Question in regards to Eibach lowering springs on a 2017 base model MK3

[Azizo]

Hey guys!

Since my last wheel upgrade back in September the overall handling experience has been a real joy, 18-inch rims on a set of EAG F1 ASY 6's truly seemed worth the upgrade so far!

The only ''down'' side now is that it almost looks like my car is on stilts, therefore I've actively been looking into lowering it slightly. The little research I did, combined with the budget I'm currently working with is currently pointing me towards the lowering springs direction rather than going for coil-overs/air-lift route.

I own a 2017 base model Leon ST which unlike the FR/Cupra variation doesn't come lowered from the factory. Therefore I was hoping to somewhat be able to replicate that very same look, but instead on my base model. I am a sucker for aesthetics and the look of a lowered car however I also wouldn't want it to impact the driving comfort too much. After looking online for a bit the Eibach Sportline & Eibach Pro-kit seem to be reasonably priced here in Sweden, does anyone have any experience with these? The Pro-kit offers a 35/30mm drop, whereas the Sportline's offer a 45/40 drop.

Seeing as they apparently also come in 2 different variations I'm also experiencing some difficulties trying to figure out the correct one. There's 1 for individual suspension on the rear axle and then there's 1 for a rigid rear axle. How do I know which of the is the correct one for my car?

Oh and I also run standard shocks, which might unintentionally jeopardize the entire thing too, being the inexperienced ''newbie'' I am unsure on whether they might even be compatible with lowering springs to begin with. Would it perhaps be better to just aim for coil-overs instead? Any recommendations/suggestions would be highly appreciated.

 

[Damo H]

I can't offer a 100% comparison as I ran Eibachs on a Cupra 4 Drive. And the 4Drive only had Sportline's as an option and their springs were different to the normal Cupra ST due to the added weight.

However, I would say that if you're after a more OEM (Cupra) look and retaining road comfort, then Sportline's are definitely not the choice. As much as mine where great in general, they suffered on the bigger bumps, even hitting the bump stops. I'd say stick with the Pro, which will still sit lower than a Cupra anyway (Cupra and FRs sit 10mm lower than stock).

As for which version you need, independent or cross beam,, the easiest way would be to just look under the rear of your car. If there is a beam connecting both sides of the suspension, then you have the cross beam, where as if you have hinged joints, the you have the multilink independent. I'm sure in the UK it was only certain higher engine and trim levels (FR and aCupra) that got the multi link, but I could be wrong. This might help you identify what you have:

null-bar | Multilink or Torsion Beam axles on the Golf7 (MQB) Platform

Als europaweiter Marktführer bieten wir euch ein einzigartiges Portfolio an Produkten im Air&Static Fahrwerksbereich an. Selbstverständlich bieten wir da ganze als Rundum-Sorglos-Paket mit entsprechender Beratung und verschiedensten Zahlungsvarianten an.

null-bar.de

 

[Azizo]

I can't offer a 100% comparison as I ran Eibachs on a Cupra 4 Drive. And the 4Drive only had Sportline's as an option and their springs were different to the normal Cupra ST due to the added weight.

However, I would say that if you're after a more OEM (Cupra) look and retaining road comfort, then Sportline's are definitely not the choice. As much as mine where great in general, they suffered on the bigger bumps, even hitting the bump stops. I'd say stick with the Pro, which will still sit lower than a Cupra anyway (Cupra and FRs sit 10mm lower than stock).

As for which version you need, independent or cross beam,, the easiest way would be to just look under the rear of your car. If there is a beam connecting both sides of the suspension, then you have the cross beam, where as if you have hinged joints, the you have the multilink independent. I'm sure in the UK it was only certain higher engine and trim levels (FR and aCupra) that got the multi link, but I could be wrong. This might help you identify what you have:

null-bar | Multilink or Torsion Beam axles on the Golf7 (MQB) Platform

Als europaweiter Marktführer bieten wir euch ein einzigartiges Portfolio an Produkten im Air&Static Fahrwerksbereich an. Selbstverständlich bieten wir da ganze als Rundum-Sorglos-Paket mit entsprechender Beratung und verschiedensten Zahlungsvarianten an.

null-bar.de

Thank you so much for the detailed and informative response! This is honestly more than I could've wished for. You've definitely helped clear up some much-needed confusion!

I am genuinely amazed at how much of a difference that 10mm makes from a visual perspective, I genuinely had no idea that it was only a 10mm difference compared to the FR/Cupra models. Often at times when I spot an FR at the parking lot I can't help myself but park right next to it which definitely made me realize how big of a difference it can make

I will definitely be looking further into Pro-kit seeing as the Cupra OEM look is definitely the look I'm trying to go for so now I just have to figure out the entire cross-beam thing and I'll probably be placing an order for a set of those very soon, your guide will surely come in handy for that too!

Thank you again very much for all of your help, it's much appreciated!

 

[BigJase88]

Pro-kit is generally subtle look and is my go to for most cars.

Sportline does look quite low from experience

 

[Azizo]

Pro-kit is generally subtle look and is my go to for most cars.

Sportline does look quite low from experience

Great pick! Ahh yeah they really do! I also use it as my daily driver and generally speaking always have at least 2-3 extra passengers with me too so Pro does seem a lot more tempting, found an old post from a forum member here:

Eibach Lowering springs - before & after

Eibach Pro Line Lowering Springs - 35mm drop. £114 delivered. Precision aluminium hub centric wheel spacers - 15mm. £69 with extended wheel bolts (no locks). Surprised how far it's dropped. Glad I didn't go with the Sport Line springs, as I still need to drive the thing with 5 people and a dog...

www.seatcupra.net

I also believe he runs a base model and the difference in drop is very recognizable which I absolutely love!

It's been pouring rain here in Sweden for the last 3 days straight so I haven't had a chance yet to look under the car to figure out the axle bit but hopefully the weather will clear up soon. The pricing here is absolutely insane though, around 220 pounds for just the Pro's but seeing as everything is always very inflated here in Sweden compared to other countries I'm used to it by now haha

 

[Azizo]

As for which version you need, independent or cross beam,, the easiest way would be to just look under the rear of your car. If there is a beam connecting both sides of the suspension, then you have the cross beam, where as if you have hinged joints, the you have the multilink independent. I'm sure in the UK it was only certain higher engine and trim levels (FR and aCupra) that got the multi link, but I could be wrong. This might help you identify what you have:

You're 100% correct. It's been pouring buckets here for a few days straight now, but the second I saw it clear up just now I had a look underneath and I do have a cross-beam axle, so it might have been the same for us here in Sweden where only the higher-end models got the multi-link

 

[syph]

I just came from a octavia RS over to an FR. I had to buy something way cheaper to run than the RS, 14,19 danish kroner per liter 1,85 euro equivelant and do over 1k kilometers a week just for work. The suspension on the RS was very unpleasant compared to FR but that was also on 18 and 19 inch. 10mm is more than what one anticipates and looks like even more. I liked how the RS handled but the FR comfort better so will test when I get 18 inch installed on FR.

 

[serdar_18fr]

Thank you so much for the detailed and informative response! This is honestly more than I could've wished for. You've definitely helped clear up some much-needed confusion!

I am genuinely amazed at how much of a difference that 10mm makes from a visual perspective, I genuinely had no idea that it was only a 10mm difference compared to the FR/Cupra models. Often at times when I spot an FR at the parking lot I can't help myself but park right next to it which definitely made me realize how big of a difference it can make

I will definitely be looking further into Pro-kit seeing as the Cupra OEM look is definitely the look I'm trying to go for so now I just have to figure out the entire cross-beam thing and I'll probably be placing an order for a set of those very soon, your guide will surely come in handy for that too!

Thank you again very much for all of your help, it's much appreciated!

According to the official service manuals, the difference between standard chassis and sports chassis (FR or Cupra without DCC) in regard to ride height is 15 millimeters, not 10.

Cupra running gear with DCC drops an additional 10 millimeters.

Don't call me pedantic, just providing correct information

EDIT : I just noticed that it was an old topic which was revived today, sorry.