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7+ years on VWR springs

bayarea7

Go Kart Champion
Location
Bay Area
Car(s)
'15 RSM 2 door S 6M
One of the first mods I did to my 15 was VWR springs (back when they were blue). It’s been 7+ years and with about 40k miles on them, 0 tracking but some spirited mountain drives they’ve behaved great and gave me a nice drop. Virtually no noise…until recently my rear left has been creaking. We all know the risks aggressive springs can have on oem struts. It was about time I switched to coils HOWEVER, is there reason to believe the springs have anymore life in them? As in, in the meantime mate them with some VWR struts to match? Or is 7+ years/40k miles just about a good life span for springs and should retire them lol
 

KevinC

Autocross Champion
Location
The land of Wyatt Earp & Doc Holliday
Car(s)
'19 Golf R, '21 M2c
Springs generally don't wear out. But the shocks/struts? I'd give them about 40k with stock springs. Cut it in half for lowering springs. Time for some new dampers.
 

tigeo

Autocross Champion
Springs generally don't wear out. But the shocks/struts? I'd give them about 40k with stock springs. Cut it in half for lowering springs. Time for some new dampers.
I found that to be not be true on my wagon....start around 8:00 in my video on the YouTubes here:

 

avenali312

Autocross Champion
Location
Mableton, GA
Car(s)
2015 GTI
I found that to be not be true on my wagon....start around 8:00 in my video on the YouTubes here:
I had my EMD springs on stock dampers for 41,555 miles (15,823 of stock spring miles before that) and the degradation was pretty apparent. Pot holes, bridge transitions, etc all felt substantially worse (some bridge crossings that I do frequently actually started to hit bump stops/bottom out right before I changed back to stock springs and Koni Special Active dampers for comfort). Like you mention in your video, I'm not sure what happens because there was no visible leaking, but they were riding like hot garbage haha.
 

tigeo

Autocross Champion
I had my EMD springs on stock dampers for 41,555 miles (15,823 of stock spring miles before that) and the degradation was pretty apparent. Pot holes, bridge transitions, etc all felt substantially worse (some bridge crossings that I do frequently actually started to hit bump stops/bottom out right before I changed back to stock springs and Koni Special Active dampers for comfort). Like you mention in your video, I'm not sure what happens because there was no visible leaking, but they were riding like hot garbage haha.
I have always wanted to see a tear down and understand what is actually happening internally here - seals going bad should allow leaking which is visible. Maybe the gas portion can escape but not oil? The orifaces should be unchanged.
 

avenali312

Autocross Champion
Location
Mableton, GA
Car(s)
2015 GTI
I have always wanted to see a tear down and understand what is actually happening internally here - seals going bad should allow leaking which is visible. Maybe the gas portion can escape but not oil? The orifaces should be unchanged.
Similar thing on my MKV back in the day. About 90k on the stock dampers and springs. Decided to put in DG springs since I had to replace the dampers anyway. The set that came out had absolutely no rebound left. Push in the shaft and it would just stay there, but again, no visible signs of anything.
 

tigeo

Autocross Champion
Similar thing on my MKV back in the day. About 90k on the stock dampers and springs. Decided to put in DG springs since I had to replace the dampers anyway. The set that came out had absolutely no rebound left. Push in the shaft and it would just stay there, but again, no visible signs of anything.
Oh I get that dampers wear out but so many say that sport/lowering springs hammer them in short order, mine felt new.
 

avenali312

Autocross Champion
Location
Mableton, GA
Car(s)
2015 GTI
Oh I get that dampers wear out but so many say that sport/lowering springs hammer them in short order, mine felt new.
I mean, I know it's not 1:1 with the different generations, but my lowered factory dampers lasted half as long as the ones on stock springs. I feel like cutting the lifetime in half is a pretty typical estimate from a lot of forum surfing. I'd still expect at least 40k unless you went super low with some crazy aggressive spring, and for me 40k is about 5 years.
 

tigeo

Autocross Champion
I mean, I know it's not 1:1 with the different generations, but my lowered factory dampers lasted half as long as the ones on stock springs. I feel like cutting the lifetime in half is a pretty typical estimate from a lot of forum surfing. I'd still expect at least 40k unless you went super low with some crazy aggressive spring, and for me 40k is about 5 years.
I read it too but I'm trying to understand the mechanism for the failure and what actually happens to cause a loss of damping is really my question.
 
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bayarea7

Go Kart Champion
Location
Bay Area
Car(s)
'15 RSM 2 door S 6M
I found that to be not be true on my wagon....start around 8:00 in my video on the YouTubes here:


Wow thank you so much for the replies and informative video. I do believe it to be not as huge of risk as many of us make it out to be.

End of the day, although I think my springs are fine, it'd be foolish to go in and do the work (I HATE suspension work so the less I have to do it the better) and not just replace the springs as well if I were to go for a say VWR spring and damper kit. Probably will just go ahead with coilovers anyway. Thanks again for the replies
 

tigeo

Autocross Champion
Wow thank you so much for the replies and informative video. I do believe it to be not as huge of risk as many of us make it out to be.

End of the day, although I think my springs are fine, it'd be foolish to go in and do the work (I HATE suspension work so the less I have to do it the better) and not just replace the springs as well if I were to go for a say VWR spring and damper kit. Probably will just go ahead with coilovers anyway. Thanks again for the replies
100% If you are in there, get some Konis/B8s or coilovers if you want to be able to adjust ride height and suspension travel etc.
 

SouthFL_Mk7.5

Autocross Champion
Location
South Florida
Car(s)
2019 GTI S
A year and a half daily driving and autox on the VWR springs and dampers and absolutely love the ride comfort and handling. They’re paired pretty damn well. Nice ride height too without going too low.
 

Chogokin

Autocross Champion
Location
So Cal
Car(s)
GTI Sport | Audi A3
I read it too but I'm trying to understand the mechanism for the failure and what actually happens to cause a loss of damping is really my question.

I’m curious about this too. What makes the damper wear out faster? Is it the reduction in travel?

This has nothing to do with the damper…but I frequently read about wheel spacers wearing out the wheel bearing prematurely…but then saying wheels with a lower offset is ok…when it’s actually the same thing.
 

bayarea7

Go Kart Champion
Location
Bay Area
Car(s)
'15 RSM 2 door S 6M
I’m curious about this too. What makes the damper wear out faster? Is it the reduction in travel?

This has nothing to do with the damper…but I frequently read about wheel spacers wearing out the wheel bearing prematurely…but then saying wheels with a lower offset is ok…when it’s actually the same thing.
I’m curious about this too. What makes the damper wear out faster? Is it the reduction in travel?

This has nothing to do with the damper…but I frequently read about wheel spacers wearing out the wheel bearing prematurely…but then saying wheels with a lower offset is ok…when it’s actually the same thing.
Lower springs means shorter linear travel and higher spring rate means more overall work for the strut. These cause it to decrease its dampening ability from a less compliant starting position = wear faster. "Blown struts" from lowering springs is overdiagnosed however as demonstrated above in the video.
 

tigeo

Autocross Champion
I’m curious about this too. What makes the damper wear out faster? Is it the reduction in travel?

This has nothing to do with the damper…but I frequently read about wheel spacers wearing out the wheel bearing prematurely…but then saying wheels with a lower offset is ok…when it’s actually the same thing.
Boom. Internet bro science on that one.
 
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