Spidan Springs on a TDI with FSDs

timmus

A2OC Donor
I have just fitted a set of Spidan springs to my TDI and am chuffed as a butty!

I upgraded to FSDs a year ago but didn't go down the Weitec route, for two primary reasons.
Firstly, I didn't want to lower the car beyond Sport height. As we know, the Weitec springs result in a net lowering of 15mm when combined with FSDs. A lowered A2 wouldn't suit the areas in which I do a lot of driving and I also didn't want to wear the insides of my tyres.
Secondly, the Weitecs have a bias towards sportiness, meaning some of the comfort gained from the FSDs is immediately sacrificed by shorter, stiffer springs.

At the time I had FSDs fitted, I experimented with Audi springs from the TDI Sport on the front, hoping this would counteract the lift of the FSDs, but alas it didn't do enough and my car ended up high at the front; a terrible look. I lived with it for a year, hoping it would settle down, but it didn't settle anywhere near enough.

After a lot of research, I eventually decided to import some Spidan springs from Germany. These have had great reviews on the German forum for their comfort and their quality. It occurred to me some time back that by using springs from the 1.4 petrol in combination with FSDs, the greater weight of the TDI engine would counteract the FSDs' 15mm lift. However, Audi springs have a tendency to suffer from torsion fractures, and the potential for this would only increase by overloading springs for the 1.4 petrol. So, the higher quality Spidan springs seemed like the answer. (They're a GKN part)

As you can see from the photo below, it appears to have done the trick perfectly: A TDI with FSDs sat at level Sport height!
The ride comfort is beyond expectations. I find myself, somewhat sadistically!, driving into rough parts of the road just to feel how nicely the bumps are ironed out! I changed to 45-section tyres on my 17" wheels a year ago and was mightily impressed by the additional comfort, but the Spidan springs provide more gain in comfort again.

I must thank Schnelletrecker for his help with this mod. He was always happy for me to bounce ideas off him and his suspension expertise has proved invaluable. Many thanks, Sir!
I promised I'd let him know the numbers, so here they are:
Front: 34.6cm. FSDs with Spidan 49527.
Back: 34.6cm, with fuel tank half full. FSDs with standard Audi SE springs. I might add that I have as big a battery as will fit in an A2 and also have the collapsible spare, so there's permanently a bit of weight at the back.

Spidan also make a set of springs for the 1.4 petrol with OpenSky. My TDI has OpenSky, so I seriously considered using them. However, their technical specifications (length, weight, etc) seemed less suitable.

Whilst I have no doubt that my car doesn't corner quite as well as those with the Weitec springs on a perfectly smooth surface, it's certainly no boat. I find I can take corners with much greater confidence than before, primarily because this setup handles the bumps so much better.

Cheers,

Tom

Edit: After a few months with this setup, I posted my verdict later in this thread, here... http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?19967-Spidan-Springs-on-a-TDI-with-FSDs&p=155922#post155922
 

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Fantastic Tom!
I had the chance to drive Tom's car some weeks ago to diagnose an issue Tom wanted some help with.
I recall how impressed I was with the comfort and smoothness of the ride to the degree that I almost opted for 45 section tyres.
I am a little different though - I thoroughly enjoy chucking humpy about so its Weitec's and 40's for me.
My natural padding provides the comfort level :eek:.
We must meet again for a comparison Tom. Enjoy.

blue skies
tony
 
Hi Tom,

That's a good report, and good to know there is another route owners can take to improve the somewhat lacking OEM suspension.
The pictures show it really level and it looks great. Well done to you sir.

I'm very happy with my FSD/Weitec front and FSD/OEM Sport rear, but I do have to avoid uneven road surfaces.
For me, I like the lowered appearance and think it suits the Votex bodykit, however my wife can't stand the harsh ride, and when I'm a passenger in my car I admit I find it very harsh too.

Do you know the paint code of the rear SE springs you have?
Cheers

Jeff
 
Interesting solution - and the 1.4 petrol spring rate is happy with the extra weight of the TDi ? BTW for any future reference where did you import the springs from?

I must admit I thought the 34.5 ride height is closer to the Sport rather then the SE but either way it looks great. Nicely understated and subtle with the wheels filling the arches just perfectly.

Enjoy !

Andy B
 
This sounds like a good upgrade for ride comfort. Whilst handling is still important for me the appalling roads around where I drive are such i am still looking for solutions to improve the ride. How much did they cost to import? I soon need to replace my front strut bearings/mounts so may get these fitted at the same time. On the rear I have OEM SE springs and ARB.
 
Do you know the paint code of the rear SE springs you have?

Interesting solution - and the 1.4 petrol spring rate is happy with the extra weight of the TDi ? BTW for any future reference where did you import the springs from?

I must admit I thought the 34.5 ride height is closer to the Sport rather then the SE but either way it looks great. Nicely understated and subtle with the wheels filling the arches just perfectly.

How much did they cost to import?

I'm not sure, Jeff, but the car is currently in the air on a ramp at a friend's garage as the rear drums are having their internals renewed, so I'll check tomorrow and let you know.
My rear springs were fitted by Rinner when I had my OpenSky replaced. I checked that they were fitting standard-height springs, but Sport springs aren't available in central Europe anyway.

Ride height is obviously somewhat dependent upon the suspension's age, but it seems SE is ca. 35cm and Sport is ca. 34cm, so my car sits on the fence between the two. As Andy notes, the arch seems to sit with circular symmetry about the wheel, so I'm happy! I'll be monitoring my tyres to make sure they wear evenly and will be checking to see whether things settle a little over the next few months.

The spring rate with the weight of the TDI seems just fine.

I bought them through http://www.geizteile-shop.de/
Their website doesn't have the option to create an account if you live in the UK, but I emailed them and they set up an account on my behalf. Both springs, including shipping to the UK, cost a very reasonable £72, though Spidan springs were on special at the time. This may still be the case.
If anyone is interested in fitting Spidan springs and wants to avoid the hassle, I'm happy to order them on your behalf. Just send me a PM.

Cheers,

Tom
 
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I might take you up on that offer Tom! it is interesting that you still appear to run on 17" wheels though. Any reason for not going to 16 or even 15"?
 
I might take you up on that offer Tom! it is interesting that you still appear to run on 17" wheels though. Any reason for not going to 16 or even 15"?

The reason for that is simple: I absolutely love the look of the 9-spoke alloys and couldn't have my A2 on anything else. I have fitted 45-section tyres to try to maximise the comfort.
However, I have recently found a German alloy manufacturer who make a set of decent quality 16" replicas that weigh less than the 17" Audi originals and still use the Audi centre caps, so I'll be buying a set of them once my current tyres have worn down and will be fitting 205/50/R16. I'm hoping this combination will give me everything I want: the look, the ride and hopefully still something bordering on decent handling. The rear ARB is getting good reviews, so if I find the cornering needs tightening up a bit, I may go down this route.
Just let me know, Adrian. I've just looked on their website and the price is still the same.

Tom
 
Thanks for that. I had some 15" 'replica' RS4 alloys on mine for a while however they just didn't look quite 'right'. I know what you mean about 17's however there is also the problem of sourcing winter or all-weather tyres to suit.
 
Thanks for that. I had some 15" 'replica' RS4 alloys on mine for a while however they just didn't look quite 'right'. I know what you mean about 17's however there is also the problem of sourcing winter or all-weather tyres to suit.

I remember your 15" replicas and just didn't think they did the trick; they looked too chunky due to the very small gaps between the spokes. In the 16" variant, I think they still look the part. Also, 50-section tyres aren't yet too fat for the style, I don't think.

Tom
 
Have the front springs made any difference to the understeer as this tends to be reduced if you stiffen the rear or soften the front suspension - (Hope I got this the right way round) if so, it could be a cheaper fix than fitting a rear arb.

Cheers Spike
 
I'm not sure, Spike, as I haven't had a chance to thoroughly test things yet. I only had the car on the road for 2 days before it went onto the ramp to have its drum innards and hand brake cables changed. The job should be finished tomorrow, so I'll go for a spirited drive once it's back on the road and let you know what I think.

Cheers,

Tom
 
My rear springs are colour code: Orange, Orange, Green, White.
Part number: 8Z0 511 115 S

I would be very interested to know whether these are of SE or Sport length. If someone with Sport rear springs and someone with SE rear springs could post their codes, that'd be very useful.

Cheers,

Tom
 
My TDi SE with open sky has the same colour code - 2 orange, 1 green, 1 white.

Cheers Spike
 
I'm pretty sure that my petrol - running on Eibachs - is stated in the papers has having 305mm at the rear..... I'll check. Need to make sure Part I is in the car anyway :)

- Bret
 
My TDi SE with open sky has the same colour code - 2 orange, 1 green, 1 white.

Cheers Spike

Thanks Spike,

At what height does the back of your car sit? Mine does seems to be more at Sport height, despite the springs and packing being only a year old.

Cheers,

Tom
 
Officially, I have 330mm front and 315mm rear (that was with a fat set of amps in the boot, so it's probably 320 now). I don't really notice the "elk".

That's with "-20" Eibach's and FSDs.

- Bret
 
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