Need strut/shock recommendations

I wanted to give you all an update on how my car is doing since I did the beef on a budget package. A couple months ago I was driving on the interstate with my cruise set at 75 MPH when I drove into hard rain. It wasn’t a torrential down pour but it was a pretty consistent rain, bordering on heavy rain. I turned on the windshield wipers and was able to see clearly so I didn’t let up. I just kept the cruise set at 75. I was driving on a flat & straight stretch of the interstate in the left lane when all of the sudden my rear end started floating to the right.

I immediately tapped my brake to turn off the cruise control but it was too late, all the sudden I was doing 75 MPH freakin sideways! I then over corrected to where I was now sideways facing the other direction. I then over corrected again to where I did two complete 360’s and ended up in the middle of the median facing the opposite direction I was going. It’s a miracle that I didn’t touch a thing. Not a single scratch! I then pulled back onto the interstate and drove home.

You can only imagine what was going through my mind while all of this was going on. Yes the cruise control was most likely the reason. However, I drove this car off the show room floor over 17 years and 326,000 miles ago. I know this car well. In all those miles the rear end has never ever hydroplaned. Yes there have been numerous times over the years where my front end hydroplaned, but never the rear.

Well when I came out to my car the next day I noticed one of my rear tires was flat and I then found a screw in the tire. I would have to assume this happened when I went off the road. Knowing the tread on my rear tires was close to the legal tread limit, I took it to get patched but knew they might not be able to. Well to my surprise it had enough legal tread for them to patch it. The next week I bought a new set of tires and it has not hydroplaned in the rear since.

Now the only thing I had changed on the car was this new suspension package replacing the shocks, struts and springs which has raised the rear end a little which could have then sent a little more of the weight of the car to the nose of it in the front possibly making the rear a little lighter. Now I ran that idea by both Peter of ID Parts and my mechanic who also happens to be an engineer. Neither one of them think these new springs (which have raised my rear an inch higher than the front) could have caused this but I just wanted to be honest and up front with you all about my experience.

Yes the combination of using the cruise control and my rear tires barely having legal tread was most likely the culprit. However, the weird thing is that an interstate has a crown between the left and right lane for water run off so it doesn’t pond on the road. When my rear floated, it floated up and over the crown instead of down and away from it. In other words, you would think the rear end would have floated to the left and not the right since I was in the left lane.

There is no doubt that my front tires did not lose traction in all of this. This all happened from the rear. Now I did have 140 pounds of paperwork in tubs in the trunk and the back seat did have about 70 pounds in it. I don’t remember how full the fuel tank was but that also could have added another 100 pounds or so to the weight in the rear if it was close to being full.

Here is an updated pic of my car with this beef on a budget package installed. From the ground to the top of the wheel well is 27 inches in the front and 28 inches in the rear. Now when I add all the tubs of paperwork to the trunk it lowers my rear to where its just over 27 1/2 inches at the top of the rear wheel well. I love how these new struts, shocks and springs feel. My car has never handled better. I will just make a point to not let my tires get close to the legal tread limit and never use the cruise while its raining ever again.

Here is a list of everything I installed with the beef on a budget package.

Koni STR.T+ Lift Springs Kit (A4)
- Front Strut Mounts:
- Shock Bump Stops:
- Strut Bump Stops:
- Rear Shock Mounts:
- Installation Bolt Kit
Rear Shock Boot / Dust Covers Pair
Seat Cupra Rear Axle Bushing Pair
Hardware: Bolt & Nut
Front Strut Bearing
Front Strut Boot/Covers
Sway bar bushings
Ball joints

delete

RedTDIowner said:

For some reason I cant post a pic. I know how and have done it before. Maybe something is going on with this website that wont post them.

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Just did a test, it uploaded, but something is squirelly (no worky). I'd just try again later.

RedTDIowner said:

I wanted to give you all an update on how my car is doing since I did the beef on a budget package. A couple months ago I was driving on the interstate with my cruise set at 75 MPH when I drove into hard rain. It wasn’t a torrential down pour but it was a pretty consistent rain, bordering on heavy rain. I turned on the windshield wipers and was able to see clearly so I didn’t let up. I just kept the cruise set at 75. I was driving on a flat & straight stretch of the interstate in the left lane when all of the sudden my rear end started floating to the right.

I immediately tapped my brake to turn off the cruise control but it was too late, all the sudden I was doing 75 MPH freakin sideways! I then over corrected to where I was now sideways facing the other direction. I then over corrected again to where I did two complete 360’s and ended up in the middle of the median facing the opposite direction I was going. It’s a miracle that I didn’t touch a thing. Not a single scratch! I then pulled back onto the interstate and drove home.

You can only imagine what was going through my mind while all of this was going on. Yes the cruise control was most likely the reason. However, I drove this car off the show room floor over 17 years and 326,000 miles ago. I know this car well. In all those miles the rear end has never ever hydroplaned. Yes there have been numerous times over the years where my front end hydroplaned, but never the rear.

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I wouldn't blame the cruise for this - isn't it simply that you were going really fast in heavy rain with marginal tires? or... could be that your tire picked up that leak first and started this all.

another thought - are both of your rear calipers in good shape and releasing properly? if one of them was dragging a bit maybe that could have led to the rear tire getting on top of the water.

A slightly related story - for a few years - maybe since I got my Prius I noticed that sometimes at a stop sign the rear tires would squeak/slip as I came to the final stop. I though it was just a shortcoming of the ABS system and due to the unequal weight distribution. The Prius has a lot of weight up front and not much in the back. Just a couple months back I found that I had to do a rear brake job and discovered the left rear caliper was stuck which of course would make that wheel drag and that must be why it was slipping at stop signs. has not done this since I repaired that caliper guide pin.

mk3 said:

I wouldn't blame the cruise for this - isn't it simply that you were going really fast in heavy rain with marginal tires? or... could be that your tire picked up that leak first and started this all.

another thought - are both of your rear calipers in good shape and releasing properly? if one of them was dragging a bit maybe that could have led to the rear tire getting on top of the water.

Click to expand...

You bring up a valid point however my rear calipers are brand new. They were replaced a few months before my rear end hydroplaned.

RedTDIowner said:

You bring up a valid point however my rear calipers are brand new. They were replaced a few months before my rear end hydroplaned.

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I'd say it was a combination of the worn tires and the driving fast in heavy rain. It wouldn't matter about the crown in the middle of the road, once you lose control, you can slide anywhere.