Hello everyone, I have an Octavia Estate MK III.

 

I tow a 1300kg caravan and keep nose weight to 75kg. However the Octy with its largish rear overhang sags a little and the caravan sits a little nose down. It doesn't bottom out though.

 

I have heard Grayson Spring Assisters could help with this. Does anyone use them or have anything to say good or bad? Also what size would I need for my motor?

 

Other than that I am well impressed with its towing performance.

 

Thanks.

Yes they will help. 

They have done exactly what they are designed to do for decades now. 

 

Some will say no way.   Try a search / google.  briskoda grayston spring assisters      there are several threads in different forums.

 

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/493891-rear-spring-assisters-upgrade

 

I think I will give them a try. Just need to find out what size I need now?

Grayson spring assisters will increase the rear unladen ride height, make the ride harder, and cause premature breakage of the rear springs. It really is quite an unpleasant bodge.

 

The premature breakage is caused by a section of the spring being prevented from flexing. This causes the rest of the spring to overflex, thereby causing metal fatigue and the resultant premature breakage.

 

Grayson spring assisters

 

Copied from demon-tweeks

The Grayston Spring Assisters give springs a helping hand when lugging loads. Designed as a temporary help for rear springs when carrying heavier loads than normal or when towing, they are progressive in operation and provide extra support to keep vehicles more level and stop wheels catching arches.

They have been designed to be fitted by the normal DIY motorist and can just take a few minutes without any need for special tools - simply jack up the car, fit in between the spring gaps and carefully lower back to the ground.

Choose the correct size to fit the spring gap (measured in the middle of the spring when vehicle is jacked up):

GE13  Suits 18 to 25mm gap
GE14  Suits 26 to 38mm gap
GE15  Suits 39 to 51mm gap
GE15A Suits 51 to 65mm gap

Supplied individually (one required for each spring).

https://www.demon-tweeks.com/grayston-spring-assister-277238/?sku=GRYGE14&istCompanyId=a2904180-3a7d-4e56-b876-cf81c9512180&istFeedId=6fbc4b04-fd28-4ce1-8513-835c8f118690&istItemId=wptppxmlr&istBid=t&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpd_xrtjQ-AIVjN_tCh2qvw1nEAQYASABEgL3oPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

It's much better to select the correct springs for the load you wish to carry.

 

If you currently have rear springs with OEM part number 5Q0511121AF, then going up one level to 5Q0511121AG would make the rear springs a little bit stiffer.

 

Rear springs for Octavia MK3 with standard ride height

(1)	5Q0 511 121 AF	coil spring		2	PR-1JA+0YF
(1)	5Q0 511 121 AG	coil spring		2	PR-1JA+0YG
(1)	5Q0 511 121 AH	coil spring		2	PR-1JA+0YH

https://skoda.7zap.com/en/cz/octavia/oct/2016-753/5/511-511000/

 

Eibach R19354 5Q0511121AF

Length 347mm, Wire diameter 11.5mm

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/eibach/17876014

 

Eibach R17296 5Q0511121AG

Length 348mm, Wire diameter 11.75mm

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/eibach/18112497

 

Edited 28 June, 20223 yr by Carlston

@Carlston Have you seen these prematurely broken springs that had the spring assisters fitted.  

Is this at someplace you work at and have vehicles in requiring replacements.

 

Over 4 decades i have driven quite a few vehicles with them fitted to tow various stuff, boats, caravans, horseboxes etc.  No broken springs though.

 

I have had broken springs on different cars / 4x4s over the years that had not Spring Assiters fitted, 

 

.............

Extreme Challenge Springs that had just been abused too often and left in the elements with salt on etc.

Edited 28 June, 20223 yr by roottoot

36 minutes ago, Carlston said:

Grayson spring assisters will increase the rear unladen ride height, make the ride harder, and cause premature breakage of the rear springs. It really is quite an unpleasant bodge.

 

The premature breakage is caused by a section of the spring being prevented from flexing. This causes the rest of the spring to overflex, thereby causing metal fatigue and the resultant premature breakage.

 

 

What a load of codswallop... 

 

We has spring assitors on the back or our mkii Octavia 4x4 Estate for 13 years with no problems and no broken springs.

 

Tbey firmed the back end up nicely and made a big difference to stability and clearance when usi g a tow bar mounted bike rack with four bikes on it. 

 

For the money they cost they were great and I'd recommend them. 

Edited 28 June, 20223 yr by skomaz

Surely they wouldn't be able to market such a product if it could cause springs to break? I mean that could be catastrophic with a caravan in tow. 

@Dupont 

I would get on and get them ordered and read reviews and warnings etc. 

 

Lets see who comes along.  

Maybe people that have had them on cars, towed, had issues and breakages we will get to know their experience with them. 

Maybe a mechanic or engineer that has seen these broken springs. 

 

 

 

Edited 28 June, 20223 yr by roottoot

25 minutes ago, roottoot said:

@Dupont 

I would get on and get them ordered and read reviews and warnings etc. 

 

Lets see who comes along.  

Maybe people that have had them on cars, towed, had issues and breakages we will get to know their experience with them. 

Maybe a mechanic or engineer that has seen these broken springs. 

 

 

 

Will do. I have emailed Grayston to see if they can tell me what size I need. 

Gonna throw something out there.

 

The chance of a spring failure with these is similar to a bearing failure with spacers.

14 minutes ago, MarkyG82 said:

Gonna throw something out there.

 

The chance of a spring failure with these is similar to a bearing failure with spacers.

Do bearings fail with spacers? 

As much as springs fail with assisters.

9 minutes ago, MarkyG82 said:

As much as springs fail with assisters.

I am none the wiser. 

There are stories out there about wheel bearing failures caused by wheel spacers. The idea is it puts added stress on the bearing. If you put really big spacers on it would probably be a thing but most people don't go more than 20mm which is generally within the normal width of the wheel. Hence no-one has actually seen a failure caused by a spacer.

 

That brings me to my comparison with the spring assisters. From a technical point of view they add stress to the springs but there are plenty people who have used them and few (if any) reports of spring failures due to them being fitted.

 

At risk of being told my neighbours are about to catch fire, I have assisters fitted on all 4 springs at the mo in an attempt to simulate how it would feel with lowering springs. Only been a few days but it feels great and I have checked them a few times. Crack on I say. Oh yeah I have spacers fitted too.

4 minutes ago, MarkyG82 said:

There are stories out there about wheel bearing failures caused by wheel spacers. The idea is it puts added stress on the bearing. If you put really big spacers on it would probably be a thing but most people don't go more than 20mm which is generally within the normal width of the wheel. Hence no-one has actually seen a failure caused by a spacer.

 

That brings me to my comparison with the spring assisters. From a technical point of view they add stress to the springs but there are plenty people who have used them and few (if any) reports of spring failures due to them being fitted.

 

At risk of being told my neighbours are about to catch fire, I have assisters fitted on all 4 springs at the mo in an attempt to simulate how it would feel with lowering springs. Only been a few days but it feels great and I have checked them a few times. Crack on I say. Oh yeah I have spacers fitted too.

Ok. I think I will just get my local mechanic to fit them on the back for me. 

I fitted them on the back in probably 2 minutes each side including jacking up. Really easy job.

 

Demon Tweeks have admitted that the Grayson spring assistors are only for temporary use when they said:

 

"The Grayston Spring Assisters give springs a helping hand when lugging loads. Designed as a temporary help for rear springs when carrying heavier loads than normal or when towing, they are progressive in operation and provide extra support to keep vehicles more level and stop wheels catching arches."

 

I would have used the words "temporary bodge" rather than "temporary help", but that's marketing people for you.

 

The worst part about them is how much harder they make the spring. If your rear springs have eight coil turns, then these Grayston spring assistors might make two of those eight coil turns uncompressable, resulting in a massive 33% increase in stiffness. Your rear seat passengers won't be happy, if they are the sort that like a comfortable ride.

19 minutes ago, MarkyG82 said:

I fitted them on the back in probably 2 minutes each side including jacking up. Really easy job.

 

Can you fit them anywhere on spring or does it need to be in a certain place like top or bottom? 

I used them on my MK1 Octy estate absolutely no problems, I fitted them at the mid point of the springs, the other type you could look for are the inflatable balloons that go inside the coils, you pump them up when towing and deflate when not 

12 minutes ago, Carlston said:

Demon Tweeks have admitted that the Grayson spring assistors are only for temporary use when they said:

 

"The Grayston Spring Assisters give springs a helping hand when lugging loads. Designed as a temporary help for rear springs when carrying heavier loads than normal or when towing, they are progressive in operation and provide extra support to keep vehicles more level and stop wheels catching arches."

 

I would have used the words "temporary bodge" rather than "temporary help", but that's marketing people for you.

 

The worst part about them is how much harder they make the spring. If your rear springs have eight coil turns, then these Grayston spring assistors might make two of those eight coil turns uncompressable, resulting in a massive 33% increase in stiffness. Your rear seat passengers won't be happy, if they are the sort that like a comfortable ride.

 

They usually affect just over one coil maybe 1.5 coils tops.  And they do not make the coil uncompressible as they are rubber and therefore do compress themselves. In terms of stiffness they probably add about 10% to 12%.

 

My take on the wording is temporary as most people do not tow on every journey and because they can be fitted and removed relatively easily and do not constitute a more permanent change like stiffer springs ormad helper springs would. 

Edited 28 June, 20223 yr by skomaz

6 minutes ago, Dupont said:

Can you fit them anywhere on spring or does it need to be in a certain place like top or bottom? 

 

I fitted them midpoint on both sides but made sure they were not contacting anything else. 

3 minutes ago, skomaz said:

 

I fitted them midpoint on both sides but made sure they were not contacting anything else. 

Do you find your back end sits a bit higher with them? 

What @skomazsaid. I fitted them nearer the bottom partly because it was easier to get to.  And yes it sits a touch higher. No more than half an inch.

I don't like them from an engineering standpoint, and in those terms they are definitely a bodge, there are much better, appropriate, even elegant solutions out there.

 

Grayston make helper springs, a secondary coil spring that fits inside the existing one, I used them for 13 years on my MK1 Octavia and they were great, they are also simplicity itself to fit, as easy as changing a rear spring which is dead simple.

 

And on that note, had I known then about the range of springs fitted, their colour codes etc and also just how much the OE springs sag with age I would have fitted new uprated versions from Lesjofors which is what I have done on my MK2 Octavia and the Yeti.

 

It sounds like the OP's springs are already sagging, fitting spacers between the coils really is not a good idea in that instance, the springs once sagging break rapidly enough on their own without assistance, all of my Skoda have had multiple broken springs, touch wood the Lesjofors replacements have not to date.

 

There are aftermarket "airbag" type spring assistors that can be inflated up for towing, I never found anything available for my Octavias or Yeti though, hopefully someone will know different.

 

Finally the best I have ever experienced, the simplest and most user friendly came as standard on all my Sierra Estates (in Ghia and 4x4 trim) they had Boge self levelling struts, I think they were integral with the rear dampers or maybe it was seperate, they would "pump up" with the spring deflection when heavily loaded or in my case suicidally overloaded and bring the car back to level, I could load the thing with concrete blocks, bags of sand, cement, whatever until it was dragging its ar5e like a dog with worms, right down on the bump stops, drive it a few yards over a few bumps and it would come level again, also the suspension was never stiff or harsh loaded or unloaded.

 

Its a shame no manufacturer fits them nowadays or that they are not available as an aftermarket fitment.

46 minutes ago, Dupont said:

Do you find your back end sits a bit higher with them? 

 

Possibly the slightest amount (I can't remember what the difference in wheel centre to wheel arch measurement was) but not really discernible and I didn't need to adjust the headlights so it can't have been anything worth bothering about.