Uprating rear suspension?

[MrRich]

I have a 150 ps 2.0 TDi Estate, and always intrigued me how such a large estate car doesn't come with any levelling suspension.

 

I don't often carry heavy loads but can on occasion have three / four passengers and the boot almost filled to the roof.  The car drives okay but evidently sags a bit at the rear with such weight.  Are there any reasonable cost efficient ways to help support the rear when loaded up?  I have seen the rear springs and they look far too small diameter for any assisters being mounted inside?

[MartiniB]

on rear axle can be installed stiffer Eibach springs from AWD Superbs

Eibach Pro F11-79-008-01-HA

which give 0 lowering on FWD cars

 

on front axle already have installed Eibach springs from Q2; Tiguan

Eibach Pro F11-85-043-02-FA

-> https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/485647-bilstein-b6-dcc-shock-absorbers-available-at-last/?do=findComment&comment=5620484

 

 

[Carlston]

5 hours ago, MrRich said:

I have a 150 ps 2.0 TDi Estate, and always intrigued me how such a large estate car doesn't come with any levelling suspension.

 

I don't often carry heavy loads but can on occasion have three / four passengers and the boot almost filled to the roof.  The car drives okay but evidently sags a bit at the rear with such weight.  Are there any reasonable cost efficient ways to help support the rear when loaded up?  I have seen the rear springs and they look far too small diameter for any assisters being mounted inside?

 

You've probably got 3Q0511115AK rear springs. If so, simply change to one or two weight ranges higher in the range. ie. either 3Q0511115AL or 3Q0511115M.

 

You can see in the chart below, that 3Q0511115AK is a weight range 3 rear spring (0YC means weight range 3). 3Q0511115AL is a weight range 4 rear spring (0YD means weight range 4). 3Q0511115M is a weight range 5 rear spring (0YE means weight range 5).

 

As you are sometimes carrying a lot of weight, I would go up two weight ranges to 3Q0511115M, such as the Kilen 65126 that I've linked to at the bottom of this post. If you are handy with using axle stands and a trolley jack you should be able to easily change the rear springs yourself. Cost of the two rear springs is about £70 on ebay.

 

1	3Q0 511 115 AK	coil spring		2	PR-1JA+0YC
1	3Q0 511 115 AL	coil spring		2	PR-1JA+0YD
1	3Q0 511 115 M	coil spring		2	PR-1JA+0YE

https://volkswagen.7zap.com/en/rdw/passat+4motion+santana/pa/2015-793/5/511-511000/

 

3Q0511115AK

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/car-parts/oem/3q0511115ak

 

3Q0511115AL

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/car-parts/oem/3q0511115al?search=OEN 3Q0511115AL

KYB RA5331 3Q0511115AL

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234261383575?epid=7044603631&hash=item368b110997:g:ePkAAOSwkZZhe96G

Kilen 65125 3Q0511115AL

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234351928372?hash=item369076a434:g:W3wAAOSwLjdhyCjN

 

3Q0511115M

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/car-parts/oem/3q0511115m?search=OEN 3Q0511115M

Kilen 65126 3Q0511115M

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/392296332152?hash=item5b56aefb78%3Ag%3AVbUAAOSwgq1c2YpV&LH_ItemCondition=1000

 

All the above information, assumes you have a Superb MK3 2.0TDI estate FWD car and that it has standard ride height.

 

Edited 24 January, 2022 by Carlston

[patrolman]

Have towed caravans and car trailers with my Octavia and Karoq and I have always fitted helper springs 

from Mad 

https://mad-suspension.co.uk/

[MrRich]

Thank you all for the replies, gives me some options to consider.

[Vidmor]

On 24/01/2022 at 18:56, patrolman said:

Have towed caravans and car trailers with my Octavia and Karoq and I have always fitted helper springs 

from Mad 

https://mad-suspension.co.uk/

Do they affect the ride when solo much? Thanks 

[patrolman]

On 29/01/2022 at 19:05, Vidmor said:

Do they affect the ride when solo much? Thanks 

Not at all thy only start working when you load them up the ride height stayed the same as well 

[Vidmor]

54 minutes ago, patrolman said:

Not at all thy only start working when you load them up the ride height stayed the same as well 

Thanks, that's really useful. 

[MrRich]

Is anyone able to advise what's involved in replacing the Superb mk3 estate rear springs?

 

Found some conflicting information and the official manual isn't clear if the "official" method is merely compressing the spring to remove it?

 

Thanks!

[MarkyG82]

8 hours ago, MrRich said:

Is anyone able to advise what's involved in replacing the Superb mk3 estate rear springs?

 

Found some conflicting information and the official manual isn't clear if the "official" method is merely compressing the spring to remove it?

 

Thanks!

 

If you had the right design of compressors then you may get away with this method.

I undid the lower shock mount on both sides to drop the rear enough to get the spring out. It's the most common way on the majority of cars. Rear drive or 4wd will probably be harder whichever way you do it.

 

Just be sure to have both sides in the air.

[MrRich]

Hi all again,

 

One other question, was self levelling suspension available for the car like Nivomats are on other estates?

 

Thanks,

[MrRich]

On 24/01/2022 at 15:23, Carlston said:

 

You've probably got 3Q0511115AK rear springs. If so, simply change to one or two weight ranges higher in the range. ie. either 3Q0511115AL or 3Q0511115M.

 

You can see in the chart below, that 3Q0511115AK is a weight range 3 rear spring (0YC means weight range 3). 3Q0511115AL is a weight range 4 rear spring (0YD means weight range 4). 3Q0511115M is a weight range 5 rear spring (0YE means weight range 5).

 

As you are sometimes carrying a lot of weight, I would go up two weight ranges to 3Q0511115M, such as the Kilen 65126 that I've linked to at the bottom of this post. If you are handy with using axle stands and a trolley jack you should be able to easily change the rear springs yourself. Cost of the two rear springs is about £70 on ebay.

 

1	3Q0 511 115 AK	coil spring		2	PR-1JA+0YC
1	3Q0 511 115 AL	coil spring		2	PR-1JA+0YD
1	3Q0 511 115 M	coil spring		2	PR-1JA+0YE

https://volkswagen.7zap.com/en/rdw/passat+4motion+santana/pa/2015-793/5/511-511000/

 

3Q0511115AK

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/car-parts/oem/3q0511115ak

 

3Q0511115AL

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/car-parts/oem/3q0511115al?search=OEN 3Q0511115AL

KYB RA5331 3Q0511115AL

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234261383575?epid=7044603631&hash=item368b110997:g:ePkAAOSwkZZhe96G

Kilen 65125 3Q0511115AL

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234351928372?hash=item369076a434:g:W3wAAOSwLjdhyCjN

 

3Q0511115M

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/car-parts/oem/3q0511115m?search=OEN 3Q0511115M

Kilen 65126 3Q0511115M

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/392296332152?hash=item5b56aefb78%3Ag%3AVbUAAOSwgq1c2YpV&LH_ItemCondition=1000

 

All the above information, assumes you have a Superb MK3 2.0TDI estate FWD car and that it has standard ride height.

 

Hi,

 

Coming back to this, do we know what the difference in weight ratings translates into in kg for example?  Would be good to get an idea of how big the difference is between the different weight ratings?

 

Thanks,

[Carlston]

36 minutes ago, MrRich said:

Hi,

 

Coming back to this, do we know what the difference in weight ratings translates into in kg for example?  Would be good to get an idea of how big the difference is between the different weight ratings?

 

Thanks,

 

You would have to look at the specifications of the springs, such as on autodoc.

 

In general, one weight range higher is about 5% stiffer, and two weight ranges higher is about 10% stiffer.

 

If your springs are old and starting to sag you might just need new springs of the same weight range as what you have now.

 

So often, people tend to overcompensate when their current springs are starting to sag. One Superb MK3 owner felt sure he needed much stiffer rear springs than standard, but when the garage fitted new standard springs he found that the car drove fine on those and no longer had the desire to go stiffer.

 

How much weight you tend to carry in the car will have a big influence on what the right stiffness of springs is for you. It's a careful balancing act.

 

Edited 1 December, 2022 by Carlston

[MrRich]

Thanks.  Do we know which ones were fitted to cars with factory tow bars?

[Carlston]

1 hour ago, MrRich said:

Thanks.  Do we know which ones were fitted to cars with factory tow bars?

 

You can find out what springs were factory fitted to your car by looking at the car's build codes. These are available from an ebay seller for about 3 Euros. Search "skoda vin decoder" on ebay to find the listing.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224631127243

 

If you don't want to go down that route, you could measure the wire diameter of your rear springs. 12.25mm wire diameter might mean that you have 3Q0511115AK rear springs. 12.50mm wire diameter might mean that you have 3Q0511115AL rear springs. 12.75mm wire diameter might mean that you have 3Q0511115M rear springs. Not all aftermarket brands agree on these wire diameters matching these OEM part numbers. However, Spidan are one of the better aftermarket brands for giving reliable specifications...but even they can sometimes make mistakes.

 

You might even find the OEM part number on a white label attached to the spring.

 

Spidan springs don't appear to be as reliable as they once were, as I have heard of many early spring breakages. Maybe Spidan have outsourced to China with a resulting loss of quality. I suspect there are many other aftermarket brands selling the same springs as Spidan, such as Suplex, SKF, and Quinton Hazell. It was only after Spidan springs started having lots of early breakages that SKF and Quinton Hazell appeared on the market, so maybe this was a kneejerk reaction by Spidan to maintain their market share. Many of these big aftermarket brands are owned by the same company or are somehow connected. Spidan, Suplex, SKF, and Quinton Hazell always seem to give exactly the same specifications for their springs, which is why I suspect they are connected to each other.

 

3Q0511115AK

Length: 364mm

Wire Diameter: 12.25mm

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/car-parts/oem/3q0511115ak?search=OEN+3Q0511115AK&supplier[0]=246&supplier[1]=1

 

3Q0511115AL

Length: 359mm

Wire Diameter 12.50mm

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/car-parts/oem/3q0511115al?search=OEN+3Q0511115AL&supplier[0]=1&supplier[1]=246

 

3Q0511115M

Length: 360mm

Wire Diameter 12.75mm

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/car-parts/oem/3q0511115m?search=OEN+3Q0511115M&supplier[0]=246&supplier[1]=1

 

Edited 1 December, 2022 by Carlston

[MrRich]

Hi,

 

Sorry I wasn't very clear.  My car has the soft springs 3Q0511115AK according to the build sheet I have, so wondered what the tow pack equipped cars had instead.  I have ordered the Kilen 65126 3Q0511115M this evening so will install those and see how it goes.  Thank you for the help.

[Carlston]

27 minutes ago, MrRich said:

Hi,

 

Sorry I wasn't very clear.  My car has the soft springs 3Q0511115AK according to the build sheet I have, so wondered what the tow pack equipped cars had instead.  I have ordered the Kilen 65126 3Q0511115M this evening so will install those and see how it goes.  Thank you for the help.

 

Fitting Kilen 65126 which match OEM part number 3Q0511115M does seem like a good idea.

 

If the springs feel a little hard afterwards, you could always fit the most comfortable Superb MK3 tyre size, ie. 215/60R16, to help soften the ride.

 

If you have a Superb MK3 272HP/280HP 4x4 then that car uses big 340x30mm front discs, which need at least 17" rims to clear the front brake calipers.

 

Edited 1 December, 2022 by Carlston

[gnuttisch]

Hi, I have an superb 2.0TDI 4x4 sportline estate and feel that it's a bit soft in the rear suspension when loading and towing an caravan. 

 

Does anyone know if their is an stiffer spring that I can change to without sacrifice the look of hight onloaded ?

 

Regards

[Carlston]

10 hours ago, gnuttisch said:

Hi, I have a Superb 2.0TDI 4x4 Sportline estate and feel that it's a bit soft in the rear suspension when loading and towing a caravan.

 

Does anyone know if there is a stiffer spring that I can change to without sacrificing the look of the height when unloaded ?

 

What OEM part numbers are your current front and rear springs?

 

Did your car come with a factory fitted towbar? If so, it should already have slightly stiffer rear springs compared to a similar car that didn't have a factory fitted towbar.

 

It may be, that the rear springs have started to sag with age and simply need changing for new springs.

 

You can see in the chart below, that the Skoda parts catalogue lists ten rear springs for the standard ride height Superb MK3 4x4 (the code 1JA means standard ride height). The first five rear springs in this hierarchy are probably too soft for the 4x4. I suspect that you may need something like 0YF (weight range 6) rear springs, or 0YG (weight range 7) rear springs in the below list, ie. 3Q0511115N or 3Q0511115P.

 

No	Part code	Title	Note	QNT	Model	Price
		suspension Shock absorbers			4-wheel dr.+	-
1	3Q0511115AH	Coil spring		2	PR-1JA+0YA
1	3Q0511115AJ	Coil spring		2	PR-1JA+0YB
1	3Q0511115AK	Coil spring		2	PR-1JA+0YC
1	3Q0511115AL	Coil spring		2	PR-1JA+0YD
1	3Q0511115M	Coil spring		2	PR-1JA+0YE
1	3Q0511115N	Coil spring		2	PR-1JA+0YF
1	3Q0511115P	Coil spring		2	PR-1JA+0YG
1	3Q0511115Q	Coil spring		2	PR-1JA+0YH
1	3Q0511115R	Coil spring		2	PR-1JA+0YJ
1	3Q0511115BC	Coil spring		2	PR-1JA+0YK

 

Edited 14 February, 2023 by Carlston

[gnuttisch]

Where can i find the OEM, dont think it still labeld on the springs? 

 

Yes, it got towbar from factory.

 

But the car is from 2018 and runned about 5200 miles, dont think that is sagging already ? 

And the car is an sportline, so should already been lowered with 15mm? but dont have any DCC. 

 

When Iam towing or heavely loaded, the car feel swamping and low in the rear. 

[Carlston]

2 hours ago, gnuttisch said:

Where can i find the OEM, don't think it still labeled on the springs? 

 

Yes, it got towbar from factory.

 

But the car is from 2018 and runned about 5200 miles, don't think that is sagging already ? 

And the car is an sportline, so should already been lowered with 15mm? but don't have any DCC. 

 

When Iam towing or heavely loaded, the car feel swamping and low in the rear. 

 

There's an ebay seller that can supply your car's build codes for about 3 Euros.

 

search "skoda vin decoder" on ebay to find the listing

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224631127243

 

You can also find your build codes on "skoda erwin" for 7 Euros, and you can get downloaded manuals for your car. The 7 Euros gets you 1 hour's access. Most people seem to be able to download what they want in that time.

 

You can decoder the codes, on "VW codes decoder"

http://igorweb.org/equidec.aspx

 

Codes have 3 digits, comprising numbers and letters, so look something like this: 1JA, 1JC, etc.

 

If you have lowered ride height aka sports suspension, your rear springs should be in the below chart. Note that 1JC means lowered ride height.

 

Lowered ride height rear springs for Superb MK3 4x4 

1	3Q0511115S	Coil spring		2	PR-1JC+0YA
1	3Q0511115T	Coil spring		2	PR-1JC+0YB
1	3Q0511115AA	Coil spring		2	PR-1JC+0YC
1	3Q0511115AB	Coil spring		2	PR-1JC+0YD
1	3Q0511115AC	Coil spring		2	PR-1JC+0YE
1	3Q0511115AD	Coil spring		2	PR-1JC+0YF
1	3Q0511115BH	Coil spring		2	PR-1JC+0YG
1	3Q0511115AE	Coil spring		2	PR-1JC+0YH
1	3Q0511115AF	Coil spring		2	PR-1JC+0YJ
1	3Q0511115AG	Coil spring		2	PR-1JC+0YK
1	3Q0511115BD	Coil spring		2	PR-1JC+0YL

 

Edited 14 February, 2023 by Carlston

[gnuttisch]

So I got my buildcodes from ebay, and found these that seems intresting. 

 

0YF Weight range 6 installation control only, no requirement forecast

1JC Shock absorption in rear, sports version

 

Is it 10% harder springers per row ?

[Carlston]

28 minutes ago, gnuttisch said:

So I got my build codes from ebay, and found these that seems interesting. 

 

0YF Weight range 6 installation control only, no requirement forecast

1JC Shock absorption in rear, sports version

 

Is it 10% harder springers per row ?

 

The 1JC shows that the car has lowered/sports suspension.

 

0YF shows that the rear springs have OEM part number 3Q0511115AD.

 

You can see on this thread that Bigeater has a Superb MK3 280HP 4x4 sportline with 3Q0511115AC rear springs

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/478335-does-the-sportline-have-stiffer-suspension/page/8/#comment-5731492

 

So it looks like similar models that left the factory with a towbar fitted one weight range higher rear springs, ie. 3Q0511115AD.

 

autodoc aren't listing any aftermarket lowered ride height rear springs with a weight range higher than 0YF, so I suggest simply trying new 3Q0511115AD rear springs.

 

EIBACH R22928 rear springs 3Q0511115AD

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/eibach/18112510

 

What wire thickness are your current rear springs? You can then compare to the 13.75mm wire diameter of the Eibach R22928 rear springs.

[gnuttisch]

Okay, I will look in to it. 

 

Thanks for your excelent help!

[Matt-mutt]

Suppose this is a bit of an older thread now but I figured I'd ask, don't suppose anyone has fitted the 3Q0511115M (as I fairly often carry a car full of people/towbar fitted bike rack) rear springs onto a 1.6 diesel salon/hatchback? was tempting myself as the rear of my 17 superb sits quite low unloaded so need to replace the fitted springs anyway