So my drivers side spring broke this morning - That was exciting not much has snapped off but probably going to need to replace. And I will do both sides at the same time. However which brand should I go for is there any difference?

 

 

 

Find the OE part number for your specific model and start cross referencing on the bay.

 

I bought a couple of Suplex springs for half the VAG price for one.

 

 

According to gknautomotive.com there are four different front springs for the Skoda Octavia MK2 hatchback 1.6TDI depending on whether the car has sports or standard springs, and whether the car has manual or automatic gearbox.

 

https://web.tecalliance.net/gkn/en/parts/cars/assigned?assemblyGroupId=100113&targetId=31590&typeNumber=31590&groups=188&brands=1&pf=2&page=0#@brc/brands:Car;targetType:cars;mandator:gkn/assem:SKODA%20OCTAVIA%20II%20(1Z3)%201.6%20TDI;targetType:cars;mandator:gkn;targetId:31590;typeNumber:31590/lnkparts:Coil%20Springs;targetType:cars;mandator:gkn;assemblyGroupId:100113;targetId:31590;typeNumber:31590;groups:188;brands:1;pf:2;page:0

 

Autodoc list all four front springs in various makes including Sachs

 

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/car-parts/coil-springs-10213/skoda/octavia/octavia-1z3/31590-1-6-tdi?criteria[100]=VA&supplier[0]=32

 

Standard suspension manual gearbox

OEM part number 1K0411105AQ

OEM coil spring is marked with 1 Orange 4 Blue Dots, or 1 Violet 1 Orange 1 Blue Dot

 

Standard suspension automatic gearbox

OEM part number 1K0411105BC

OEM coil spring is marked with 1 Violet 1 Orange 2 Blue Dots

 

Sports suspension manual gearbox

OEM part number 1K0411105DA

OEM coil spring is marked with 3 Red 1 Grey Dots

 

Sports suspension automatic gearbox

OEM part number 1K0411105DB

OEM coil spring is marked with 1 Red 1 White 1 Violet Dots

 

1K0411105AQ and 1K0411105BC Coil Springs

http://www.oemepc.com/skoda/part_single/catalog/sk/markt/CZ/modell/OCT/year/2012/drive_standart/663/hg_ug/411/subcategory/411010/part_id/2561497/lang/e

 

1K0411105DA and 1K0411105DA Coil Springs

http://www.oemepc.com/skoda/part_single/catalog/sk/markt/CZ/modell/OCT/year/2012/drive_standart/663/hg_ug/411/subcategory/411021/part_id/2561497/lang/e

 

Edited 30 November, 20205 yr by Carlston

Well this got complicated

 

I have tried the websites with my VIN number but no joy.

 

@Carlston Out of the 4 options above we can take that down to 2 as my car is manual.

 

Would anybody else do anything else to the struts while you have them off to change the springs?

 

 

What colours are the paint blobs on your original springs, and in what sequence.

What year is the car?

Just now, Wino said:

What colours are the paint blobs on your original springs, and in what sequence.

What year is the car?

 

Paint Blobs I was thinking what are they talking about but now I understand!! Anyone know the location on the spring as I will have to take a look. Year of the car is 2010.

Dampers/struts and top mounts etc may all benefit from being done at ten years old, but the parts cost will rack up rapidly.  Labour cost would hardly increase though.

Paint blobs should be obvious after a wipe-down with a damp rag.

Example of paint markings here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OEM-VOLKSWAGEN-BEETLE-A5-FRONT-COIL-SPRING-1K0411105AQ-GENUINE-/283950880426

Edited 1 December, 20205 yr by Wino

@Wino Yes the labour will be the same that's why I thought I would ask the question. I would probably replace the rubbers on the shock.

 

But here are the magical blobs

 

 

So that part number in my ebay link is the right one, first one that @Carlston listed above - 1K0411105AQ

6 minutes ago, Wino said:

So that part number in my ebay link is the right one, first one that @Carlston listed above - 1K0411105AQ

Yep it was spot on!!! However which is a good brand and which is worth skipping?

Think I'd avoid anschler, but @Carlston seems to know a lot more about spring manufacturers than I do though.

Prices on the bay start at £26.99 for a pair of springs including free delivery!

16 minutes ago, MicMac said:

Prices on the bay start at £26.99 for a pair of springs including free delivery!

 I know but which brand to avoid?

38 minutes ago, MicMac said:

Prices on the bay start at £26.99 for a pair of springs including free delivery!

Sounds very iffy

"If something seems too good to be true..."

I suspect without solid proof to the contrary any brand has to be taken as fit for purpose, too many brands are disadvantaged by being from new outlet/rebranding/price competitiveness and customer snobbery.

 

YMMV I've had genuine VAG and Suplex springs fail at just over the 2 year warranty with below average mileage, I suppose in Suplex' defense they do state OE quality!

 

Still better Suplex at a quarter of the price of VAG springs.

 

In my case the part code required has few equivalent options and Suplex were the cheapest.

I was thinking of the following which are SACHS

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SACHS-Coil-Springs-993-044-Discount-Car-Parts/291622179875

There are many well known brands to choose from, each with different prices and tales of success/failure..

 

I'd suggest you look for a brand giving at least a 2 year warranty, if the part number matches and the price is acceptable just go for it and don't worry until you've something to worry about.

3 hours ago, MRB007 said:

I was thinking of the following which are SACHS

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SACHS-Coil-Springs-993-044-Discount-Car-Parts/291622179875

 

Sachs 993044

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-Sachs-993044-Front-Suspension-Coil-Springs-OCTAVIA-EOS-GOLF-JETTA/224174520299?hash=item3431d7b7eb:g:U-QAAOSwIlxde3Y3

 

If you want to research further, autodoc is a good place to start. However, aftermarket springs are not all the same and most I wouldn't put on my shortlist.

 

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/car-parts/oem/1k0411105aq?search=OEN 1K0411105AQ

 

Edited 1 December, 20205 yr by Carlston

@Carlston Are you saying you would purchase VAG parts?

28 minutes ago, MRB007 said:

@Carlston Are you saying you would purchase VAG parts?

 

I would go for Sachs springs, at least for your car.

 

Edited 1 December, 20205 yr by Carlston

All the talk about brands but how many of them actually manufacture springs?

 

A brand once it becomes entrenched in peoples perception has a great value and they are bought and sold many times over, it means the traders (not manufacturers) who buy it can sell the cheapest crap (should they choose to) for a premium price and get away with it for several years at which point its sold again and it all starts over again, I have socks branded JCB and the tat shops sell batteries branded Ford with the blue oval, the DIY stores here sell the cheapest crappiest power tools branded Black & Decker, now they have moved on to selling the same crap branded Skil, the common factor in all of them aside from the brand names being sold out or licensed by the original manufacturer are that they are all made in China and are all way overpriced for the real quality of the product as opposed to the percieved quality.

 

For coil springs I use Lesjofors because they are a long standing spring manufacturer, I believe that Kilen springs are the same product, I have used 3 sets of them and they have all been fine but it will be another 8 years before I can say that they are better than OE quality which is not setting the bar very high.

1 hour ago, J.R. said:

For coil springs I use Lesjofors because they are a long standing spring manufacturer, I believe that Kilen springs are the same product, I have used 3 sets of them and they have all been fine but it will be another 8 years before I can say that they are better than OE quality which is not setting the bar very high.

 

There are big problems with Lesjofors/Kilen products.

 

Let's say the OP had a Skoda Octavia MK2 hatchback 1.6TDI with automatic gearbox. The front springs on this car have OEM part number 1K0411105BC. However, Lesjofors make two springs that they sell to match this OEM part number. Lesjofors 4085711 and Lesjofors 4095050. So which is it? This does not inspire confidence in this company. To make matters worse, Lesjofors/Kilen don't publish the specification of their springs such as length/diameter/thickness/weight, etc. Also, Lesjofors/Kilen often have a one size fits all approach, meaning that they often sell just one spring to replace multiple OEM part numbers. The rear springs on the OP's car is another point in question as Lesjofors/Kilen list multiple OEM part numbers for these rear springs. With Lesjofors/Kilen you just don't know what you are getting.

 

Optimal-germany.com may be the same as Sachs. However, in the UK, Optimal are often twice the price of Sachs and availability is usually poor. Hence the recommendation for Sachs springs over Optimal.

 

I used to be a fan of Spidan/Suplex, but since I heard of early spring breakages for both these brands (same company I suspect) I'm no longer a fan. It may be that this company has taken a short term approach to profits and started selling inferior springs as they used to be good.

 

Bilstein is possibly rebranded Lesjofors/Kilen so has the same problems. Just like Lesjofors/Kilen, Bilstein keeps the specification of their springs a secret and is also into the one size fits all approach, with multiple OEM numbers often being listed on each spring. You really don't know what you are getting with these companies. You certainly don't know that their aftermarket replacement spring that "will fit your car" actually matches the specification of your OEM spring, or is simply close enough to the original that it's capable of being bolted on...but with a different spring rate and ride height, etc.

 

Edited 1 December, 20205 yr by Carlston

I was speaking of the quality of them and the fact that they are a long established spring manufacturer, being loyal to or being recommended a brand that does not even manufacture is illogical.

 

In my case I wanted to uprate my suspension for towing, both the MK1 and MK2 Octavias were very weakly sprung at the rear, there were different spring part numbers for "rough road markets" or something listed in the VAG parts breakdowns, I chose Lesjofors as they were one of the few companies that listed a spring corresponding to the part number I wanted, on the cars they were everything that I wanted, if someone bought them hoping for a straight swop then they would have been dissapointed.

 

The VAG part numbers are common across many different vehicles on the same platform from a Golf right through to a Touran, I agree that its a lottery but I have more faith in a company that has more variants than fewer and list them as a direct replacement for lots of different part numbers.

 

When I ordered mine I knew the coil diameter and free length and was confident they were what I wanted, they proved to be, the person who bought my MK2 Octavia does not like the rear ride height, I advertised it as having uprated suspension, he bought it for towing and if he was not happy he should not have bought it, no point whinging afterwards.

What about the following option?

https://www.oemvwshop.com/1k0411105aq-coil-spring-p253355/

 

I would be wary of so called genuine parts via mail order.

 

Any VAG dealer can order your springs for next day if you want genuine stickered parts.

 

I sense analysis paralysis, just pick what you are happy to pay for (UK) and relax.