[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by evil_grin

So here's what I've decided. Wait for the the stock dampers to wear out. Then replace with RS 245 dampers, if available, else Bilstein B6. It that solves it, great. Otherwise, change the springs to RS 245 as well.

I expect the stock dampers to wear out after around 80k km, which is around 35k km and a little over 2 years away.

The difference between RS245 OEM dampers and 1.8 TSI OEM dampers is marginal at best. You will not notice the difference and you may regret it.

In fact, the dampers usually run very similar and possibly identical dampers, just valved a little differently to ensure it works with the RS-spec springs, mounts, bushes, ARBs, etc. which are all mildly different from the OEM parts in the 1.8 TSI. All these components work together cohesively. I am not sure if they work well on a stand-alone basis.

If you want a significant improvement or even a perceptible difference in damping performance, Bilstein B6 is the only way to go.

We have RS230 dampers and springs on our Octavia and the difference is not perceptible.

Avoid Koni yellow (adjustable) as it is extremely difficult to get the setting right and it is likely that you will keep fiddling with the adjuster without any results.

Koni reds (fixed damping) are better, but Koni has very little in terms of after sales service or support in India. Bilstein on the other hand is fairly established.

[badri13nath]

Originally Posted by sunikkat

I got it from Pete’s Cochin as they are the official dealers for Bilstein in India. But I am sure guys at Engineering Exponent, Code6 etc in Bangalore can source them too.

Thanks @Sunikkat. I have reached out to Pete's and am awaiting for their confirmation on availability as well as price.

[evil_grin]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

The difference between RS245 OEM dampers and 1.8 TSI OEM dampers is marginal at best. You will not notice the difference and you may regret it.

Thank you so much! Your post has been tremendously helpful. I found the RS 245 suspension to be the perfect balance between comfort and handling. I thought that since dampers and springs are the biggest contributors to ride quality and handling, I'd target just those to make my 1.8 similar to an RS. But you having done that and not seen a significant difference dissuades me from going down that path.

So I'll go down the path of Bilstein B6s when it's time to change. If that still does not satisfy me, which springs would you suggest me to change to?

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by evil_grin

Thank you so much! Your post has been tremendously helpful. I found the RS 245 suspension to be the perfect balance between comfort and handling. I thought that since dampers and springs are the biggest contributors to ride quality and handling, I'd target just those to make my 1.8 similar to an RS. But you having done that and not seen a significant difference dissuades me from going down that path.

So I'll go down the path of Bilstein B6s when it's time to change. If that still does not satisfy me, which springs would you suggest me to change to?

You will have to be very careful while messing around with the suspension. It can easily go very wrong very quickly, if you don't get the right parts or if parts are not installed correctly.

Having tried all kinds of suspensions from coilovers to lowering springs, mixing and matching springs and dampers, etc. on my cars, my suggestion would be to stick to stock springs as far as possible, unless you are getting an extremely sophisticated coilover that is setup perfectly for your requirements.

Bilstein B6 dampers are as good as they get. They are designed to replace stock dampers and work in tandem with stock springs. Changing the OEM springs to lowering springs while using B6 is not be a good idea at all.

If you are dead set on lowering the car, you need to get Bilstein B8 dampers along with Eibach pro kit springs (B8 + Eibach = Bilstein B12). The B8 being a shorter damper in terms of piston travel is designed from ground up to work with a shorter spring with stiffer spring rates, unlike the B6. However, in terms of damping and valving, the difference between B6 and B8 is negligible.

Long story short - Don't pair the B6 dampers with lowering springs. If you want to lower the car or want even better dynamics, the Bilstein's B12 is a great solution. However, do note that it lowers the car significantly and you run the risk of scraping the underbelly on larger speed breakers. Entry and exits from steep basements / parking lots will also become tricky.

[badri13nath]

Originally Posted by sunikkat

I got it from Pete’s Cochin as they are the official dealers for Bilstein in India. But I am sure guys at Engineering Exponent, Code6 etc in Bangalore can source them too.

Hello @Sunikkat, could you kindly suggest/share details of whom i can get in touch with in Code 6, Bangalore.

[sunikkat]

Originally Posted by badri13nath

Hello @Sunikkat, could you kindly suggest/share details of whom i can get in touch with in Code 6, Bangalore.

I did it from Pete’s, so don’t have any contact for Code 6. But I had called them directly on the phone number from Google couple of years back and they were ready to source. You can search for Code 6 or Bay 6 in Bangalore.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by badri13nath

Hello @Sunikkat, could you kindly suggest/share details of whom i can get in touch with in Code 6, Bangalore.

Google for Code 6 at Hosa Road or Carmed at Hennur.

[rishabhsharma]

Hi, I drive a mk3.5 octavia. I am currently on the stock tyre and springs. Since my car is a stage 1 I feel that there is some sort of power loss when i floor it because the car is quite wobbly. I am thinking about upgrading to vrs oem dampers. But the main issue is the springs. I have 3 options:-

1. Eibach pro kit ( 30-40mm drop)
2. Euro spec vrs springs ( 20mm drop )
3. IN spec vrs sprigs ( 15mm drop approx )

Eibach is great when it comes to stiffness, but the car becomes too low and I want to keep it practical.

I am really confused between IN and Euro spec vrs springs. Can anyone pls tell me about the stiffness comparison amongst the 2.

[amitmanjul]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

You will have to be very careful while messing around with the suspension. It can easily go very wrong very quickly, if you don't get the right parts or if parts are not installed correctly.

Having tried all kinds of suspensions from coilovers to lowering springs, mixing and matching springs and dampers, etc. on my cars, my suggestion would be to stick to stock springs as far as possible

I couldn’t agree more. I also toyed around with various combos - B6 with Eibach, cobras & Euro spec springs. And for the sake of my back I have dumped them all & reverted to B6 + stock springs. It gives me the best of both world compromises.

I however think that stock struts with Euro springs could also be liveable, but then I love my B6s too much to consider changing them

Originally Posted by rishabhsharma

I am really confused between IN and Euro spec vrs springs. Can anyone pls tell me about the stiffness comparison amongst the 2.

So I drive my Octavia with 17 inches PS4 tyres (225 45 R17) & Eibach B6s. With this combination, the euro spec springs were a bit too hard for my comfort hence I reverted to OEM springs & kept aside the Euro springs. The handling did feel better still with them though (it was no slouch to begin with after I installed the Bilsteins).

My sense is that Euro spec springs with stick tyres and struts should work

Originally Posted by itwasntme

How's the DQ200 faring?

Apart from a water pump failure (which is fairly common bugbear in the Gen 1 VAG pumps), nothing else till now . But then I mostly use this car for highway runs

[anaghp]

I've been searching for a post that said, "Is air suspension a good choice for my Octavia?" for a while now. As I could not find anything relevant, I am taking the discussion a little further here.

While I can see many posts and videos around springs vs air, I can't really get a tailored answer for Octavia on the Indian roads.

I drool when I see a lowered Octavia on the roads. I've been wanting to lower my 2019 1.8TSI for a while now, but I'm scared about the ground clearance. So I started thinking about air suspension with which I can drive it low for the most part, while having the option to lift it whenever the need arises.

I'd love to get opinions from experts here for these basic questions:

1. Is air suspensions reliable enough these days, especially on Indian roads?
2. Can it handle high speeds on the straights and corners?
3. Will it make the ride quality better or worse?
4. Is there a recommended brand IF it's not a bad choice after all?

Octavia is my only and primary car. I love driving it in the cities and on the highways. I have touched unmentionable speeds (After making sure that if things go wrong, I will be the only casualty). I may have scraped the underbody maybe 5 times in the past 3+ years and it's painful every time. Permanently lowering the car would mean that this number might increase, which is not something that I am looking forward to.

[RahulRV]

Originally Posted by sunikkat

I will raise both my hands and scream for ‘Bilstein B6’. My Octavia TDI is running on B6 since 18 months, and that’s the mod that I love the most, more than remap. Did not find much difference in ride quality as Octavia TDI Pre-facelift already had a stiffer suspension than TSI. But the low speed ride, below 60, became more busy with B6. On plus side, the car is just glued to road irrespective of the load and speed.
Though my car is also running on 225/45/17 wheels, after installing B6 the car bottom never touched once, even with 5 passengers and boot full of luggage.
I chose this over Koni FSD and KW as I wanted best performance with less complications. Also retained the stock springs. From the feedback that I heard on B6, it is durable and will outlive the car - hope that’s true.

Hello,

Was the B6 a direct fit or any alterations were necessary?

Asked because was in contact with a person in this topic and he suggested to go for B4’s with eibach springs as B6 wouldn’t be suitable for Torsion beam suspension.

I’m also looking for lowered look as I upgraded to 17” with 225/45 R17 and the ground clearance is similar to my Q3

Would appreciate inputs, thank you.

Rahul RV

[sunikkat]

Originally Posted by RahulRV

Hello,

Was the B6 a direct fit or any alterations were necessary?

Asked because was in contact with a person in this topic and he suggested to go for B4’s with eibach springs as B6 wouldn’t be suitable for Torsion beam suspension.

I’m also looking for lowered look as I upgraded to 17” with 225/45 R17 and the ground clearance is similar to my Q3

Would appreciate inputs, thank you.

Rahul RV

B6 was a direct fit, since I did it from Pete’s they procured MK3 Octavia specific B6 based on my VIN. Whoever said about B6 not suitable for torsion beam suspension is totally wrong. Mine was a direct fit without any alterations and has done wonders to handling and high speed stability. I am also running on 225/45 R17.

However B6 is best suited for stock springs. If you have plans of lowering don’t go for it as your ride will become super stiff. Go for B8 with lowering springs.

[RahulRV]

Originally Posted by sunikkat

B6 was a direct fit, since I did it from Pete’s they procured MK3 Octavia specific B6 based on my VIN. Whoever said about B6 not suitable for torsion beam suspension is totally wrong. Mine was a direct fit without any alterations and has done wonders to handling and high speed stability. I am also running on 225/45 R17.

However B6 is best suited for stock springs. If you have plans of lowering don’t go for it as your ride will become super stiff. Go for B8 with lowering springs.

Got it, IIRC the ride height remained same after B6 or any small drop in ground clearance?

My main objective is have car a bit lowered say like 15mm and not to compromise much on ride comfort. My usage would be 60% City and 40% highway.

[sunikkat]

Originally Posted by RahulRV

Got it, IIRC the ride height remained same after B6 or any small drop in ground clearance?
My main objective is have car a bit lowered say like 15mm and not to compromise much on ride comfort. My usage would be 60% City and 40% highway.

Ride height remained same almost, no visible changes. However after B6, car hardly bottomed anywhere due to more damping.
If you need to lower B6 is not the right choice.

[vibhu_f430]

My daily drive is a 2014 Octavia TDI. B6 on stock springs, 16" rims and PS4 tyres. I have this setup for the past 4 years and 40k kms. I ordered mine from TDC automotive UK specifically for my VIN.

Positives:
- Biggest difference is the solid and indestructible feel you get from behind the wheel. High speed ride is very composed and level. Small undulations and potholes don't affect the composure at speed. The drive is more mature like the bigger more expensive Germans.
- Steering feels more precise and the car shrinks around you. Car feels smaller with B6.
- Corners flat with no drama and very responsive to quick direction changes. The ghat sections on outstation trips are a lot more fun.

Negatives :
- Low speed ride is more firm. Back seat passengers definitely complain more. However I have found that if the boot has luggage, the ride gets a little better, especially in the back seat.
- Mild thumping sound from the rear suspension. I can hear this more when Iam driving alone with empty boot and no parcel shelf. I got this checked but damper, bushes and top mount look fine.
- The wheel arch gap is an eye sore and after B6 it looks just that tiny bit higher than stock. One solution would be to get the euro spec springs which are lower than Indian spec with the rough road pack. This way the car is still drivable with decent GC and not stiffer than stock. I tried sourcing them but it was a lot of effort and gave up.

Overall if your looking for a better handling Octavia mk3 just get the B6. Highly recommended.