sides). Then I just undid the end-link nut and the triple square bolt and nut that keep the strut in place on the knuckle and ready I was for the 2x4 method. This refers to a 2x4 inch wood block, used to lift the strut up and out from the knuckle (by attaching it to the strut and jacking it up with a jack) without needing to drop the axle too low or undoing any drive shaft or ball joint bolts or brake calipets etc. It's the approach with minimum fasteners replacement so I guess that's why it's popular with the DIY-ers but retrospectively I'm not too sure it's actually quicker than removing the shaft from the knuckle, especially the first time, and especially during the re-install stage which is where we got stuck.

This video shows it very well:
 

My comments on this:

* Before you start dropping the lower control arm: put some masking tape to mark the height at which the strut is seated inside the knuckle. You'll thank yourself later when it will be going in very slow and hard and you won't know how much more you should continue to drop it. Here's mine while going back in, the bottom of the mask needed to go down to the top face of the knuckle seat (50mm more at that point)




* Install your spreader or 1/4" ratchet at the knuckle as shown in the vids and guides, and start wiggling the LCA via the brake disc (pull towards you and push towards the inside of the car) so that the LCA starts to drop as the spreader keeps it loose. It should do quite easily at the beginning, like 2-3cm immediately. Then reposition your spreader lower, below the strut's little tab at the back (you'll feel it blocking further drop back there) and repeat and you should have the strut out/LCA down by a total of 6-8cm (3"). The little tab will be fully ABOVE the bolt hole. Only then proceed to the 2x4" otherwise you'll need to compress the spring dangerously high.

* Don't use an actual 2x4 piece (not even the guy in the vid uses one i believe), it's going to be too big for the available space. I went with a rectangular 45x45mm (1.75x1.75") piece and it worked a breeze, much easier to get in and out and position as close and as parallel as possible to the strut which is what you want in order to avoid going in at angle and end up snapping it mid-way.

* Install your piece of wood as parallel and as close as possible to the strut (sorry no pic of that). Also drill as small a hole for the bolt as you can (12mm is fine, i did a 10mm and slowly "ate" a couple mill around it with the drill bit for a snug fit). That way the wood doesn't even need to lift the strut itself, it's all done via the hole and the bolt and it's still very rigid.

* Now, have a friend SLOWLY jacking the wood up and keep wiggling the brake disc to help release the strut. Even with the spreader, the knuckle probably won't be that loose to simply lift the strut out by jacking so go slow and patiently. If it's not right you'll start lifting the entire LCA with the strut (and the whole car) up from the jack so back down, reposition your spreader at the top if needed, and repeat jacking and wiggling the disc. It should soon come out.

* Once it does, rotate the knuckle away from the strut's axis so that it's got room to decompress once you release the jack. Then just undo the 3 small bolts at the top and the strut should drop right out.

<<< STRUT OUT, that's 20% of the whole job done >>> 
 



Now on to spring removal:  Videos show the GTI/R springs simply extend 1-2 cm with very little force so no spring compressors needed. The Superb however sits higher from factory, even the Sportline. I expected the release wouldn't be so light and i was right. When the last thread is out the springs decompress a couple of cm and shoot the top mount and nut a few meters forward. It's probably not going to kill you but you definitely don't want to stand in its way and trying it, it's a fiercer release than on the GTIs and Rs. Still I wouldn;t get compressors when doing it again but make sure you do as I did and have the axis of the spring clear for the release, be above it and step on it steadily and use a standard ratchet (not some sort socket) so that your hand is away from the spring's shooting path, here's a short clip of that:





Re-Installation

Nothing to note here, remove spring, install new spring and seat it correctly on the rubber base, use Eibach's supplied bump stops (they look identical to OEM), put back the spring bushing and top mount, ALIGN them properly by checking the alignment marks! and start screwing the top nut (you can simply compress the spring by hand for the first few mm needed.



Here is where it pays to have a special 21mm pass-through socket and a 7mm Allen key as you won;t be able to put the exact amount of torque (the damper piston with the inner screw will be spinning. I didn't so I had to improvise, I tightened it up to where it felt really snug and also noticed there were installation marks from factory and I was already maybe half a turn past them so they should be good. No funny noises/clanks  after anyway





Once the strut is assembled again, vids say "just follow reverse order". yeah, reverse order my ar53...  Notes:

* DON'T tighten the 3 top mount bolts as you'll never be able to tilt the strut to the required angle to sit in the knuckle again, just a couple of threads to prevent it from dropping should be fine.

* Re-insert the spreader if you removed it before, re-attach your wood to the strut, jack it up to clear the knuckle, rotate the knuckle and align the strut and knuckle as concentrically as you can by eye, then lower the jack SLOWLY so that you ensure the strut starts seating properly. Unfortunately it won't just go back in by the spring's force. First time we had a tiny small angle between strut and knuckle axes which was enough to stop anything from moving further. Moving the jack below the LCA and trying to jack it up to force the strut to drop in resulted in jacking the entire car up... After lots of swearing and re-trying we figured it out:

* After the strut is in a few mm, and ONLY IF you see it;s going in straight and not at an angle, move the jack below the LCA and SLOWLY jack it up while at the same time wiggling the brake disc the same way you did for releasing, so that the strut is allowed to drop deeper every time. Re-position the spreader as you go so that you don't obstruct the tab to drop and it once it's fully in (your marking tape will tell you that without doubt) you're done.

Re-tightening the bolts and connectors is straight-forward and that's 40% of the job done. The passenger side is another 40% and the rears I'd attribute a mere 10% of the total time needed for each one.



A nice mess mid-way...


REARS

Those are probably 3x easier I'd say (actually 4x according to my time estimation above ).  One leveling arm only as well as the DCC plugs το disconnect and you can start undoing the 3 bolts needed:  a) end-link bolt-nut  b) shock bolt-nut c) wheel bearing bolt-nut.

* I'd recommend starting from the end-link on the inside and working your way out as i feel doing that last will put too much force on the end-link after everything is loose and the spring still pushing.

* You will need to use your jack to align the different holes to facilitate the re-mounting as you're fighting vs the spring at that point. The arm to wheel bearing joint is a really tight fit so a screwdriver will be most probably needed to do some micro alignment for the screw to go in and out properly.

>>> I opted to replace the top spring pads/bushings with the Audi TT ones (OE part number: 8J0512149 ) as suggested in some threads to avoid reverse rake. Those are ~6.5mm thicker so the rear sits 6.5mm higher. It turns out it was a wise choice as you'll see




Coming back soon with photos of the end result and the handling changes 

 

Edited 21 June, 20205 yr by newbie69

Forgot to attach a list with all the fasteners replaced as per VW/Skoda's instructions in the service manual (and their torque figures). Quantities are for both sides.
 

FRONT
strut pinch bolt	N90954802	2x	70 Nm + 180°
nut for strut pinch bolt	N10106402	2x	-
end-link nut	N0150816	2x	65 Nm
top shock nut	N91021601	2x	60 Nm
top mount bolt	N91246401	6x	15 Nm + 90°
REAR
Rear shock bolt	N10628301	2x	-
Rear shock nut	N10106402	2x	70 Nm + 180°
control arm to hub bolt	N10640501	2x
control arm to hub nut	N10106402	2x	70 Nm + 180°
end-link to wishbone bolt	N10776501	2x
end-link to wishbone nut	N90183804	2x	20 Nm + 180°
TT pads	8J0512149	2x

So how much did it drop and how does it look?  Here are some not ideal photos I could take at the moment (from a photography point of view) but they do ok to provide the comparison:






For me it's almost perfect. The front is exactly as I wish it would be: 20-25mm drop measured.

The rear seems to have dropped more (in comparison) a 25-30mm in total. As stock, the rear was sitting 10mm higher than the front (clearly visible on the top part of the photos), now both ends sit at the same height. 

This looks pretty sweet I have to admit as the car sits level now, but I wonder how it will be once fully loaded with 4 people and luggage. Need to check this. For sure, if i hadn't opted for the 6.5mm thicker Audi TT bushings I'd be in trouble and the rear would be lower than the front so my recommendation:

If you have a 272, you most probably need the Audi bushings too (they were 16 EUR in total)

A couple more:






I have to say I absolutely love the look of the car right now with the wider alloys and the new ride height, clearly purposeful and as aggressive as it should be (for what it is with near 400bhp)  without getting too extreme.


But the best thing was the handling improvement. I really didn't expect that amount of change as I've experienced in my first test drive an I can only attribute it to the Sportline's DCC set up which, has to be different than the L&K's otherwise my findings simply don't match the ones from L&K owners at all.

As short as I can put it, the springs almost eliminated the effects of weight transfer during almost every change of balance. Gone is the squatting during acceleration, the brake diving and the bit of initial roll still left even after the arb upgrade. In Sport, it's a real performance machine now but the weird thing is that the comfort hasn't been compromised at all. The car turns in and corners almost flat, and what I noticed is that the point of the thicker arb's intervention became imperceptible now. No more "bit of roll - then lock yaw" behaviour, just an increased opposition to roll right from the start and much more tendency to follow whatever your input is. Driving it "blind" you would have to assume it's some focused GTI and I did live with one for 3 years so I have a good reference I think. The exploiting of the extra power now is so much nicer, you don't feel as if you're forcing the car to do something too hard but rather something it was designed to do from factory. Everything just works better and doesn't stand out. Obviously the Sportline's damping (on Sport) was set up right from the start but the stock springs were the weak link letting it down. I can't explain it any other way. 

I'm usually picky with suspension and handling and as it stands, changing the dampers doesn't even cross my mind, it's that good now. On the other hand, if you don't have a Sportline DCC and decide to change springs on your own, do yourself a favour and put some new shocks in (Koni Actives got great reviews recently here) while you're at it. The thought of having to do that if my DCC-springs combo wasn't up to the job made me dizzy, thankfully it wasn't the case on my car.

The only other thing needed now is brakes I feel. On an open road, you are now getting so tempted to attack anything not in a straight line and once you do the limit has been raised that much that you find yourself needing to stop from higher speeds way more often than before. So it's something that needs looking at at some point.

Overall a great transformation into something so much more potent and enjoyable helped by all new bits in place, looking forward to just find time to drive it now...




 

You done a superb job. Looks fantastic. 

all this information is really interesting, you have done a remarkable job!
until now I would have bet that the dcc sportline was the same as the l&k, but from your words it doesn't seem, I have to investigate.
You lowered 20/25 mm in the front and 25/30 on the back, from the photos it looks very  good. But how does it look in reality? I mean does it look like a lowered comfort sedan  or does it look as a sport car? I ask because I have to find out best solution to me, and i’m afraid that if lowering more than 10/15 mm it will look sort of “ricer” car, but I have to say that from your pics I it look very good now, better than before of sure. And this is only for aesthetics.

For handling improvement I think this is the way, but i’m curious to know how it will be when fully loaded. Did you try to set dcc in comfort mode?

 

2 hours ago, newbie69 said:

The only other thing needed now is brakes I feel. On an open road, you are now getting so tempted to attack anything not in a straight line and once you do the limit has been raised that much that you find yourself needing to stop from higher speeds way more often than before. So it's something that needs looking at at some point.

I know it is a expensive mod but you have to see it as an investment and not an expense!

 

1 hour ago, Roscio said:

all this information is really interesting, you have done a remarkable job!
until now I would have bet that the dcc sportline was the same as the l&k, but from your words it doesn't seem, I have to investigate.
You lowered 20/25 mm in the front and 25/30 on the back, from the photos it looks very  good. But how does it look in reality? I mean does it look like a lowered comfort sedan  or does it look as a sport car? I ask because I have to find out best solution to me, and i’m afraid that if lowering more than 10/15 mm it will look sort of “ricer” car, but I have to say that from your pics I it look very good now, better than before of sure. And this is only for aesthetics.

For handling improvement I think this is the way, but i’m curious to know how it will be when fully loaded. Did you try to set dcc in comfort mode?

 

Good points Roscio. As of yet, I haven't found the hard data to prove that the DCC is set up a bit differently on the L&K than on the Sportline but on several occasions, reports that I have read about particular behaviours and particular upgrades on L&K's, just don't match what I see on my car so I am led to believe there should be something different there. I would love to know for sure at some point but it's hard to get that piece of information from a reliable source and not from "guestimates". On to your questions:

We seem to have very similar preferences on most aspects, I don't like slammed cars or cars that seem obviously lowered. I would say the Eibachs on the 272 are exactly at the fine line between OEM sportiness/agressiveness and lowered looks. I would say the car in reality looks as if it's the uber-sport version of  a Superb (if there ever was one...) and definitely not a cheap ricer's car. It's a fine line that is probably not bigger than an extra 5mm drop but still, there is a clear and uniform arch gap around the tire (at least on the top half of the wheel) and it doesn't look as if it's "touching" the top of the arch which for me is always a sign of "it's lowered". Instead it looks as if it's dropped at the absolute lowest height a manufacturer would choose to drop their top sport variant to support performance as best as they could without compomising use.

Check out for example this stock RS4:




You can see the arch gap is clearly the least Audi could leave to maximise looks and performance. For me that looks perfect and anything below that would shout "lowered".

Also, looking at it I noted that front and rear are at the same height like mine now, and that for sure when fully loaded the top of the tire would meet the top of the arch gap, so that's probably what you get when going for max looks even within OEM ranges, so I guess we're good. In any case Eibachs won't compress as easily as stock springs but I will test load it and take a photo soon. 

Now check this lowered RS4:



It shouts "lowered"  from miles doesn't it? I wouldn't like that and I can confirm the car doesn't look like this, that's as best as I can give my real impression of the lowering.


Regarding Comfort mode: I just went out to do a 20min drive in the city centre after your question to try it (ok I also wanted to drive the car )   I didn't normally use Comfort mode before as it bounced too much for my like. Comfort is one thing but rollercoaster is something else. What I can say is that anyone wanting to continue going up n down in Comfort as much as before, no you don't get that. You do still get one rebound (or two at worst) but the car settles down quicker and also the damping is of a lower range (less high and less low) but the actual settling is still as smooth as before, it is not a dry "stop" that hurts your back and makes your teeth rattle, that's where the adaptive suspension benefits come into play I guess.

Also, I drove over curbs and manholes on purpose. I generally have the habbit of slowing down for these at 20km/h or less. If driving as before, there is minimal difference and minimal additional harshness. I then tried to go over them at higher speeds I wouldn't normally try. Up to 27-30km/h (sorry I just couldn't stand going any faster over those things!) it's still very bearable. More noticeable and firmer response, but still not a punishing ride. If people drive over such bumps at higher speeds they are probably looking for an excuse for new shocks (in general) I'm sorry to say...

So for me and for the described driving there is really no loss of comfort at all. In fact I gained a new mode (Comfort) which I might try more often now although Normal is still just fine and better than before.

 

 

1 hour ago, Roscio said:

I know it is a expensive mod but you have to see it as an investment and not an expense!

 

Financially speaking, it's hard to see any depreciating asset like a BBK as an investment  but I get you... There's also the thing that now, the extra power, and the suspension mods that provided the ability to actually use this extra power more often and at more occassions instead of just straight line blasts have highlighted the fact it wouldn't hurt to have more stopping power. But probably it's something for next year even though I have found some nice options to build a 6-pot Brembo set from various spare parts for a MUCH cheaper price than any off the self 4-pot solution, hmmm... let's see if we actually go on vacation this summer... I might need another project if not 

Wow! Your answer was very exhaustive, I appreciate it very much! 

 

19 hours ago, newbie69 said:

We seem to have very similar preferences on most aspects, I don't like slammed cars or cars that seem obviously lowered. I would say the Eibachs on the 272 are exactly at the fine line between OEM sportiness/agressiveness and lowered looks. I would say the car in reality looks as if it's the uber-sport version of  a Superb (if there ever was one...) and definitely not a cheap ricer's car.

this is what I wanted to hear you say, now I know that even lowering 25mm is not excessive!  

 

20 hours ago, newbie69 said:

Regarding Comfort mode: I just went out to do a 20min drive in the city centre after your question to try it (ok I also wanted to drive the car )   I didn't normally use Comfort mode before as it bounced too much for my like. Comfort is one thing but rollercoaster is something else. What I can say is that anyone wanting to continue going up n down in Comfort as much as before, no you don't get that. You do still get one rebound (or two at worst) but the car settles down quicker and also the damping is of a lower range (less high and less low) but the actual settling is still as smooth as before, it is not a dry "stop" that hurts your back and makes your teeth rattle, that's where the adaptive suspension benefits come into play I guess.

Also, I drove over curbs and manholes on purpose. I generally have the habbit of slowing down for these at 20km/h or less. If driving as before, there is minimal difference and minimal additional harshness. I then tried to go over them at higher speeds I wouldn't normally try. Up to 27-30km/h (sorry I just couldn't stand going any faster over those things!) it's still very bearable. More noticeable and firmer response, but still not a punishing ride. If people drive over such bumps at higher speeds they are probably looking for an excuse for new shocks (in general) I'm sorry to say...

So for me and for the described driving there is really no loss of comfort at all. In fact I gained a new mode (Comfort) which I might try more often now although Normal is still just fine and better than before.

 

Comfort mode I'm used to using it on the highway and if changing springs I'm afraid of having to give up this comfort. But, once again, you cleared up my doubts.

 

20 hours ago, newbie69 said:

Financially speaking, it's hard to see any depreciating asset like a BBK as an investment  but I get you... There's also the thing that now, the extra power, and the suspension mods that provided the ability to actually use this extra power more often and at more occassions instead of just straight line blasts have highlighted the fact it wouldn't hurt to have more stopping power. But probably it's something for next year even though I have found some nice options to build a 6-pot Brembo set from various spare parts for a MUCH cheaper price than any off the self 4-pot solution, hmmm... let's see if we actually go on vacation this summer... I might need another project if not 

 

This time I was a little vague, I meant another type of investment...obviously you can resell it or reuse it on a new car (if it fits).

What I meant is that (apart from the safety that comes first of all) it is an investment in the driving pleasure, in knowing that you can rely on the brakes even if you exceed a little. Here in the hills there are some roads that I can now drive without feeling the fading brakes after a few turns, and this regardless of how many horses I can actually use.

I also understand that it depends on where you live, which roads you usually travel on, whether bbk is a legal change or not, as well as many other personal factors.

With OEM 340mm brakes you have a good stopping power, don't think that bbk is much better. On the first braking. What really changes is that bbk gives you the same stopping power even after repeated hard braking.

 

Let me know if now you feel the car more understeering or oversteering, when you get a chance to try...

 

Nice work @newbie69 and thanks for the indepth review.

 

Did u happen to note down the part number of ur DCC shocks?

I'm still curious to get a definitive answer on the difference between Non-Sportline DCC and Sportline DCC.

You could always go big and fit the new 992 generation Turbo S 911 brakes with 10 pot front calipers and 420mm discs with puny 4 pot rears with only 390mm discs. Not checked the price but you could always add it to your mortgage.

20 hours ago, Roscio said:

Wow! Your answer was very exhaustive, I appreciate it very much! 

 

this is what I wanted to hear you say, now I know that even lowering 25mm is not excessive!  

 

 

Comfort mode I'm used to using it on the highway and if changing springs I'm afraid of having to give up this comfort. But, once again, you cleared up my doubts.

 

 

This time I was a little vague, I meant another type of investment...obviously you can resell it or reuse it on a new car (if it fits).

What I meant is that (apart from the safety that comes first of all) it is an investment in the driving pleasure, in knowing that you can rely on the brakes even if you exceed a little. Here in the hills there are some roads that I can now drive without feeling the fading brakes after a few turns, and this regardless of how many horses I can actually use.

I also understand that it depends on where you live, which roads you usually travel on, whether bbk is a legal change or not, as well as many other personal factors.

With OEM 340mm brakes you have a good stopping power, don't think that bbk is much better. On the first braking. What really changes is that bbk gives you the same stopping power even after repeated hard braking.

 

Let me know if now you feel the car more understeering or oversteering, when you get a chance to try...

 

Don't mention it, that's why we spend time here, to take and give our experiences and make and help others make decisions as much as possible.

Just keep in mind that the L&K DCC could be different than the Sportline DCC so maybe not all of my findings will apply to your car.

For example, I was told by some members that with Eibachs on their L&K, the car was bottoming out in Comfort due to the soft damping and became unusable. I have also read that Eibachs are "too soft" for the DCC car, again that was on a L&K.

Well, none of the above seems to be true in my Sportline DCC. Unless going over speedbumps at 40km/h which is A LOT, I haven't experienced any bottoming out even though I tried to induce it the other day by the fastest - yet safe - speed I could drive over the bumps. Also, too soft?! They are ideal. The car is still allowed to fully and smoothly rebound in Comfort and Normal, while Sport now feels like my old GTI somewhere in-between its Normal and Sport modes, closer to its Sport in fact. It has to be the dampers and their DCC setting that allows all that excessive suspension movement, can't be anything else really that provides so different results.

======================

Yes I get what you mean about the BBK. I love your honesty when saying don't expect crazy difference in braking power. People think bigger brakes mean so much more stopping power but it's the endurance and repeatability of the braking that you get above all.

I think what I'm after is more a stronger initial bite and better pedal control so maybe I try better pads, discs and lines first. However it's true that at the current state I seriously thought of taking it to the local track for some fun and there I would definitely need a proper kit as i would not be containing myself to just 2-3 hot laps and then cool-down. I know I have failed to stick to that in the past, ending up cooking my brakes and having a scary drive back...
 

18 hours ago, JR RS said:

Nice work @newbie69 and thanks for the indepth review.

 

Did u happen to note down the part number of ur DCC shocks?

I'm still curious to get a definitive answer on the difference between Non-Sportline DCC and Sportline DCC.

Didn't but I can get it next time I remove the wheels? Is it visible then? Can't recall where the sticker is...

I don't think that the difference would be in the product number though, but rather in the DCC software, and that is probably much harder to cross-check... But I just explained to Roscio above, the reasons that made me believe that.

4 hours ago, newbie69 said:

Didn't but I can get it next time I remove the wheels? Is it visible then? Can't recall where the sticker is...

I don't think that the difference would be in the product number though, but rather in the DCC software, and that is probably much harder to cross-check... But I just explained to Roscio above, the reasons that made me believe that.

 

Tis not uber critical to get it, more curious.

I looked at ur pics, but none were locked closely inside the wheel arch.

 

That's wat I'm trying to b certain about - that's it's either physically a different shock unit, or it's the same but with software making the difference for Sportlines.

 

Below is how it looks.

 

 

Edited 23 June, 20205 yr by JR RS

@JR RSIt looks like we all have the same shock unit 3Q0413031AK. This is mine:

 

 

This is @newbie69's one: (I can see _Q0413031AK) 

 

 

 

So, if there are differences between L&K DCC and Sportline DCC, it has to be through software. Maybe it's set different due to the 10mm lower suspensions on Sportline?

 

 

I never believed the Sportline would have a different shock (hardware wise) from the L&K and the pics show that they don't, it's the same 3Q0413031AK damper used.

Considering the DCC's capabilities though and how much it's able to vary compression and rebound settings between its Comfort, Normal and Sport modes already, it wouldn't come as a surprise to find out that it's set up with slightly firmer settings in the Sportline, at least in Sport mode.

Thinking about it it doesn't make sense not to, considering the car comes with different springs, so a slight adjustment of the damping to match those would seem reasonable.

Still, this is all guessing. I wonder whether there could be any module coding comparison, i'm no VCDS expert though...

============= IMPORTANT UPDATE ===============


I was investigating further the rear drop, as I was puzzled as to how it ended up being at the exact same height as the front even though I used the 6.5mm thicker rear Audi pads.

I mean yes, the even drop front and rear on mine looks very good and sporty but what about people that just install the springs without Audi pads? They shouldn't end up with a whole 6.5mm lower rear end surely??


Turns out I was half-screwed by Eibachs own catalog, well to some extent. For buying my springs I used the "Eibach product catalog 2017" which was available from one of their websites until last year when I also downloaded it, I attach it in this message.

There the kit number for 2.0 4x4 is given as: E10-85-042-03-22 comprising of F11-85-042-03-FA front, F11-15-007-04-HA rear.



However going on their online part search: http://web2.carparts-cat.com/default.aspx?10=60730C6FF832499EA965D097B657382D279004&14=4&12=100  the kit showing up now for both 280 and 272 is a different one:

E10-79-012-04-22 comprising of F11-85-042-03-FA front (same as in the PDF and the one i put on) but  F11-79-008-01-HA rear!

Weirdly enough, my F11-15-007-04-HA rears have somehow lost 30kg from their old rating. In the PDF they are rated for 1250kg but on-line they show up as 1220kg if one searches for that part number.


So all in all, and according to the on-line catalog right now (who knows if and when that changes), I have installed rear springs with slightly lower rear axle load rating (1220kg vs 1253kg).

Is that enough to cause a greater drop, and in particular this 6.5mm that I got back from the Audi pads? I happened to replace the pads with thicker ones so the car sits nice, but I would probably have gained another 5-6mm rear with the correct rear ones.

I could just buy two updated rears and install them but not sure if it's worth the hassle considering I don't tow or generally go anywhere near the max load, and the car sits evenly front and back... I also contacted Eibach explaining the situation but I doubt they will look into it.


In any case, anyone going with Eibachs double check the correct kit for your car via their online parts catalog as any other consolidated documentation you might have already might be out of date.
 

eibach-produktkatalog_2.pdf

UPDATE: Eibach have acknowledged their mistake on the PDF catalog and offered to send me the correct rear springs free of charge. According to them, the correct spring will sit around 10mm higher, which I believe will make the drop just perfect overall.

In fact the rear is what gave me some second thoughts because as I measured recently after settling, it sat even 2-3mm lower than the front when unloaded which clearly didn't seem right.

Will update when I receive and install the new rear springs with some photos and precise drop measurements.

WRAP UP:

So, the correct F11-79-008-01-HA rear springs were sent to me from Eibach for free and I installed them couple of days ago. I again used the thicker Audi pads on top of them to gain 6.5mm at the back as i was worried about practicality.

The correct springs for the Superb are around 20mm longer (uncompressed) than the ones for the Passat (on the right) that I originally got.




The measurements show:

355mm front, -25mm from 380mm stock Sportline DCC
363mm* rear, -27mm from 390mm stock Sportline DCC  (360mm if not using the Audi pads)

* The rear would be closer to 355-356mm if I hadn't used the 6.5mm Audi pads, so for anyone just putting the springs on the arch gap would be the same front and rear, more like in my previous pictures with the Passat rear springs.

I understand Eibach deliberately drop the rear more than the front as usually people that lower their cars put looks very high in their priorities and indeed a car with identical arch gap front and rear looks nice and purposeful but considering how the car is not say, a coupe, and can occasionally be full with passengers and cargo I was worried it would result in those silly (to me) images of zero arch gap at the top and I wanted to avoid that.  As a matter of fact, even as stock the front also sits 10mm higher than the rear (380mm vs 390mm wheel to fender)

Here's a comparison picture between the previous situation with the Passat rear springs (bottom) vs the current ones (top):




The angle of the photos slightly complements the lower Passat springs. In reality, with those the rear of the car strongly suggested it was lowered under most angles and situations, not something extreme, but it definitely caught the attention. Now it looks even more OEM which is something I like in general.
But at least you can essentially choose between the two stances by just going for Eibachs and the car looking very much like the bottom pic (plus 2-3mm), or adding the Audi pads and looking as the top pic. With the Audi pads, loading the car with a couple of passengers it still does not sit lower than the bottom pic, so full use-ability is retained.


One thing which I think got slightly worse with the correct springs is how the car drives. I was very excited about the improvement I got originally in terms of preciser handling and firmer rebound as you can read a few posts back.

I don't know how it's possible for just the rear springs to affect this so noticeably but with the correct springs it seems as the car moved closer to its original damping behaviour   In all modes, I notice a slightly looser damping. Going over the speed bump outside my driveway the car seems to want to do a second oscillation after it "lands" the first time which is ultimately stopped by the dampers but still you can feel that there is a tendency towards comfort. It's still better than stock, but not as much of an improvement as before.  A damper upgrade is slowly creeping back in but i probably will avoid that as I will be drawing a line on the "driving mods/upgrades" on this car after some long consideration over its role and long-term plan.

This might be actually very good for people who want to only correct the stock gap but not sacrifice much/anything in terms of comfort but with the wrong rear springs it seemed i had got two birds with one shot for my like. Now it's more like a half-way improvement. I wonder if the Passat springs are indeed of a higher spring rate compared to the Superb's or whether the fact that I hadn't driven the car much in-between the spring changes is messing with my impressions, but i'm almost sure it's the first, i will try to see if Eibach can assist in this.

Couple more pics after the first evening drive:

Thanks for all the details - my Wagon is booked in for work in early August - and Eibach pro is on the list - my mechanic seems to know his stuff - but will remind him of the correct part numbers - so I don't get the incorrect rear spring. I like the idea of the Audi top mounts too - might go down this route too - relatively inexpensive. I will have times when the whole family is loaded - so will want the extra few MM on the rear. 

 

FG

24 minutes ago, freeglide said:

Thanks for all the details - my Wagon is booked in for work in early August - and Eibach pro is on the list - my mechanic seems to know his stuff - but will remind him of the correct part numbers - so I don't get the incorrect rear spring. I like the idea of the Audi top mounts too - might go down this route too - relatively inexpensive. I will have times when the whole family is loaded - so will want the extra few MM on the rear. 

 

FG

Just make sure he uses the online catalog to get you the correct part numbers instead of any downloaded PDF.  The kit number for the estate is the same as for the hatch (same as mine) so: E10-79-012-04-22 (at least till today...)

Audi pads cost next to nothing really, the cost of all the replacement bolts is 4x times more. As I said, I think without them the car looks good on photos as front and rear are level when unloaded, but loses some of its practicality unless you don't mind the zero arch gap situation when loaded.

With them, you retain the - as stock - slightly raised rear ensuring OEM useability.

It's nice to have both options.

Does anyone know how the spring perches differ between the multi link and torsion beam setups?  The rear on mine could do with a few mm extra for the same reasons as you've stated.

 

Ignore me.  My fault for bouncing around the forums as this is the superb section and I am referring to my Octavia.  Unless someone has the right answers?

Edited 9 July, 20205 yr by MarkyG82

4 hours ago, MarkyG82 said:

Does anyone know how the spring perches differ between the multi link and torsion beam setups?  The rear on mine could do with a few mm extra for the same reasons as you've stated.

 

Ignore me.  My fault for bouncing around the forums as this is the superb section and I am referring to my Octavia.  Unless someone has the right answers?

Do you mean if you can use the same pads on the Octavia? I believe you should as from the schematics, it seems the "top mounts" at the rear (item no.5) are the same part 5Q0512149A for both the multi-link and torsion beam versions.

In both setups the spring and shock are placed independently anyway.

That's awesome thanks. Just need to find time to climb under the car to see what the original one is like and how much work. Imagine it's a jack up - bottom shock bolts out - springs off job. Should be easy enough provided the bolts aren't crudded too bad.

On 21/06/2020 at 20:37, newbie69 said:

>>> I opted to replace the top spring pads/bushings with the Audi TT ones (OE part number: 8J0512149 ) as suggested in some threads to avoid reverse rake. Those are ~6.5mm thicker so the rear sits 6.5mm higher. It turns out it was a wise choice as you'll see


 

 

THANKS for part code!

added to stock DCC, in other case car sits too low

 

before

 

sadly Audi's front parts are equal, nothing to take for upgrade

 

 

now can't decide what Eibachs, would like stiffer but not lower

 

p.s.

Audi's pad gives some kind of sound deadening effect to!

maybe placebo, but can't be worse definetly

 

9 hours ago, MartiniB said:

 

THANKS for part code!

added to stock DCC, in other case car sits too low

 

before

 

 

sadly Audi's front parts are equal, nothing to take for upgrade

 

 

 

now can't decide what Eibachs, would like stiffer but not lower

 

p.s.

Audi's pad gives some kind of sound deadening effect to!

maybe placebo, but can't be worse definetly

 

Yeah the Audi pads seem to work well, especially when lowered. It's weird for the rear to be lower on a stock car though, mine was around 5mm higher than the front when I was stock but if it works for you then great!

For "stiffer but not lower" I would suggest you consider upgrading dampers, not springs. The B6 Damptronic that recently became available for the Superb are the cheapest DCC compatible dampers I am aware of that would also work with stock springs while seriously upgrading the ride. Plus there are no aftermarket springs that are stiffer but not lower.

9 hours ago, newbie69 said:

there are no aftermarket springs that are stiffer but not lower

 

Yes, Bilstein B6 DampTronics are in the list

 

but current springs have to be changed too,
dealer told me stock springs can't be changed under warranty cause no visible defects
and they became lower cause car got extra weight from sound deadening materials.
also near to five years on the road leaves some footprint.

 

for mine FWD rear axle can be used some springs from 4x4 set,

developed for higher weight will drop less on my lighter car,

but which exact? crossing fingers for receive suggestions from Eibach.de

 

p.s.
stock DCC shocks already were replaced on the front
left at 43k Km and right at 47k Km, now 92k Km on the ODO