The broken rear springs need to be changed, so I wonder if I should change the shocks at the same time?

I'm thinking of bilstein and sachs

Any recommendations? I just want comfort🙂 Phil

Almost certainly worth doing dampers as well. Have a read here too: https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/479907-rear-suspension-information/

Thanks, just took a look at the topic, it could just as easily be about quantum physics 😂😂

So, using the "suspension for dummies" method: as the car rides fine at the moment, instead of going to a dealer and buying the oem shocks and springs, what aftermarket alternatives would you recommend for the same or improved comfort?

There's plenty of makes to choose from, but I only know a few of them, like Bilstein and Sachs, so confusion is alive and well in my head🥴😁😁 Phil

I bought a set of Monroe shocks some months ago and they are doing fine. Original I had Sachs fitted bit these were not available at that time.

Kilen and Lesjofors (same springs) list the following rear springs for the Superb MK2 170HP.

As you can see below, the rear springs vary depending whether it's hatchback or estate, front wheel drive or 4x4, standard ride height or increased ride height. If the car has a factory fitted towbar, it may have left the factory with a reinforced (stiffer) version of the rear spring compared to a similar model that left the factory without a factory fitted towbar.

Note that just because these rear springs are listed in the Kilen and Lesjofors spring catalogues, what the car left the factory with can sometimes be different. So cross reference the car's build codes with the Skoda parts catalogue, or find someone with ETKA who can let you know what rear springs the car left the factory with by cross referencing the car's VIN number with the ETKA database.

The Skoda parts catalogue often lists the colour codes against the rear spring. So that's another way of finding out what rear springs are fitted. For example, the rear spring with build code 1K0511115BH has one white paint mark and two orange paint marks, as shown in the chart below.

Rear spring 1JA

1K0511115BH

One white paint mark Two orange paint marks

0YD

There's a seller on ebay who can supply all of the car's build codes for 3.00 Euros (about £2.50). Search "skoda vin decoder" on ebay to find the listing.

Superb MK2 2.0TDI 170HP front wheel drive hatchback (standard ride height)

1K0511115BH

Superb MK2 2.0TDI 170HP 4x4 hatchback (standard ride height)

1K0511115BM

Superb MK2 2.0TDI 170HP front wheel drive estate (standard ride height)

1K0511115DF

Superb MK2 2.0TDI 170HP 4x4 estate (standard ride height)

3C0511115AF

Superb MK2 2.0TDI 170HP 4x4 estate (standard ride height - reinforced version)

1K0511115CG

Superb MK2 2.0TDI 170HP 4x4 estate (increased ride height)

1K0511115CT

Kilen online spring catalogue

https://www.kilensprings.com/springs-catalouges/onlinecatalogue.asp

Skoda parts catalogue

https://www.lllparts.co.uk/catalogs

Edited 4 March, 20251 yr by Carlston

On 02/03/2025 at 12:04, Flatters said:

Thanks, just took a look at the topic, it could just as easily be about quantum physics 😂😂

So, using the "suspension for dummies" method: as the car rides fine at the moment, instead of going to a dealer and buying the oem shocks and springs, what aftermarket alternatives would you recommend for the same or improved comfort?

There's plenty of makes to choose from, but I only know a few of them, like Bilstein and Sachs, so confusion is alive and well in my head🥴😁😁 Phil

Is it a hatch or combi? Do you know what weight range is fitted (look on the build label for a code starting with 0Y)? Have you had problems with the rear sagging? (Most owners do) Is it original or facelift?

Once we know this information we can drill down to some specific recommendations quite quickly.

Thanks for all the replies. Never realised how complicated these are🙂

It's an estate on 12 plate.

Not noticed any sagging

I'll get under and see what the colours are on the spings

So, the colours are white, orange, orange, orange, orange

Ok, that's White, Orange, Orange, Orange, Brown which indicates weight range 5. No wonder it broke. I'd suggest going to weight range 8 or 9 at least.

Thanks, would that suggest someone has changed them before and got it wrong?

1 white dot, 3 orange dots, and 1 brown dot means that it's 1K0511115DE which is what gknautomotive list in their spring catalogue for the Superb MK2 2.0TDI 170HP front wheel drive estate, so it's likely to be the model of spring that was fitted in the factory.

Kilen 65056 matches 1K0511115DE

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204000988707

1K0511115DE springs listed on autodoc

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/car-parts/oem/1k0511115de?supplier%5B%5D=246&supplier%5B%5D=253&supplier%5B%5D=32

Thanks for all the help. One further thing. I always thought the car sat high, 50mm at the rear, about 60mm at the front (though it's currently parked rear downwards on a slight slope)

Superb MK2 Estate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%A0koda_Superb

Edited 8 March, 20251 yr by Carlston

Ok, thanks for the help, and everyone else, that's good news🙂

17 hours ago, Flatters said:

Thanks for all the help. One further thing. I always thought the car sat high, 50mm at the rear, about 60mm at the front (though it's currently parked rear downwards on a slight slope)

The thread I linked above includes the ride height spec, and how to check it. Skoda fitted very weak rear springs and shocks from the factory on most cars, and they pretty much always sag at the rear. I'd suggest going to at least weight range 10 if you're replacing everything anyway.

If you want to go stiffer than the weight range 5 rear spring, then weight range 6 is one up in the hierarchy, weight range 10 is two up in the hierarchy, weight range 7 is three up in the hierarchy, weight range 8 is four up in the hierarchy, weight range 9 is five up in the hierarchy, and weight range 14 is six up in the hierarchy...as shown in the chart below.

The below wire diameters and spring lengths should only be considered approximate because different brands will often have slightly different ideas of what the specification of individual springs should be. However, the numbers given do illustrate the hierarchy of the springs.

VW Codes Decoder

0YB = Weight range 2

0YC = Weight range 3

0YD = Weight range 4

0YE = Weight range 5

0YF = Weight range 6

0YK = Weight range 10

0YG = Weight range 7

0YH = Weight range 8

0YJ = Weight range 9

0YP = Weight range 14

Superb MK2 rear springs 1JA = standard ride height

	1K0511115BF	0YB				Wire diameter 11.75mm Length 354mm
	1K0511115BG	0YC				Wire diameter 11.75mm Length 360mm
	1K0511115BH	0YD				Wire diameter 12mm Length 364mm
	1K0511115DE	0YE				Wire diameter 12.25mm Length 362mm
	1K0511115DF	0YF				Wire diameter 12.5mm Length 359mm
	1K0511115BL	0YK				Wire diameter 12.5mm Length 365mm
	3C0511115AF	0YG				Wire diameter 12.75mm Length 358mm
	3C0511115AG	0YH				Wire diameter 12.75mm Length 362mm
	3C0511115AH	0YJ				Wire diameter 13mm Length 364mm
	3C0511115AJ	0YP				Wire diameter 13.25mm Length 358mm

Edited 9 March, 20251 yr by Carlston

4 hours ago, Carlston said:

If you want to go stiffer than the weight range 5 rear spring, then weight range 6 is one up in the hierarchy, weight range 10 is two up in the hierarchy, weight range 7 is three up in the hierarchy, weight range 8 is four up in the hierarchy, weight range 9 is five up in the hierarchy, and weight range 14 is six up in the hierarchy...as shown in the chart below.

The below wire diameters and spring lengths should only be considered approximate because different brands will often have slightly different ideas of what the specification of individual springs should be. However, the numbers given do illustrate the hierarchy of the springs.

VW Codes Decoder

0YB = Weight range 2

0YC = Weight range 3

0YD = Weight range 4

0YE = Weight range 5

0YF = Weight range 6

0YK = Weight range 10

0YG = Weight range 7

0YH = Weight range 8

0YJ = Weight range 9

0YP = Weight range 14

Superb MK2 rear springs 1JA = standard ride height

	1K0511115BF	0YB				Wire diameter 11.75mm Length 354mm
	1K0511115BG	0YC				Wire diameter 11.75mm Length 360mm
	1K0511115BH	0YD				Wire diameter 12mm Length 364mm
	1K0511115DE	0YE				Wire diameter 12.25mm Length 362mm
	1K0511115DF	0YF				Wire diameter 12.5mm Length 359mm
	1K0511115BL	0YK				Wire diameter 12.5mm Length 365mm
	3C0511115AF	0YG				Wire diameter 12.75mm Length 358mm
	3C0511115AG	0YH				Wire diameter 12.75mm Length 362mm
	3C0511115AH	0YJ				Wire diameter 13mm Length 364mm
	3C0511115AJ	0YP				Wire diameter 13.25mm Length 358mm

Weight range 6 is too soft for the combi, end of story. Pretty much everyone here who has had issues with sagging and broken springs is on weight range 6. Weight range 10 is a good compromise for OP if they're worried about comfort.

And no, 10 is not two up, it's 5 up from WR 5. Spring diameter is not the only thing that determines spring stiffness and load bearing capacity.

Edited 9 March, 20251 yr by chimaera

56 minutes ago, chimaera said:

...And no, 10 is not two up, it's 5 up from WR 5...

In the Skoda parts catalogue, Skoda have clearly listed all these ten springs in their natural hierarchy.

In order for your simple arithmetic to work, you need to relabel the 0YE and 0YK springs 4th and 6th springs. Then 6-4=2, ie. two up in the hierarchy.

My comments are about explaining the hierarchy, not recommending any particular spring in the hierarchy.

It's worth noting that the Octavia MK2 uses six of these springs that the Superb MK2 uses, as shown in the chart below. Notice that on the Octavia MK2 Skoda have given each of these six springs two weight ranges. Which weight range is relevant for each car depends on when the car was manufactured.

Notice that the Superb MK2 weight range 10 spring is either a weight range 9 or a weight range 11 spring on the Octavia MK2.

Also notice, that the Superb MK2 weight range 5 spring is either a weight range 7 or a weight range 9 spring on the Octavia MK2.

Conclusion...the 1K0511115BL spring is two up in the hierarchy compared to the 1K0511115DE spring on both the Superb MK2 and the Octavia MK2.

Superb MK2 rear springs

1K0511115BF 0YB

1K0511115BG 0YC

1K0511115BH 0YD

1K0511115DE 0YE

1K0511115DF 0YF

1K0511115BL 0YK

Octavia MK2 rear springs

1K0511115BF 0YD 0YF

1K0511115BG 0YE 0YG

1K0511115BH 0YF 0YH

1K0511115DE 0YG 0YJ

1K0511115DF 0YH 0YK

1K0511115BL 0YJ 0YL

Edited 9 March, 20251 yr by Carlston

On 03/03/2025 at 09:12, Agent327 said:

I bought a set of Monroe shocks some months ago and they are doing fine. Original I had Sachs fitted bit these were not available at that time.

I'd be very disappointed if I could feel deterioration in just a few months!

I used Monroe for mine as I'm a pretty steady driver.