Fitting Coilovers - Leon Cupra

[DPJ]

***Work in progress***
*****Instructions + Torque figures to be added*****​

KW Variant 2 Coilovers

New VAG parts required (Recommended)
(Part numbers for Leon Cupra)
front
2 of 1J0412249 axial grooved ball bearing
2 of 1H0412365A threaded bush
2 of IJ0412331C suspension strut storage **(Check this is correct for your chassis)
2 of N90353604 Hex Nut
rear
2 of N10403701 Hex Nut
2 of IJ0512131C Rubber Stop **(Check this is correct for your chassis)
2 of 1J0512149B base upper


Tools required:
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White grease

Front

Removal of existing suspension struts.

Remove your brake discs and calipers. It is not necessary to disconnect the hydraulic brake lines.
Unbolt the three bolts that hold the bottom balljoint plate to the end of the wishbone arm. Pull the plate out of the wishbone end. This will give you more clearance.

Unbolt an anti-roll bar droplink from the car on one side only.

Unclip the wiring from the suspension struts.

Undo the clamp bolt at the rear of the wheel bearing housing that secures the suspension strut. Fit a wedge into the slot at the back to open the joint. (A large flat screwdriver or a small cold chisel is ideal). You should now be able to push the wheel bearing housing down off the bottom of the strut.

Moving to the top of the suspension strut, move the plastic cover, then using a hex (allen) bit to stop the piston rotating, undo the securing nut and remove the mounting plate.

You should now be able to remove the entire suspension strut.

Take a moment to admire your new coilovers and check everything is there.....

Note the locking screw on the height adjuster. Undo this now.

The KW front coilovers come with two height restrictors fitted to prevent anti-roll bars fouling the driveshafts. You can see these inside the top spring.

To make it easier for yourself, lower the height adjusting ring as far as it will go. This will take the spring pressure off.

Now, remove the locking nut that comes fitted to the top of the coilover.

You can now remove one or both of the height restricting rubbers, depending on the configuration of rollbar you are running.

Now, refit the top spring and the top purple mount.

 

[DPJ]

You should have bought a new top bearing for each side. Note the curved face should face upwards.

If you examine one of your new rubber topmounts, you will see that one side is curved to match the top face of the bearing.

The following picture shows the bearing seated into the rubber topmount - This is how they'd look assembled from underneath.

Plenty of white grease on the bearing and the rubber topmount.

Ok, now you needed one of the threaded bushes you bought. You use this to bolt the rubber topmount to the coilover. One face of it sits on the top of the top bearing.

Bottom view of threaded bush....

Top view of threaded bush....

Threaded bush fitted.......

 

[DPJ]

Here, I'm cutting up a 14mm spark plug spanner (actually 21mm ) It's use will become obvious.

Torque the bush up. (KW instructions say "Except as noted, all torque values must comply with manufacturers recommended specifications." I would guess the bush should be the same as the upper mounting bolt - 60Nm......)
Once it's tight, the rubber topmount will feel loose on the coilover - it's meant to be like that.

Now tighten the height adjuster ring to approx half way. That's one coilover ready to put on the car. Now do the other one.

Time to check over the bottom clamp mounting for the coilover. Check it's smooth inside, if not, give it a little TLC with some fine emery paper. For KW coilovers, you'll need to withdraw the clamp bolt past halfway because the coilover has a fin that fits down the slot at the back which the bolt goes through. Now pop some grease inside the clamp to help the coilover in. You shouldn't need a wedge in the clamp anymore - it should be open enough for the coilover to go in.

Now offer the coilover up through the wheel arch so that the rubber topmount is pushing against the underside of the turret.

Pop the mounting plate in from the top and bolt on a new nut.

Torque the bolt up (Should be 60Nm ), being very careful not to damage the top of the coilover.

Now introduce the bottom of the coilover to the wheel bearing housing (fin into slot at the back). You might find it useful to support the weight of the wheel bearing housing on a trolley jack, but don't use this to force the housing onto the coilover. It should push up relatively easily. When the coilover is fully home, you should be able to put the clamp bolt through.

You should now fit the bottom balljoint plate back into the end of the wishbone. This needs a bit of patience and a lot of jiggling. Again - it doesn't need forcing.

Now refit the nut to the clamp bolt and torque up - 60Nm, then a further 90 degrees.

 

[UncleFester]

Nice picture guide Dave. Things look like they could do with a coat or two of rust inhibitor and some hammerite whilst you're under there though?

 

[DPJ]

Fit the ABS and brake pad sensor wiring to the coilover mountings.

Get the Bottom balljoint retaining plate and refit it. Plate on top, bolts from beneath. I always push mine so the frontmost bolt is as far back as it will go before tightening. I then move the steering wheel so the rack pulls the back of the plate right in. Now torque all three bolts up - 20Nm, then a further 90 degrees.

Refit your anti- roll bar droplink. 45Nm to the wishbone.
Note - if you have a standard arb, you may need aftermarket long droplinks to stop your arb fouling the driveshafts. (My adjustable Neuspeed links are shown).

You should now tighten the locking screw on the height adjuster. (1-2NM max torque!)

You now need to refit your brake discs and calipers.

Ooooooo! Where did these come from?

340mm discs.

 

[DPJ]

Had to drill out the disc screws

Had to drill out the disc screws - but retapping the holes is a doddle...

Disc screw is N 10112603 countersunk bolt M6X15SP /

 

[DPJ]

Rears

You will find the rear is best done together, rather than one side at a time.

Start by removing the bottom mounting bolts from the shock absorbers (and uncoupling your rear ARB, if you have one)

Once both bottom shock absorber mounting bolts are out, the rear arms will drop down sufficiently for you to remove the springs easily. Don't forget to remove the bottom spring seats too, if they don't come out with the springs.

 

[DPJ]

 

[DPJ]

You nice red Neuspeed rear ARB will end up looking like this after three years......

You can see that it's possible to access the height adjuster from underneath the car.

Very hand instant erecting gazebo...

Now get your wheel alignment and camber checked.

 

[DPJ]

The rear ended up a bit too low!!!!!

It took me 40 minutes to raise it 3/4" at the back (no 'after' picture taken)

 

[DPJ]

Nice picture guide Dave. Things look like they could do with a coat or two of rust inhibitor and some hammerite whilst you're under there though?

Flash makes it look worse than it is Pat. I did treat the wishbones and subframe last year. I quite fancy getting another subframe and wishbones - them getting them sandblasted & powdercoated.

 

[DPJ]

Fronts are set 1/3 of the way soft>hard, rears 1/2 way soft>hard.


Initial impressions after 40 mile driving. Fronts feel spot on, but from the back feels very 'bouncy' which is disconcerting at speed. You need to remove the rear shockers to adjust them.

One of my rear arb droplinks doesnt look like it has a lot of life left, I need to find some more sharpish for when I adjust the rears.

I had to use some extra blocks of wood to get the rear of the car on the ramps to raise the height. When I came back off, I lost one and it has hastened the demise of the rear skirt.

 

[UncleFester]

Fronts are set 1/3 of the way soft>hard, rears 1/2 way soft>hard.


Initial impressions after 40 mile driving. Fronts feel spot on, but from the back feels very 'bouncy' which is disconcerting at speed. You need to remove the rear shockers to adjust them.

One of my rear arb droplinks doesnt look like it has a lot of life left, I need to find some more sharpish for when I adjust the rears.

I had to use some extra blocks of wood to get the rear of the car on the ramps to raise the height. When I came back off, I lost one and it has hastened the demise of the rear skirt which is good because it as the last of the original things that prevented me lowering the car.

Agreed entirely Dave - just out of interest have you tried putting a couple of sandbags in the boot to see what effect that has? I still think you want it a lot softer damped on the rear as you've less weight over the axle.

 

[DPJ]

Agreed entirely Dave - just out of interest have you tried putting a couple of sandbags in the boot to see what effect that has? I still think you want it a lot softer damped on the rear as you've less weight over the axle.

I'll try it, in the interests of science...

 

[stewbie55]

I'll be interested how you get on after adjusting the rears Dave, though you may want to give it a few hundred miles to let everything settle down first, I reckon my springs softened (?) a bit over the first 1000 miles or so and it became less bouncy.

I have my rears on 1/2 setting and my fronts about 1/3 but towards the firm end, not the soft end. Haven't played with the rears though as it a bit of a PITA.

 

[DPJ]

I'll be interested how you get on after adjusting the rears Dave, though you may want to give it a few hundred miles to let everything settle down first, I reckon my springs softened (?) a bit over the first 1000 miles or so and it became less bouncy.

I have my rears on 1/2 setting and my fronts about 1/3 but towards the firm end, not the soft end. Haven't played with the rears though as it a bit of a PITA.

Thanks for the input.
You don't find the rear disconcerting high speed in a straight line now?

 

[stewbie55]

Thanks for the input.
You don't find the rear disconcerting high speed in a straight line now?

No I dont find it disconcerting, though it can be a bit unforgiving on some of the bumpy dual carriageways around here, but it always feels well in control.
I reckon it deffo settles after a few 100 miles so it may well be worth experimenting after that.
Just thinking aloud do the rear shocks have to be removed completely to adjust them? IIRC its a question of turning the top half relative to the bottom that adjusts them (?). In that case I'm wondering if its possible to just unbolt the bottom mount (with the rear jacked up) and turn them in situ? I may be talking rubbish of course

 

[DPJ]

No I dont find it disconcerting, though it can be a bit unforgiving on some of the bumpy dual carriageways around here, but it always feels well in control.
I reckon it deffo settles after a few 100 miles so it may well be worth experimenting after that.
Just thinking aloud do the rear shocks have to be removed completely to adjust them? IIRC its a question of turning the top half relative to the bottom that adjusts them (?). In that case I'm wondering if its possible to just unbolt the bottom mount (with the rear jacked up) and turn them in situ? I may be talking rubbish of course

I'll give 'em 500 miles before I start fiddling. Unfortunately the piston on the shocker needs to be full compressed before it will engage the adjusting cams.

I don't think the beam would drop far enough to allow the top mount to be undone and accessed - certainly not with an arb attached.

 

[jamiebennett81]

Dave did you adjust the height of the coil overs when you put them on, or did you leave them as the manufacturer had sent them out in?

when I had my V1's fitted, the rear sat lower than the front straight away

I left it to settle for about 100 miles or so and then slammed the front - sits perfectly now

interesting you mention about the rear being bouncy. I have front and rear ARB's on mine as well, but the back does feel twitchy, and can now almost lift off into oversteer or the back feels like it wants to snap out after heavy breaking?

does yours feel like this at all?

 

[Feel]

I think everyone that finds this thread useful should chip in and buy Dave a shiney new spanner...