B4V Passat wagon heavy duty rear springs

[0die]

Update time....heavy duty rear B4V Passat wagon springs.

got my new HD euro spec springs installed ...

Monroe SP0495 springs, listed as HD (heavy duty) for Estate (wagon).

Obtained from Amazon UK site. Google search "Monroe SP0495" and Amazon UK is top hit. Rock Auto second hit but they will cancel your order after you place it.

UK Amazon seller often lists "temporarily out of stock" or "only one left". Go ahead and order 2 springs anyway. It will ship when back in stock. Took about 3 weeks from back ordered to my door step. Total $177 US delivered (tax, shipping, everything)

side by side comparision with OEM US wagon springs...they look identical in height and coil design. OEM about .512" coil diameter. Monroe about .540" dia. with my micrometer...or there abouts///

After install the rear height rose about 1-1/4". Driving a little bit it looks to have settled around 1" to 1-1/8".

I replaced the strut mounts too but the old ones were perfectly fine. But I already bought new mounts so in they went. New boots too (mine were long gone). And new Bilstein TC struts. But the OEM Boge struts still had good gas charge on both sides. I could have just used the old struts and mounts and been fine. But I already spent the money.

all in all...about $400 total spent on everything (springs, struts, mounts, boots).

but to finally answer the wagon spring question...yes, heavy duty springs are readily available and they do raise the back end.

 

[Ray_G]

I just replaced a set in a B4V with factory rear springs. I am not sure but I think they were Vr6 springs. The back end came up for sure, the ancient springs on the car were pretty saggy.

 

[RIP TDI]

Update time....heavy duty rear B4V Passat wagon springs.

got my new HD euro spec springs installed ...

Good news! Thanks for the update.

 

[0die]

Supposedly VR6 and wagon springs are the same. everything I've read on that subject is the GLX or VR6 and TDI wagon rear springs are all the same. But I'm no expert.

 

[ToddA1]

VR6 rear sedan springs are the same as TDI rear wagon springs?

-Todd

 

[0die]

maybe it's the VR6 or GLX wagon springs that are the same as the TDI rears?

 

[Abacus]

The VR6 and TDI sedan springs are the same in the rear.

The VR6 and TDI wagon springs are the same in the rear.

The wagon springs and sedan springs are not the same in the rear, but will swap over.

I am running VR6 wagon springs in the rear of my sedan and they are slightly taller, which necessitated adjusting the headlights to compensate.

 

[0die]

So then stock OEM wagon springs is basically the HD option for sedans? Good to know for sedan guys wanting to pull a trailer.

 

[0die]

a pic showing the springs compared. I did not see any visual difference other than putting a micrometer on the coil to check the wire thickness

 

[G60ING]

Thanks for stepping up to the plate on this, I don't have a b4 but I'm glad to see the discussion finally reach a conclusion. I'm glad to see it work out well for you.

 

[0die]

I was going to take lots of pics and do an install write-up...but then realized...it's just a frekin coil spring...the process has been detailed many times already...

the only relevant new info is that there is a source of HD rear wagon springs that will lift your wagon's asss

 

[Abacus]

Mine are scheduled to arrive Wednesday.

 

[0die]

Amazon UK?

 

[john.jackson9213]

Mine are to arrive between November 6 and November 22. Not a problem. Need to get new shocks on order so the springs and shocks can be done at the same time.

 

[Abacus]

What are you going with? I have the TC rears but am thinking of something with a little more beef.

 

[john.jackson9213]

What are you going with? I have the TC rears but am thinking of something with a little more beef.

What are you thinking about with more beef??
Got my springs yesterday. Have not opened the box yet. Still need to figure out the shocks. IDParts tells me the TC shocks are a good combination of value and performance.
But it has been a long, long time since I participated in an autocross. And I am running cheap tires, so that doesn't help any suspension.
Have most of the stuff for a 5 lug conversion right now. Need new rotors, but that is easy. I want the big brakes that the 5 lug conversion will allow. That means I have to buy new tires to replace my half way used 14 inch tires and the 18 month old brakes now on the wagon.
Have read much about Koni shocks for years and never owned a set. Only Yellows are available for the wagon now. With stiffer rear springs, it might not be a bad combination. Don't know. Have to do more reading.
Abacus, think you have Koni Reds and perhaps a set of Yellows? Do you have a suggestion or two??

I have a call in to Matt to set up a time to do the 5 lug conversion, new shocks and rear springs all at the same time. Suppose I will be looking to see about other front end upgrades like TT bushings, etc. at the same time.

 

[Abacus]

I have the Reds in the front and the Yellows in the rear. Honestly I don't see a difference between the Reds and Yellows in the rear since you have to disassemble both to adjust them. I know the valving is supposed to be different but I set the Yellows where the Reds were and they are perfect.

I like the Koni's and think they handle great. We have TC's on the wagon and her sedan and while they are a good riding everyday strut, they are far from heavy duty and do not like to be pushed by spirited driving. I find a lot of washout and body roll when I try to get lively in her sedan whereas my sedan is positively glued to the road. And anyone who knows me knows I keep a lot of tools in the back, so my sedan is heavier than hers, but it doesn't seem to matter.

I thought about either the Yellows for the rear or the Bilstein HD's. Both carry the same warranty and are about the same price, but the Yellow's are adjustable, even if they are a PITA. The only bad thing I have seen with the Koni's is they rust fast but they do cover them under warranty, which is how I got the Yellow's. When I put the Reds in initially, I had them set to full soft and it washed around like a Cadillac, so I gradually turned them up. Now it's stiff without being jarring, firm but compliant.

I'll toss my HD rear springs in this weekend (probably) and see how they do with the TC's, maybe it'll be fine. If not, then I'll change them out in the spring and toss on new struts.

TDIDaveNH loves his big brake upgrade and is trying to get me to convert, but it's handy having all three B4's sharing the same parts, and we have plenty of wheels to go around. The smaller B4 brakes also keep me from pushing the car too hard because I know I won't be able to rail on them hard enough to stop if I get a little too spirited. They stop fine now for what I do, but I am curious. I need to drive Dave's B4 to see the difference. I seldom see the parts for the conversion in the local junkyard but have passed up two of them over the years. Maybe when the next one comes in, I'll snag it.

 

[cevans]

Great find! All the B4Vs around all have been looking a bit "saggy" lately and with OE springs being in short supply its nice to have a good (and well priced) alternative.

 

[hjsigmon]

Awesome find! Just ordered some for myself as well and the delivery date is December 18 - January 27th. I bought the Hi-lift spring set (Front and rear) for her 2005 Jetta wagon but ended up putting the front springs on my B4 Wagon (rear are completely different - not a strut assembly on her wagon but mounted separately) when I replaced the struts with Bilstein HDs. Put the Bilstein HDs on the rear and that's when I decided I need to do something with the rear springs as well. The peak of the rear wheel well was measuring 26" and with a 150lb person sitting on the back it was dropping 3/4"!

I have designed a way to add a smaller OD spring to nest inside the original but buying the HD springs is a much better option! If I decide I need a little more stiffness even with these HD springs I can always nest the springs in there later. It involves a harder nylon spacer where the bump stop used to be to hold the boot, spring cups to center the nested spring with a nylon insert for the bottom one to keep it from scratching the strut shaft, and a new bump stop to keep the nested spring from compressing to solid height.

 

[Abacus]

a pic showing the springs compared. I did not see any visual difference other than putting a micrometer on the coil to check the wire thickness

Did you paint the bottom of your springs? Mine are totally black.

 

[bbob203]

mine are getting saggy im going to go the cheap route for now and use the hockey puck method.

 

[bargainhunter]

Can I put these in my A3?

 

[0die]

Did you paint the bottom of your springs? Mine are totally black.

Nope. My new springs are totally black also. the color you see is the plastic coating at the top of the coil...my old OEM springs have this plastic coating too.

Your new springs have no coating??? what brand and source? Mine are Monroe SP0495.

 

[0die]

mine are getting saggy im going to go the cheap route for now and use the hockey puck method.

I've got my OEM wagon springs for sale...

 

[Maffken]

I put moog wagon rears and VR6 fronts springs in my A4 jetta and it defiantly rose the ride height and made it a lot stiffer/not nose diving all the time. Springs were thicker too.

I have some binding/squeaking from the perches on the rears still so I think I should have installed new "perches" to sit in side them to prevent it as much. I think that's just fault of the design though, they're solidly in there and not going to fly out.

I'll do it when I install my lift/replace the rear beam bushings.

 

[Abacus]

Nope. My new springs are totally black also. the color you see is the plastic coating at the top of the coil...my old OEM springs have this plastic coating too.

Your new springs have no coating??? what brand and source? Mine are Monroe SP0495.

Mine have no coating. They are 0.54" diameter like you mentioned, and I got them from the same place you did and in the same manner since I followed your post. Thanks for that, BTW. Interestingly enough, they have an extra coil in them when compared to the stock B4V spring. I can't wait to toss them in.

 

[bbob203]

1-3 months shipping???

 

[Abacus]

Mine took like 2-3 weeks or so. It was just as 0die said in the original post.

 

[0die]

I didn't notice the extra coil...but counted mine and yep...extra coil. I'm guessing that is part of the heavier capacity and why it raised the rear, considering the overall length was the same.

interesting to note that yours does not have the same plastic sleeve that mine had, even though they are the same brand/model...I wonder if one or the other is newer or older stock or different production run or factory source? Well I guess I better double check the printing on the coil...lol

I'm guessing that these are NLA and out of production so it's just random NOS (new old stock) that the UK Amazon seller is finding to list. They go in and out of stock it seems in odd quantities...

that said, get them while you can...

 

[hjsigmon]

I just got my new springs and one has the plastic sleeve and the other does not. I don't think I'm going to really get anywhere trying to get a sleeve from Monroe in the UK so I'll probably put some heat shrink on the one without the sleeve to make up some of the difference.

Also, the extra coil would actually result in a lower spring rate if everything else was the same...which means the wire thickness is probably larger.

Delivery was scheduled for December 18-January 20 when I ordered in late November but they got here December 24 so not too bad.