So, after a lot of searching, and a couple of bum-clenching clicks ordering from places I'd never heard of, I have everything I need... Except a day off without rain to do the work!

 

AutoDoc have been great - not the quickest but prices (on a Monday with the 40% discount) are insane and easily better than anywhere else. Everything I've ordered, has been delivered. No substitutions, no mistakes. The only hiccup is that they mark orders as picked up by the courier several days before the courier actually collects them.

 

The ARB was from a site called MLPerformance, another one I'd never heard of but it was 15% cheaper than anywhere else, and when I got the dispatch notifications, it actually came from Euro Car Parts. Don't know if anyone else has noticed this, but in the leaflet with the ARB, it specifically says their TUV approval only counts if you fit front and back. Strange when it's such a common job. 

 

Anyway, next thread  when it's all done with before & after pics!

That’ll be a nice few days work! GL with that and LF to the thread.
Be interesting if you were to take a few pics to show the replacement process of the kit, especially the shocks. 

2 minutes ago, numskull said:

That’ll be a nice few days work! GL with that and LF to the thread.
Be interesting if you were to take a few pics to show the replacement process of the kit, especially the shocks. 

 

Thanks - I'm hoping just one day, if the weather will hold out... Not a guaranteed option in Englad in the summer 🤣

 

There's loads of DIY threads and YT videos already. Anything you especially wanted a picture of that hasn't already been covered?

@parapaul

please share part codes and view from side after instll

 

3 hours ago, parapaul said:

There's loads of DIY threads and YT videos already.

Yeah, but it’s good to have those “real” ones, where the person undertaking the work can show the “real” time it takes, the pitfalls when removing the OE kit, installing the new and how to avoid loosing a thumb along the way etc. 

Edited 13 July, 20232 yr by numskull
Butterfinger speliks

Links to the websites will be amazing

 

My autodoc order took a full 2 weeks to arrive from ordering. 1 week spent processing, picking, waiting for pickup. Then 4 days after courier picked up with courier (evri) saying awaiting pickup lol. 

 

Good prices, OK for not in a hurry stuff. 

 

Have fun with the install!

@parapaul exciting times, lots of goodies there!

Very similar if not the same as I am intending to do to my 280 estate. Is yours the estate or the hatch?

 

Just getting some other work done first before getting the suspension done.

 

I got the ARB from ML also, it came from ECP. Autodoc delivered most parts but did substitute a filter and made a complete mess of a return that was their fault as a short ship.

 

Good luck with the upgrades and looking forward to hearing about it all.

4 hours ago, Bobodaclown said:

@parapaul exciting times, lots of goodies there!

Very similar if not the same as I am intending to do to my 280 estate. Is yours the estate or the hatch?

Mine is the 272 hatch 👍

1 hour ago, parapaul said:

Mine is the 272 hatch 👍

Ahhh lovely.

Excited to hear your thoughts on the work and the changes the upgrades make to the car.

So, almost a month later, I finally had a day off when it wasn't chucking down with rain. Only managed to get the rear end done (RARB, dampers & springs) because of an equipment failure halfway through, and had to wait for the wife to come home so I could use her car to nip to Halfords.

 

Anyway, thoughts on the install so far:

 

Doing ANYTHING on your driveway is instantly more difficult than doing the same job on a ramp. Even with axle stands at maximum height there was barely enough room to work. 

 

WD40 is absolutely no match for 5 years' worth of corrosion. Despite soaking and waiting, soaking and waiting, one of the ARB link nuts was so tight that it snapped my spanner rather than loosen. When I replaced the spanner, it was still so tight that the threaded part (which you're supposed to use a spline bit to stabilise) split before the nut budged. Tried to cut it off but whatever they're made from defeated my blades. Had to remove the ARB with one of the links still attached. Luckily I'd planned to replace them so it didn't matter.

 

The RARB DIY videos and threads say dropping the exhaust is an option. No, it isn't. Without dropping the exhaust there is absolutely no way you'll have enough room to swap it out. I had bought an exhaust hanger removal tool specially for this, but that was useless - on mine the hangers are so close to the spare wheel well that the tool wouldn't fit around them. Fortunately, the rearmost hangers are bolted through to the boot floor, and removing the bolts was easy. That gave just enough play in the exhaust to get the ARB out, and the new one back in. Refitting the bolts was just as easy as taking them out. 

 

Because I'd replaced the ARB as well as dampers and springs, everything was undone. When I came to put it back together, rightly or wrongly, the ARB links were the last part I tightened. Annoyingly, the coils of the Eibach springs are spaced just different enough the the OEM ones that it's virtually impossible to fit any kind of bit into the threaded part to stabilise it as you tighten the nut. So, the nuts are on but I have no way of knowing if they're anywhere close to the 50Nm torque they're supposed to be. 

 

Car is in the bodyshop for a couple of days now having some pre-booked work done, but I hope to finish the front end by the end of this week...

 

 

10 minutes ago, parapaul said:

So, almost a month later, I finally had a day off when it wasn't chucking down with rain. Only managed to get the rear end done (RARB, dampers & springs) because of an equipment failure halfway through, and had to wait for the wife to come home so I could use her car to nip to Halfords.

 

Anyway, thoughts on the install so far:

 

Doing ANYTHING on your driveway is instantly more difficult than doing the same job on a ramp. Even with axle stands at maximum height there was barely enough room to work. 

 

WD40 is absolutely no match for 5 years' worth of corrosion. Despite soaking and waiting, soaking and waiting, one of the ARB link nuts was so tight that it snapped my spanner rather than loosen. When I replaced the spanner, it was still so tight that the threaded part (which you're supposed to use a spline bit to stabilise) split before the nut budged. Tried to cut it off but whatever they're made from defeated my blades. Had to remove the ARB with one of the links still attached. Luckily I'd planned to replace them so it didn't matter.

 

The RARB DIY videos and threads say dropping the exhaust is an option. No, it isn't. Without dropping the exhaust there is absolutely no way you'll have enough room to swap it out. I had bought an exhaust hanger removal tool specially for this, but that was useless - on mine the hangers are so close to the spare wheel well that the tool wouldn't fit around them. Fortunately, the rearmost hangers are bolted through to the boot floor, and removing the bolts was easy. That gave just enough play in the exhaust to get the ARB out, and the new one back in. Refitting the bolts was just as easy as taking them out. 

 

Because I'd replaced the ARB as well as dampers and springs, everything was undone. When I came to put it back together, rightly or wrongly, the ARB links were the last part I tightened. Annoyingly, the coils of the Eibach springs are spaced just different enough the the OEM ones that it's virtually impossible to fit any kind of bit into the threaded part to stabilise it as you tighten the nut. So, the nuts are on but I have no way of knowing if they're anywhere close to the 50Nm torque they're supposed to be. 

 

Car is in the bodyshop for a couple of days now having some pre-booked work done, but I hope to finish the front end by the end of this week...

 

 

 Sounds like it's been a right mare so far, these things never seem to go as planned(I'm not helping here anymore I) Good luck with the front.🤞

As you’ve found WD40 is absolutely useless as a dismantling fluid. Plus gas is much better option.

Bit delayed updating this - did the fronts then went on holiday for a week  I ended up doing them on the hottest day for bloody weeks, which didn't help my temper! Anyway, it went pretty much* as per the DIY threads.

 

I bought a knuckle spreader on Amazon for a few quid which worked a treat.

The 2x4 method for removing the strut worked well. 

 

*Refitting was not the reverse of removal... All the DIY threads and videos I'd seen just casually said you can compress the new spring a bit by hand to get the mount back on. Not with shorter shocks, you can't! Good job I had a set of spring compressors or that would have been a complete disaster.

 

But, it's all done and it's an absolute dream to drive now. Really proves just how bad the OEM dampers are!

Before & after pictures. Barely noticeable drop which is exactly what I hoped for. 

Before & after again.

12mm spacers fill the arches just right, with no rubbing. I probably could have done 15mm but I use the car for towing and disn't want to risk it.

This is great and makes me regret my choice of shocks. Slightly different car but I have 20mm spacers on the rear with 9 wide rims and they fit just right. 12mm on the front for rubbing prevention.

6 hours ago, MarkyG82 said:

This is great and makes me regret my choice of shocks. Slightly different car but I have 20mm spacers on the rear with 9 wide rims and they fit just right. 12mm on the front for rubbing prevention.

How on gods earth are you running 9 inch rims and 20mm spacers on the rear and not having them protrude out?  What tyres you running on these also?  No scrubbing?  Do you have OEM springs?

14 hours ago, parapaul said:

 

Can you show a shot like this with the "after" please?

My mistake. They are 8.5. Can only suggest they are higher offset. Got them on eibach pro springs so roughly 25mm drop. Just looked for a photo that I was sure I had but don't. I'll try get one today. It's definitely snug.

Tyres are 235/40/19 Goodyear eagle 6.

Edited 7 September, 20232 yr by MarkyG82

2 hours ago, MarkyG82 said:

My mistake. They are 8.5. Can only suggest they are higher offset. Got them on eibach pro springs so roughly 25mm drop. Just looked for a photo that I was sure I had but don't. I'll try get one today. It's definitely snug.

Tyres are 235/40/19 Goodyear eagle 6.

Can you please advise ET of the 8.5 inch rims......I'm guessing it's over 45.

I'll see what I can do.  Don't have any pics of the beck side so will have to either reach round ( 🙂 ) or remove a wheel.  If you can wait a few weeks I'll be swapping out for my winter wheels and can look then.

I think the ideal offset would be around ET30 as Im running 10mm spacers on coilovers aswell.  I may upgrade to 15mm spacer and see how it looks. 

This is mine with 10mm spacers at the rear, 19x8 ET44

 

...and 12mm spacers on the front 

Here's some pics.  Please ignore the state of the car.  Its' in desperate need of attention with a mitt.

 

The rear is more flush than it looks in the photo.  Maybe is a little protruding.  Front is probably in as far as the rear is out but its looks even in real life unless you get to the camera angle here.  Still need to double check the offset.  The slight rear protrusion is compensated for by the movements of the suspension as the wheel comes in as it compresses.

Thanks. I would say the rears are protruding looking at that last pic. 
 

also didn’t realise you weren’t talking about a superb.