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
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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