Eibach Pro-Street-S Ride-Height Adjustable Coilovers now available [Post 49 onwards]
- Thread starter Shredder
- Start date
The improvement is the result of the coil over having proper performance shocks , It isn't the coil over style kit that makes it better , its the improved shock technology . VW standard shocks aren't great , but struggle at lowered ride height and with bigger wheels , This is why we don't sell Springs alone . You will always get a better result from a balance kit .
I thought some of you might be interested in a review of my new suspension and my experiences with Bognor Motors.
We all know that the suspension on the T6 could do with improvements, I was a little better off than a standard van as I have a 68 plate Caravelle Exec DSG which has the 150 engine and a Revo tune.
The standard suspension was not too bad over all if you tootled about, never tried to drive progressively and didn’t mind the crashing and banging over expansion joints, manhole covers or rough roads. I am used to a decent suspension setup so the hunt was on for an upgrade.
I did consider Bilstein, Koni and a couple of others. In fact I have installed Koni on previous vehicles so I know how good they are. But, I did not want to mess too much with the warranty. After much research and loads of reading and a couple of posts on here which included very valuable help from both CRS and Bognor I decided to look at the VW Accessory upgrade which uses Eibach springs and shocks and I believe the shocks are actually made by KW a very reputable shock/damper manufacturer.
That decision led to the review of who to fit them, a dealer with no known references on how they fit them and whether they undertake a full wheel alignment or a local specialist. A couple of calls and emails later I was booked into Bognor Motors. More on Bognor below!
I have now covered over 500 miles on the new suspension on all types of road, motorway and farm tracks and even into a couple of fields.
The overall impressions is between very good and excellent. You still feel a bump over expansion joints at slow speed but no crashing, shaking or banging. The whole vehicle is very smooth and stable, little lean on corners, turn in is so much better at reasonable speeds, the back feels much more planted and if you do feel a tad spirited you can easily take corners much quicker than the standard stock suspension. I used to try and drive around imperfections in the road or miss big cats-eyes etc, I now hardly ever think about it, just drive, and enjoy the whole experience a lot more. I can’t wait for a long trip through France into Italy once the borders open again and things settle down.
Was the cost worth it - Yes, I’m very happy with the new setup.
So how was the service from Bognor Motors?
Oli at Bognor was very efficient and helpful with his advice and recommendations, he asked whether I wanted ‘to go low’, keep the same height, how I would use the Caravelle, what type of typical loads, types of roads I typically drove on and what I wanted from the new suspension. He then informed me on a few setups and their benefits depending on what I wanted to achieve. After this thorough review I settled on the Eibach Coilovers as they would provide me with the driving dynamics I was after and keep my warranty intact.
When we arrived at Bognor Motors Oli and his team were very attentive and made me and my wife feel very comfortable. They explained what they would do and how long it would take. We borrowed a Shuttle and popped into Chichester and then on to the Downs for lunch and a walk.
When we went back for the Caravelle we were again met by the team who explained what they had done and made sure I was satisfied. The journey home, some 70 miles, felt a little different as the suspension bedded in and it continued to do so for a while. But it soon felt soooooo much better than the stock setup.
Oli impressed me further by an email and call the following morning checking on my satisfaction and also identifying a small possible issue that he wanted to check. To be sure a technician came to me the following morning to check all was OK which was followed up by a call from Oli within 5mins of the technician leaving. Very impressive, Oli had identified a possible issue that I did not know I could have had and arranged a solution before I even knew I might have had an issue. If you see what I mean. That in my book is excellent customer service. Very well done Oli and team. That sealed it for me. Oli will be getting my servicing etc from now on, despite the 140 mile round trip.
In summary I can recommend the Eibach Coilovers and also highly recommend Oli and Bognor Motors.
PS - I have no affiliations with either Oli or Bognor Motors.
We all know that the suspension on the T6 could do with improvements, I was a little better off than a standard van as I have a 68 plate Caravelle Exec DSG which has the 150 engine and a Revo tune.
The standard suspension was not too bad over all if you tootled about, never tried to drive progressively and didn’t mind the crashing and banging over expansion joints, manhole covers or rough roads. I am used to a decent suspension setup so the hunt was on for an upgrade.
I did consider Bilstein, Koni and a couple of others. In fact I have installed Koni on previous vehicles so I know how good they are. But, I did not want to mess too much with the warranty. After much research and loads of reading and a couple of posts on here which included very valuable help from both CRS and Bognor I decided to look at the VW Accessory upgrade which uses Eibach springs and shocks and I believe the shocks are actually made by KW a very reputable shock/damper manufacturer.
That decision led to the review of who to fit them, a dealer with no known references on how they fit them and whether they undertake a full wheel alignment or a local specialist. A couple of calls and emails later I was booked into Bognor Motors. More on Bognor below!
I have now covered over 500 miles on the new suspension on all types of road, motorway and farm tracks and even into a couple of fields.
The overall impressions is between very good and excellent. You still feel a bump over expansion joints at slow speed but no crashing, shaking or banging. The whole vehicle is very smooth and stable, little lean on corners, turn in is so much better at reasonable speeds, the back feels much more planted and if you do feel a tad spirited you can easily take corners much quicker than the standard stock suspension. I used to try and drive around imperfections in the road or miss big cats-eyes etc, I now hardly ever think about it, just drive, and enjoy the whole experience a lot more. I can’t wait for a long trip through France into Italy once the borders open again and things settle down.
Was the cost worth it - Yes, I’m very happy with the new setup.
So how was the service from Bognor Motors?
Oli at Bognor was very efficient and helpful with his advice and recommendations, he asked whether I wanted ‘to go low’, keep the same height, how I would use the Caravelle, what type of typical loads, types of roads I typically drove on and what I wanted from the new suspension. He then informed me on a few setups and their benefits depending on what I wanted to achieve. After this thorough review I settled on the Eibach Coilovers as they would provide me with the driving dynamics I was after and keep my warranty intact.
When we arrived at Bognor Motors Oli and his team were very attentive and made me and my wife feel very comfortable. They explained what they would do and how long it would take. We borrowed a Shuttle and popped into Chichester and then on to the Downs for lunch and a walk.
When we went back for the Caravelle we were again met by the team who explained what they had done and made sure I was satisfied. The journey home, some 70 miles, felt a little different as the suspension bedded in and it continued to do so for a while. But it soon felt soooooo much better than the stock setup.
Oli impressed me further by an email and call the following morning checking on my satisfaction and also identifying a small possible issue that he wanted to check. To be sure a technician came to me the following morning to check all was OK which was followed up by a call from Oli within 5mins of the technician leaving. Very impressive, Oli had identified a possible issue that I did not know I could have had and arranged a solution before I even knew I might have had an issue. If you see what I mean. That in my book is excellent customer service. Very well done Oli and team. That sealed it for me. Oli will be getting my servicing etc from now on, despite the 140 mile round trip.
In summary I can recommend the Eibach Coilovers and also highly recommend Oli and Bognor Motors.
PS - I have no affiliations with either Oli or Bognor Motors.
Hi, Not used Koni on a van. I put them on 2 different Defenders which made the ride much better, in my opinion it is all about the dual tube aspect which provides so much better comfort and ride. It was much better than the Bilstein B6 dampers people put on the Defenders.
My choice for the Caravelle was either Koni or the Eibach/KW dampers. Eibach won just because of the warranty protection otherwise I would have put on Koni.
Mind you, the new Bilstein Komfort's could have been an option but I could not find any sensible reviews on them or anyone with long term experience.
My choice for the Caravelle was either Koni or the Eibach/KW dampers. Eibach won just because of the warranty protection otherwise I would have put on Koni.
Mind you, the new Bilstein Komfort's could have been an option but I could not find any sensible reviews on them or anyone with long term experience.
That’s a very kind review and I’m glad your pleased with them and our service. Enjoy your Caravelle
An update now that I have cover over 2,000 miles since the suspension upgrade. At first I thought there was minimal improvements but after a while I think the new suspension has ‘bedded in’ and although slow speed big potholes etc still feel quite similar but without the crashing and banging the other benefits are huge.
Once you are moving above, say, 35-40 the whole vehicle feels much more planted, the steering is so much better and taught, before it wanted to under steer a lot even at moderate speeds you needed to add a bit more turn. Now is feels more like it is on rails, I know it’s not a racing vehicle but it gives you so much more confidence and you don’t have to spend mental energy assessing every quick corner – just drive around it. It will go around corners more comfortably as well as quicker – I don’t mean silly fast, just progressively which on long A and B road journeys is much less tiring and more comfortable.
I have just cover about 250 on Welsh mountain roads, tracks and by-ways and it was a joy to drive. No slouchy suspension, no banging or crashing, just a safe and easy drive.
On motorways is was noticeable that the Caravelle is much less affected by side winds and the steering is nicely weighted in the straight on position, just need to sit there and enjoy the company and music.
I have it set at standard height, I think that is a 30mm drop, Oli can correct me on that if I am wrong.
In my opinion it is money very well spent and I won’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone with a Caravelle or similar.
Once you are moving above, say, 35-40 the whole vehicle feels much more planted, the steering is so much better and taught, before it wanted to under steer a lot even at moderate speeds you needed to add a bit more turn. Now is feels more like it is on rails, I know it’s not a racing vehicle but it gives you so much more confidence and you don’t have to spend mental energy assessing every quick corner – just drive around it. It will go around corners more comfortably as well as quicker – I don’t mean silly fast, just progressively which on long A and B road journeys is much less tiring and more comfortable.
I have just cover about 250 on Welsh mountain roads, tracks and by-ways and it was a joy to drive. No slouchy suspension, no banging or crashing, just a safe and easy drive.
On motorways is was noticeable that the Caravelle is much less affected by side winds and the steering is nicely weighted in the straight on position, just need to sit there and enjoy the company and music.
I have it set at standard height, I think that is a 30mm drop, Oli can correct me on that if I am wrong.
In my opinion it is money very well spent and I won’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone with a Caravelle or similar.
@XZO - Hey, I don't suppose a further update is possible is it? Pretty please? Seeing as I want to invest the money in a coilover set-up, the long term review is what i am keen on. I can imagine the ride quality is immediately noticeable when the change is made, but how are they driving some time later? Thanks in advance, and if anyone else wants to chime in on this - please do! Cheers.
I've now had these over a year and about 12k miles. Still rate them just as highly; super comfortable ride coupled with decent handling. What's not to like!
But would i buy them again? Quite possibly, but I can't compare them to anything else because i haven't driven other setups. There have been several new options come to market in the last year, such as the Komforts, Project Monotube & H&R/Koni coils, and i'd probably want to have a ride in those (and KW v1s) first to try and compare. It also depends on what you're after, and how high on your priority list things like ride height and warranty compliance are. If you're anywhere near @BognorMotors I'd suggest testing out some of the options before spending your hard earned
But would i buy them again? Quite possibly, but I can't compare them to anything else because i haven't driven other setups. There have been several new options come to market in the last year, such as the Komforts, Project Monotube & H&R/Koni coils, and i'd probably want to have a ride in those (and KW v1s) first to try and compare. It also depends on what you're after, and how high on your priority list things like ride height and warranty compliance are. If you're anywhere near @BognorMotors I'd suggest testing out some of the options before spending your hard earned
Cheers @Village - you've just reminded me to get back to @BognorMotors (i had started up a conversation with them), but i am really grateful for your experience with these Eibach's. It's all a bit 'horses for courses' I guess, and knowing what your main use will be and marrying up the best tool for the job.
Always happy to chat
Aaarrgh! Had one of my rear Eibach Pro Street S springs go bang reversing off the drive at the weekend, less than 9000 miles old, bought in Jan 2019. Does anyone think I'll get a warranty replacement? I've filled in the extended warranty registration and have the receipt for the kit.
Suspect I'll have to buy some new springs anyway to get me back on the road again quickly, but are there any better springs to see if I can last a bit longer this time? Are the springs from KW any better?
Suspect I'll have to buy some new springs anyway to get me back on the road again quickly, but are there any better springs to see if I can last a bit longer this time? Are the springs from KW any better?
jimbops
New Member
That’s not good at all, hopefully just a one off. Did you manage to get a replacement under warranty?
I have replaced them with a pair of KW springs from Steve at CRS, just have to send the warranty for and pictures off to Eibach to see if they will replace the broken one (or both hopefully) so I can have a spare set should it happen again.
jimbops
New Member
That’s crazy, do you carry loads of weight ?
Still shouldn’t break as specially after 9000 miles .
It will be interesting to see what Eibach offer as that is just appalling.
I hope mine last a little longer than that, I better look into registering the warranty .
Question.. did you have dust sleeves put on your front shocks? I got told they didn’t need one.
See images.
It's a Kombi conversion T28, pop top fitted, no kitchen units in yet but the most I've loaded it with is 30 bags of coal once or twice a year.
No covers on the front dampers.
No covers on the front dampers.
jimbops
New Member
I hope you get some decent customer service from Eibach mate.
