I changed the rear shocks when I did all the bushings a while back, and the ride was pretty harsh of course with everything new. So I waited for it to settle down, but the rear is still really firm and it feels like there’s too much damping. I bought Sachs shocks thinking they were OEM, but I got them from Euro Car Parts so there’s a fair chance they’ve fobbed me off with something that ostensibly fits but isn’t actually the right part.

Any ideas for finding out what Sachs part number I should have? Ones I have are 311 346. Google suggests they are ‘super touring’ so maybe they’re designed to be stiff?

Would simply switching brands make a difference?

Original ones oil filled and new ones gas shocks possibly?

That would definitely make a difference. Which model/year/engine/body shape passat is it?

gnusmas – Member

Original ones oil filled and new ones gas shocks possibly?

I would guess this, standard shocks are okay these days, but they’re made to cheap to make and last a long time, one of the best upgrades you used to be able to do if you were into cars and that was to buy a set of Sachs or Bilstein shocks from GSF or Euros, they’d be gas filled rather than oil and improve the handling without runing the ride (different, bit not better or worse), the best part was unlike a set of ‘racing’ spax shocks or the like you’d never get pulled up for having a modification.

I’m not sure what having just rear ones would do mind.

Hmm. Gas and oil means they add some to the spring rate?

Some people say Sachs are OEM, some say that Bilstein B4 are OEM (including the Bilstein website).

It’s a Passat B6 saloon 2006.

It really isn’t as smooth as I wanted it to be. Driving through our local speed bump street the car suspension moves much less over the speed bumps than all the other cars I watched drive by. Which is good in some ways but there’s a definite bump I can feel in my spine which I dont’ much like. The car’s a pure motorway cruiser, and I want it to be as comfy and non-sporty as possible.

I could either take a punt on some different rear ones (Bilstein) or try and replace the fronts too so it at least matches. Front is a lot softer than the rear now.

Could it not just be front is borked and rear new, so you’re feeling the disparity?

Shirley this is what you need to fit to even out the ride harshness:

Could they be for the estate, so expecting a heavier car, thus stiffer on the saloon?

Could it not just be front is borked and rear new, so you’re feeling the disparity?

Front does not do any of the things that you’re supposed to look for in bad shocks. It’s just much softer. Our other car I thought was comparable before, and when you do a speed bump both front and rear behave the same way. In the Passat now the front squidges over it and the back bumps.

I could be persuaded that it’s more ‘composed’ or stable or something – it’s certainly not too bad on the motorway but I feel jiggled about a bit.. but that’s hard to comapre. So maybe with new front shocks I’d feel the benefit of better ‘control’ and not mind so much about the firmness. Dunno.

But if I went with Bilstein instead of Sachs, is there likely to be a difference?

But if I went with Bilstein instead of Sachs, is there likely to be a difference?

Nah. If you had somehow mistakenly bought a pair of Leda Coilovers and fitted those, you could be onto something, but whilst the two brands might ne slightly different, it wouldn’t be noticeable.

‘Supertouring’ which I missed from your first post sounds a little bit ‘go faster’ but they’re not some track ready thing.

It’s probably just the old ones were so baggy you got used to them – I’d try to live with it, failing that you might have to buy a pair of matching fronts, oh while you’re at it – get some Eibach ‘fast road’ springs, change your new bishes for poly ones and you’ll be ready to race up and down Newport Road at 2am on a Sunday Morning 😉

thats my suspecion – the old ones where totally wrecked and soggy, the new ones work as they should, the front are pretty well ruined as well. Impossible to tell without seeing the car

Unless they are coil overs and you got new coils then there is no change to the spring rate

You could either buy new ones, or use a plastic bag. 😉

Unless they are coil overs and you got new coils then there is no change to the spring rate

Ostensibly true, but some gas shocks do do a bit of springing too, therefor adding to the spring rate. Doubt it’s enough to really notice though.

I know the old ones were wrecked, they leaked oil. So there was a very clear sag then it hit the bump. The car just behaves very differently to all the other cars I see on the same bumps. But maybe they are all on OEM shocks and if as you say they are worse than aftermarket..

I guess I am doing something different to the majority – most peopel will probably get the cheapest replacements if they replace, but I tried to get decent brands.

Two Sachs shocks for the front from ECP with their weekend discount is only £117 and it’s not a big job, so I may be talking myself round. The originals have nearly 140k on them.

140k? absolutely gubbed even if not leaking. the oil degrades with usage and gets thinner. But then remember i don’t own cars 😉

They’re not ‘failed’ as in they aren’t bouncy bouncy. But thinning oil over time is plausible (if that’s true 😉 ).

Hmm, Sachs, in their catalogue, list the same part number for the ‘sport’ suspension as the normal. So that’s probably not the issue…

Changed the fronts.

Overall definitely firmer but a bit less bumpy in some ways. But it’s definitely better to have new on front and back. Definitely handles better of course, but a little hard to tell on the motorway today since it was so windy.

I can do the local speed bumps at 30mph easily though, which I couldn’t before. Although that’s probably less useful than a comfy motorway ride. A little disappointed the car does not feel as smooth as it did when I got it.

You did by the right offset? You know that Cars have offset too, right?

A little disappointed the car does not feel as smooth as it did when I got it.

11 year old car. Probably a bit much to think it was going to feel like new (if you got it when new?) considering all the other components that have worn out (and contribute to the overall feeling of ‘smoothness’.)

molgrips – Member

I can do the local speed bumps at 30mph easily though

Hmm, I think I can now see why there was such a disparity between the old dampers and the new ones… 😀

I would never normally do such a thing if I wasn’t testing out my suspension! 🙂

Probably a bit much to think it was going to feel like new (if you got it when new?) considering all the other components that have worn out

I’ve changed nearly all the bushes and now all four shocks. Overall effect does mute the hits compared to the old bushes but the ride is definitely firmer. Probably more to most people’s tastes but I wanted it comfy.

Only thing I didn’t change was the rubber bushes holding the rear sub-frame to the car, because I couldn’t get them on ECP. Oh, and the rubber upper strut mounts on the front.

You did by the right offset? You know that Cars have offset too, right?

Are YOU seriously teasing me about over-thinking stuff? 😉

Molls car earlier….

I just put new Bilstein struts on the Golf Molls, when I was putting new bushings and track rods on. When I say ‘I’ did, I actually find that the time-honoured tradition of paying someone else to do it, who actually knows what they’re doing, generally prevents having to ask on internet forums at a later date 😀

Are YOU seriously teasing me about over-thinking stuff?

😀

@binners it’ll probably be like that on the side of the M4 on Thursday.

Couldn’t undo the anti roll bar link bolts properly which rendered them unable to be re-fitted tightly, so it made a few clonks in the office car park 🙁

The bit you didn’t quote back was the most pertinent: ’11 year old car’.

There are lots of other contributing factors that mean it’s never going to ‘feel’ quite as ‘smooth’ as it did when it was newer (unless you replace everything, Trigger’s broom style), no matter what you do to the suspension in isolation.