I've been researching what shocks would fit my 2011 Superb 3T5 and i got very very confused. Looks like there is little to no choice of brands, it's either VW original or very unpopular TRW. Who has dealt with this "rough road" package and what shocks did you use? The OEM costs a fortune, i was looking to buy Sachs, KYB or Bilstein. Please advise

On 14/05/2024 at 18:54, mikees said:

I've been researching what shocks would fit my 2011 Superb 3T5 and i got very very confused. Looks like there is little to no choice of brands, it's either VW original or very unpopular TRW. Who has dealt with this "rough road" package and what shocks did you use? The OEM costs a fortune, i was looking to buy Sachs, KYB or Bilstein.

 

What are the OEM part numbers of the front and rear shock absorbers?

 

Alternatively, what are the car's build codes?

 

There might be around 180 build codes for each VAG car, although the exact number might vary from car to car.

 

Example of a list of build codes for a VAG car

0A1 0AQ 0CL 0EM 0F3 0FB 0G4 0GE 0KA 0N2 0P0 0RA 0SC 0TA 0VF 0Y1 0YA 1AN 1C1 1D0 1E0 1EX 1G2 1JL 1KB 1L0 1LR 1N2 1NC 1PA 1Q0 1S7 1SA 1T0 1Z2 2B0 2C5 2D0 2G5 2JF 2LB 2P1 2PQ 2V1 2VG 2W0 2WA 3B0 3C1 3CA 3FA 3H3 3J7 3L0 3LC 3NB 3P6 3Q1 3U1 3ZB 4A0 4B1 4E5 4F1 4GF 4KC 4L2 4M5 4N2 4P2 4QV 4R0 4SC 4TC 4U0 4UE 4X1 4XC 4Z1 5A6 5C6 5D0 5K0 5N2 5RV 5SJ 5TC 6A0 6EA 6FA 6J1 6KA 6NA 6P1 6PA 6Q1 6QA 6R1 6SC 6U0 6W1 6XD 6Y0 7A0 7AA 7B0 7E6 7PA 7Q0 7QA 7R3 7V2 8AC 8BF 8CC 8GD 8K0 8L3 8M1 8N4 8P1 8Q1 8QC 8R1 8RE 8SG 8T0 8TD 8W0 8WA 8X0 8Y4 9AA 9E0 9FA 9GA 9JD 9P0 9PE 9Q0 9T0 9TC 9U1 9W0 A8C AC1 AZ0 B09 B0N C04 C0D E0A F0A G0C G10 GA0 H8P J0L K8G KG2 L05 L0R ME0 N4C NM1 PF0 PZ1 Q1A QA0 QG1 QJ0 QM1 QN0 QS0 RBA S0J T9V U0L V0A VK0

 

If you need your VAG car's build codes, there's a seller on ebay who can supply them for around 3 Euros. Search "skoda vin decoder" on ebay to find the listing.

 

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

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

 

Edited 15 May, 20242 yr by Carlston

3C0413031BA front axle

3C0513049BN rear axle

The issue is that i barely have aftermarket choice while OEMs are crazy expensive

On 15/05/2024 at 15:13, mikees said:

3C0413031BA front axle

3C0513049BN rear axle

The issue is that I barely have aftermarket choice while OEMs are crazy expensive

 

The below KYB shock absorbers are for the VW Passat B7 Alltrack. This car uses the same front and rear bump stops as the Superb MK2 4x4 with heavy duty suspension and the same or similar front springs as the Superb MK2 4x4 with heavy duty suspension. The rear springs on the VW Passat B7 Alltrack have a wire diameter about 0.75mm thicker than the Superb MK2 4x4 with heavy duty suspension and are about 10mm shorter, ie. the unladen ride height not the uncompressed length. This would probably make the rear springs on the Passat about 15% stiffer than the Superb, and give the Passat slightly better handling.

 

What are the OEM part numbers for your front and rear springs?

 

The below KYB shock absorbers fit the VW Passat B7 Alltrack, and I suspect they would fit the Superb MK2 4x4 with heavy duty suspension. Sachs front shock absorbers were listed on autodoc against all the OEM part numbers for the VW Passat B7 Alltrack, but the Sachs weren't listed for the rear...hence I've only shown KYB shock absorbers below.

 

KYB 335808 front shock absorbers (for VW Passat B7 Alltrack)

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/kyb/1737678?search=KYB+Shock+absorber+(335808)

 

KYB 3440042 rear shock absorbers (for VW Passat B7 Alltrack)

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/kyb/9604901?search=KYB+Shock+absorber+(3440042)

 

The KYB 335808 front shock absorbers are listed for the Superb MK2 with standard ride height, and many other VAG cars.

 

Edited 16 May, 20242 yr by Carlston

very odd, I've encountered article 335808  before but the 3440042 didn't pop up anywhere. I just googled and it says doesn't fit my Superb estate. But i will take your opinion into consideration. See below the OEM part numbers for springs

 

1K0511115CS rear axle spring

3C0411105AH front axle spring

Edited 16 May, 20242 yr by mikees

Read here:

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/479907-rear-suspension-information/

Someone with a Superb MK3 4x4 estate with increased ride height recently fitted the following Bilstein B6 shock absorbers. On the autodoc listings for these shock absorbers there is no mention of the Superb MK3, yet they fitted fine and performed slightly better than the original shock absorbers.

 

Bilstein B6 35-273806 front shock absorbers (for VW Passat B8 Alltrack)

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/bilstein/9612727#shock-absorber

 

Bilstein B6 24-267137 rear shock absorbers (for VW Passat B8 Alltrack)

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/bilstein/9350571#shock-absorber

 

KYB 3440042 rear shock absorbers are only listed for the two OEM part numbers that the VW Passat B7 Alltrack uses, and no other OEM part numbers...ie. 3AA513049M and 3AA513049N.

 

VW Passat B7 Alltrack parts catalogue

(7)  3AA513049M  Rear shock absorbers 0YC, 0YD, 0YE, 0YF, 0YG

(7)  3AA513049N  Rear shock absorbers 0YH, 0YJ, 0YK, 0YL

https://www.lllparts.co.uk/catalogs/vw/RDW/PA/702/5/511/511003

 

If you want to increase the stiffness of the front and rear springs to the stiffness of the VW Passat B7 Alltrack springs, the following springs might be suitable. 3C0411105AJ are the next up in the hierarchy compared to the 3C0411105AH that you currently have. 3Q0511115BA is a similar stiffness to 3C0511115BP that the VW Passat B7 Alltrack uses according to the Kilen spring catalogue. If you were to use the 3C0511115BP rear springs (from the VW Passat B7 Alltrack) you might find that the rear end drops by about 10mm...hence the benefit of using the slightly longer 3Q0511115BA springs (from the Superb MK3 estate 4x4 with increased ride height)...as those should keep the rear ride height the same as it is now.

 

Eibach R10791 front springs 3C0411105AJ (from Superb MK2 estate 4x4 with increased ride height and VW Passat B7 Alltrack)

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/eibach/15823537

 

Eibach R22931 rear springs 3Q0511115BA (from Superb MK3 estate 4x4 with increased ride height and VW Passat B7 Alltrack)

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/eibach/18259222

 

Edited 16 May, 20242 yr by Carlston

On 15/05/2024 at 15:13, mikees said:

3C0413031BA front axle

3C0513049BN rear axle

The issue is that i barely have aftermarket choice while OEMs are crazy expensive

From that part number, you have one of weight range 1-6 installed on the 1JB package.

 

The spring P/N you noted above is not specified with that damper in any of the manufacturer's configurations. That spring is listed for weight range 7 (0YG) with damper P/N 3C0 513 049 BP.

 

In the table I prepared in the linked thread above, I included a list of the paint codes for each spring P/N so you could check yours against that.

 

The component manufacturers usually have a parr number cross reference or lookup. I'm wary of trusting the likes of Autodoc as I have seen errors there at times, especially on something like this where there are multiple configurations - they might just list the most common one as compatible with all models because most consumers won't be able to spot the difference in part numbers.

12 hours ago, Carlston said:

Someone with a Superb MK3 4x4 estate with increased ride height recently fitted the following Bilstein B6 shock absorbers. On the autodoc listings for these shock absorbers there is no mention of the Superb MK3, yet they fitted fine and performed slightly better than the original shock absorbers.

 

Bilstein B6 35-273806 front shock absorbers (for VW Passat B8 Alltrack)

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/bilstein/9612727#shock-absorber

 

Bilstein B6 24-267137 rear shock absorbers (for VW Passat B8 Alltrack)

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/bilstein/9350571#shock-absorber

 

KYB 3440042 rear shock absorbers are only listed for the two OEM part numbers that the VW Passat B7 Alltrack uses, and no other OEM part numbers...ie. 3AA513049M and 3AA513049N.

 

VW Passat B7 Alltrack parts catalogue

(7)  3AA513049M  Rear shock absorbers 0YC, 0YD, 0YE, 0YF, 0YG

(7)  3AA513049N  Rear shock absorbers 0YH, 0YJ, 0YK, 0YL

https://www.lllparts.co.uk/catalogs/vw/RDW/PA/702/5/511/511003

 

If you want to increase the stiffness of the front and rear springs to the stiffness of the VW Passat B7 Alltrack springs, the following springs might be suitable. 3C0411105AJ are the next up in the hierarchy compared to the 3C0411105AH that you currently have. 3Q0511115BA is a similar stiffness to 3C0511115BP that the VW Passat B7 Alltrack uses according to the Kilen spring catalogue. If you were to use the 3C0511115BP rear springs (from the VW Passat B7 Alltrack) you might find that the rear end drops by about 10mm...hence the benefit of using the slightly longer 3Q0511115BA springs (from the Superb MK3 estate 4x4 with increased ride height)...as those should keep the rear ride height the same as it is now.

 

Eibach R10791 front springs 3C0411105AJ (from Superb MK2 estate 4x4 with increased ride height and VW Passat B7 Alltrack)

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/eibach/15823537

 

Eibach R22931 rear springs 3Q0511115BA (from Superb MK3 estate 4x4 with increased ride height and VW Passat B7 Alltrack)

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/eibach/18259222

 

The Superb 2 is based on the B6 platform, not B7 (or B8 for that matter), so it's quite likely that B7/8 parts either won't fit at all, or will be incorrectly specified for the B6. Unless you have documentation from Skoda/VW that the geometry was unchanged from B6 to B7 this is bad advice, especially when there's a significant cost involved.

 

Also, Bilstein B6 dampers are really stiff (I have them on my Porsche 944 so I speak from experience), as they are aimed at drivers looking for a more sporty drive. A lot of drivers would find them uncomfortable.

Edited 17 May, 20242 yr by chimaera

On 17/05/2024 at 09:51, chimaera said:

Bilstein B6 dampers are really stiff (I have them on my Porsche 944 so I speak from experience), as they are aimed at drivers looking for a more sporty drive. A lot of drivers would find them uncomfortable.

 

Someone recently fitted Bilstein B6 shock absorbers from the VW Passat B8 Alltrack to their Superb MK3 2.0TSI 272HP/280HP 4x4 estate with increased ride height...and they weren't stiff at all...in fact they were very comfortable. So that generalisation about Biltstein B6 always being stiff isn't always correct.