Depends how low you wanna go.. An easy fix with a nice drop but not to low, a set of Eibach springs and do it yourself.

 

How much is that?

 

Two words: Fat chicks.



But don't be like a bouncy Honda. If you get stiffer, lower springs, you need shocks designed to handle them. The stock shocks may seem to work fine at first, but the added stress of the higher-rate springs will overcome them in short order.

Blown shocks = bad ride and unsafe handling as the weight of the car shifts all around without the springs being dampened.

Many people who lower cheaply for looks soon regret it. Ask yourself if you'd rather look at your car or drive it.

If you really want to change your car's suspension, take some time and read up on it while you are saving money for a proper set-up. Learn about all the compromises in your stock suspension and how any changes you plan alters everything.

 

Many people who lower cheaply for looks soon regret it. Ask yourself if you'd rather look at your car or drive it.

This. Damn car is expensive enough just to regularly maintain, why lower on the cheap and invite more problems?

I also happily rock the 15" stock rims. Can't be bothered.

 

the cheapest and most unsafe way is to cut your springs.

If you have the same shocks and springs from 2003, you will want to replace both of them. Plan around $500.00 plus labor (or do it your self).

Bilstein HD shocks, H&R Sports springs are the most common drop with a daily driver feel. (1.5" drop)

If you want to be 'slammed' and don't care that you feel every rock and crack on the road, look at coilovers.

ST (Suspension Techniques {around $800-$700}) and V-Maxx (around $600-$500) are the cheapest i know about.

 

Raceland has a kit for the b5&b5.5 thats <$400 and they seem to hold up fairly well. There was a zombie thread revival a month or two ago and people were still happy with these a year or two down the road.

 

Another thing to consider if you're going low is the streets you drive that car on. Yes, some lowering systems can produce a harsh ride, but just as important is how much ground clearance they provide. If you need to traverse steep driveway or parking lot entrances, you don't want to scrape. Leave enough clearance under the oil pan for speed bumps or manhole covers that stick up too far. Most of the sport spring systems that only drop the car an inch or so won't be a problem. But if you get adjustable coil-overs and dial them all the way down to "car show" height, you risk bottoming out and damaging things.

 

OP...please take a second to read this:

I understand you want to go as cheap as possible; however, I have done that, and have gone through 5 different sets of suspension setups as well. You will literally kick yourself by "cheaping" out, and it will cost you MORE in the long run. The cheapest, BEST way is springs and shock combo (HR sport springs/koni yellows). Don't just to springs...you'll wear the stock shocks out faster and will have to replace them, effectively spending double for the same work of taking the suspension off. Spend the extra money and get the lowering shocks to match. If you're unsure about which height you want, spend the 799 and get ST coilovers which will let you adjust height.

I've paid for suspension removal too many times....should have done coilover up front.

your move.

 

I don't know your definition of cheap, but I'm currently running H&R Sport springs with Bilstein Sport shocks on my 2004 FWD sedan. It dropped about 2" all around, it's sitting at 13" from fender to center of wheel. It's low enough for me, and there are some speed bumps around me that I can scrape if not careful. Before this I had FK Streetlines, but sold those to a buddy here since I wanted something stiffer and didn't need to adjust height. I was fortunate enough that I didn't lose much money on the transaction, but I still did the work multiple times, and my times means something to me, so in my mind I should have gotten what I wanted the first time. I installed the coilovers, then swapped the stock back in, then later swapped my current set up on. A lot of work if you're not getting paid for it, but I was able to do it. Bottom line, figure out how low you want to go and find the best solution you can afford and begin saving and planning for it. You'll need some tools for the job unless you're paying someone else, then you need to budget for that as well.

To help, FK Streetlines I paid about $530 or something with delivery, for the H&R/Bilstein setup I think I paid about $700.

 

just get the raceland coilovers it will be the best bang for your buck. and if you are trying to go low just make sure you dont drive like a woman and watch the roads for dangerous obstacles

 

As has been stated before do your research and know what your looking for ... I probably looked for suspension since I first started looking for mods (about 2 years ago) and just this year I finally decided on ST coilovers. On a student budget i was looking for something on the cheap as well but after reading through threads on here I learned quickly that going on the cheap might cost more in the long run. hope this helps and best of luck to you !

 

Check out all our sport spring options -




Link To All -

 

I've been looking at the FK suspension kits on the ECS tuning website. they seem to be a viable option for those of us looking for a more aggressive stance on a car that most likely wont be seeing any track duty. They offer 2 kits, a 1.4"F 1.6"R drop, and a 2.2"F 1.6"R drop, both offer 6 way dampening on the shocks. I don't have any personal experience with the kits but reviews around the net seems to be positive. At $380 they are most likely not the best stuff on the market but its defiantly better than just running lowering springs on the stock shocks or even worse, cutting your springs. Hope this helps and GL.


OEM / Performance Parts for Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Mini, Porsche & Volkswagen - ECS Tuning

 

Haha, I hope they aren't too defiant, that may not be good for you Seriously though, I bought my H&Rs from ECS as well and have been very happy; quick shipping, though I'm sure being in stock helped.

 

Seriously? As above, there is doing it cheap (cutting the springs, going with lowering springs only) or doing it correctly (coilovers) The choice is yours, personally, I would always rather do things correctly the first time, but that's just me.

 

Alright, I'm a high school student and a don't have a super large amount of money so I'm trying to see what I can do with what I have and what would be best.

 

Volkswagen Passat B5 FWD 1.8T > Suspension > Springs > ES#248218 High Tec B5 Passat Lowering Spring Set - FKVW119

Cheap, but reliable?

 

Save your $$ for maintenance/repair, imo. Where are you re: timing belt/water pump, etc?

FYI, I'm 28...not a grandpa here. Saw your other thread asking what else you should do, too. Sensible thing is to save your $$ for needs rather than wants. To each his own - I bought new rims in high school too, brah.

I wrecked that truck and instantly regretted the rims.

 

http://www.passatworld.com/forums/4....com/forums/42-volkswagen-passat-b5-discussion/343753-whatshould-i-do-next.html

Link to my other thread with pictures of my car. Anything else I can do to make it "cooler"? Suggestions are nice.

 

i put the racelands on my b5 a few months ago and have been very happy w them. my stock suspension was so bad a 160k so that may be a bad ref for my idea of a decent ride, but as long as i dont drive like an ass and look out for deep potholes and steep entrances im fine. i even stupidly had to drive up the side of a western mass mountain on a bumped out gravel road and it made it(long story wont do it again, but glad i made it ok and intact). i should also note that i spent extra $ and replaced my axles and all the control arms, and tie rod ends before i installed the racelands.

 

As people have said spring are cheapest but will kill old shocks quick and once you replace the shock your in the 500-600 range, coilover are very affordable now and offer flexablitly, as has been said V-maxx are good value about $570 for hight adjustable but I went with there xxtreme coilovers which offer high and damping adjustment which works really well for what I want as I have a wagon that i like to use (put some junk in the trunk) and I have wide low offset wheels and setting the damping to the stiffer setting almost eliminates rubbing plus I prefer a firmer ride but thats the great thing about the adjustment if its too stiff you can back the adjuster off, change the hight etc . What Im saying is maybe save some money and buy something you'll be happy with and ultimately will cost about the same in long run once you've realized the cheap option aren't doing what you'ed hoped for.

Edit: as other have said do control arms at the same time if they show signs of ware as they will help you new shocks last and improves the ride plus it easier if you have everything apart and also you only need to the get it alined once.

 

If you change ride height, you need to loosen then retorque the control arms' pivot bolts at the new height. Otherwise, your bushings will be preloaded and wear out sooner.