[novice]

The best way to ruin a car for Indian road conditions is to fit stiff struts like B6. They would no doubt improve the handling on good roads but spoil it for bad roads. Be prepared for bent alloys and damaged tires especially with 45 profile tires. The driver needs to be careful at all times and that takes away the fun and peace of mind. It is not worth the effort and time in my opinion. I tried B6 with stock springs on my Superb but eventually went back OE spec replacement struts from Sachs. Although Sachs are OE spec they are noticeably stiffer than OEM ones and provide a good compromise between handling and comfort. Also, upsizing to 225/50/17 tires did wonders to the steering feel.

But having said all that there is always that urge to dust up the B6's from my store room and put them back on the car given that it is no longer my daily drive. Kodiaq has taken over that role. B6's do improve the handling by a big margin.

Few other important aspects to consider but often ignored - wheel alignment and tires. Multi-link suspensions are super sensitive to wheel alignment and alignment plays a big role in determining how the car drives. 95% alignment shops even with best of the equipment often get it wrong. Always get the alignment done from a competent authorized service center. Don't fall for the trap that independent tires shops with latest equipment do a better job than the dealer. No, they don't for cars with independent suspensions that require 4-wheel alignment. The next is tire - tires often develop wobbling after some running and they can give the impression that something is wrong with the suspension. So slapping brand new sporty struts won't improve anything unless such basic issues are addressed first.

[RahulRV]

Hello members,

My dilemma regarding suspension upgrade is still unsolved, on one hand thought about B12 pro kit but saw a lot of reviews pointed that it lowers the car too much and it’s a NO for Bangalore roads. Thinking of Bilstein B6 with OEM VRS 230 springs. Any updates for me to finalise would be hugely appreciated.

P.S- The car is a 2.0 TDI MT with torsion beam in rear.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by RahulRV

Hello members,

My dilemma regarding suspension upgrade is still unsolved, on one hand thought about B12 pro kit but saw a lot of reviews pointed that it lowers the car too much and it’s a NO for Bangalore roads. Thinking of Bilstein B6 with OEM VRS 230 springs. Any updates for me to finalise would be hugely appreciated.

P.S- The car is a 2.0 TDI MT with torsion beam in rear.

B12 is not practical for BLR roads and is not practical if you are looking to drive it daily. It is only suited for open-road / back-road driving and even then, it can get difficult if you ferry passengers and carry luggage frequently.

If you can get hold of vRS 230 springs, the B6 is a good option. However, you could also save yourself a fortune and get stock-replacement Sachs dampers that will give you about 70% of the B6's performance at less than half the price, and it would still be more plush for everyday driving compared to the B6.

[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.

Hi, would love to get your opinion on my quandary. I have also tried multiple combinations of spring/suspension/tyres & I am currently on the following:
Tyres - Michelin Pilot Sport 4 at 225/ 45/17 spec, struts - Bilstein B6 & OEM springs in my Octavia 1.8TSI.

While I love the current ride quality, I also have the springs of the Euro spec Octavia 1.8 lying with me, which I purchased from TuneOTronics. I guess if I change the springs to the Euro spec ones, the ungainly gap that is there in the wheel well will certainly go away… however, the million $ question is - how will it effect the ride quality???

I am based out of Bangalore & mostly use my car for highway runs, mostly travelling alone with minimal luggage…

Suggestion/ POV most welcome

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by amitmanjul

Hi, would love to get your opinion on my quandary. I have also tried multiple combinations of spring/suspension/tyres & I am currently on the following:
Tyres - Michelin Pilot Sport 4 at 225/ 45/17 spec, struts - Bilstein B6 & OEM springs in my Octavia 1.8TSI.

While I love the current ride quality, I also have the springs of the Euro spec Octavia 1.8 lying with me, which I purchased from TuneOTronics. I guess if I change the springs to the Euro spec ones, the ungainly gap that is there in the wheel well will certainly go away… however, the million $ question is - how will it effect the ride quality???

I am based out of Bangalore & mostly use my car for highway runs, mostly travelling alone with minimal luggage…

Suggestion/ POV most welcome

Hi!

So I have used similar Euro-spec springs (20-ish mm drop) that ToT sourced for me, from the European market - it’s supposedly an Octavia gen-2 vRS spec spring-set.

The ride is certainly not as harsh as that on Eibachs or other lowering springs. The spring rates are tuned to OEM-specifications with softer spring rates. But don’t expect it to be soft and supple like the OEM ones you are currently using.

Also, you will scrape the odd speed-breaker especially under full load. You will have to keep that in mind.

If you trust the source and you are sure of the quality of the springs, you could give them a try.

Alternatively try and find OEM vRS 230 springs from the gen-3 Octy. I don’t think it would be too different from those.

[amitmanjul]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Hi!

So I have used similar Euro-spec springs (20-ish mm drop) that ToT sourced for me, from the European market - it’s supposedly an Octavia gen-2 vRS spec spring-

Thanks for your recommendation. Since I have also got the euro spec springs from ToT, I guess reliability will not be an issue. I assume you are running the euro springs on Bilstein B6 dampers. May I ask whether you are running OEM tires or have upgraded to 17 inches?

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by amitmanjul

Thanks for your recommendation. Since I have also got the euro spec springs from ToT, I guess reliability will not be an issue. I assume you are running the euro springs on Bilstein B6 dampers. May I ask whether you are running OEM tires or have upgraded to 17 inches?

Before we sold the Octavia, we were running it on vRS springs and dampers, that dropped the ride height very marginally. The ride quality was more or less the same as stock, maybe a touch firmer, but very marginally. The car was on stock wheels and tyres.

On my Laura, I have stock springs and I am using OEM spec Meyle dampers. The car is on 17” vRS230 wheels at the moment, wearing Continental Sport Contact 5 tyres (225/45 R17).

[RahulRV]

Hello guys,

I’ve driven around 25k KMS on my Octavia with Bilstein B6 & with tyre size of 225/45 R17. Thinking to either change the tyre to 225/50 R17 or put OEM / OEM substitute (Sachs or Bilstein B4) suspension as B6 is too stiff for our roads which is getting increasingly horrible day by day.

Which would be the cost effective options for me?

[sunikkat]

I have driven the same setup for 45k kms and I absolutely loved it. But couple of FNG guys when they drove, they felt the car is very stiff and suggested me to go with 225/50, but I never wanted to change my set up which worked well for me.

So my suggestion is to go with 225/50 and B6 combo, but run in the current set up a bit more and do it when your tyre is due for replacement. Will work out economical too.