2010 onwards T5 upgrade model suspension kits .

[Sunny43.5]

A question for those who may have , has anyone fitted coil overs to their T5's 2010 onwards the upgrade model not T32 . The kit I received from the old blighty {UK} has turned into a bit of a nightmare , it was all fitted as it should be but makes the most annoying bloody noise you can imagine . Its an German made from a reputable company FK suspensions but the front struts make so much noise when travelling on any road that all the work I have done to the van to make it quiet has been ruined by the suspension . Inside it sounds like loud tapping but when you get outside and rock the van its a sort of creaking groaning sound coming from the shaft that goes down into the main strut body sounds like internal fluid being jammed through internal parts . The van rides and looks great but the noise is Peeing me off . listen hear fk coilover suspension vw transporter t5 - YouTube

[Julian Edgar]

That's amazingly bad!

[T5 Double off road]

Hi Sunny 43.5 I have something similar but not that bad since I removed the seals on the top of my upside-down double sleeve shocks which are kept totally clean inside the airbag suspension (which you cannot do) The problem is caused by the sideways thrust on the shock piston caused by not having an offset lower spring which makes the shock piston & rod grab instead of sliding freely, do some sketches of both setup's including the wheel to work out what is happening draw a line through the spring centre's down to the tyre tread, Fix! look for uprated units with factory layout.

[T5Pete]

the only ones i found that fit a '10+ van as coil overs were bilsteins. all the other were marked as not fitting including the FK's.

Parts catalogue

I got the info from places like merseyspeed and other UK t5 tuning places.

[Sunny43.5]

Thanks Pete I have already found the Bilsteins and its the next option And FK themselves told me that they had problems with the T5 upgrade but the seller Tidy Transporters in the UK are claiming that it is ok for that model and he also claims that they have fitted them to the T5 upgrade with no problems . Now FK have told me that Tidy transporters should not have sold them to me so I am the meat in the sandwich one side say they are fine and the manufacturere saying they are not , I am just so Pee"d of that this is taking so long to get sorted . I have emailed both parties with photos and links to the video's and that was now over a week ago and no one has replied . I will attempt one more emauil and then I will start to give them some stick on social media sites then they will maybe realise they cannot treat their customers this way . As the saying goes if you poison one person with bad service then lots of others will find out and it should then make them wake up. Here is the latest video taken last Saturday week clearly shows the strut shaft sort of grinding into the housing . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv8yjjZF3TM

[T5Pete]

just watched the first 30 seconds of the vid on Utube. I wouldn't be driving that car anywhere! that shock is being torqued up something chronic and probably the only thing holding it together is the valve stack at the bottom and the bushing at the top inside the cylinder. that is why its creaking so badly. get them swapped off ASAP.

I read an explanation as to the differences somewhere and it made it pretty clear as to why it wouldn't work.

[T5Pete]

pre facelift

VW T5 T5GP Bilstein B14 Coilover Suspension Kit For T32 1BH Chassis 47-222564

read note on this one!!

VW T5 T5GP 2 0 2 5 3 2cc V-Maxx Coilover Suspension Kit 70VW25

this is what you really want

T5 B14 Height Adjustable Coilover Kit | Vee Dub Transporters

[Sunny43.5]

Thanks T5 Pete I am in the process of ordering the Bilstein ones as I have had a gutfull of the two companies involved , you have no idea the sort of lies and BS they have trotted out . To get the picture I contacted Tidy Transporters UK last November originally I was after a factory cruise control and then decided the coilover kit would be good as well , after many emails to get conformation of which model I had the guy told me he knew exactly the model Van I had . So order for cruise control and FK coilover kit was paid for , well jump to 22nd March after a huge number of emails etc the kit finally arrives the cruise had arrived some weeks earlier but was the wrong model it was for the early T5 very different connections . Any way the coilover kit was fitted within a few days and I realised that there was something wrong. The noise as you would have heard was made clear to both parties in photos and two videos sent to them , now six more weeks later and both parties are telling two different stories one is saying the kit is the correct {Tidy Transporters} and FK are saying its not correct . Now after getting an email from FK saying that they have sent the replacements to Tidy Transporters last Wednesday , Tidy are telling me they have not received them . I am just so over both these packs of idiots and have asked for a refund , Tidy then try and tell me that UK law says that it can only be refunded within 28 days of receiving , Got the B*&^$D because I had all the emails it was 27 days after that I informed them of a fault , so now its deafening silence from Tidy Transporters . I will wait to see what happens tomorrow because believe me I will tip a bucket all over both of them on every VW website I can to warn people of this mobs way they conduct themselves .

[T5Pete]

don't rely on emails. pick up the phone and call them! then send an email confirming the conversation. (so you've got a record) I'd think you'd be able to sell those here to a member for a good price if they are not damaged if you end up stuck with em.

how much did you find the bilsteins for? did you get them 20% off with the VAT for export? I hope so.

[Sunny43.5]

Prices were all over the place one place $1747 plus freight second place $1435 plus freight , still looking and emailing suppliers .

[Sunny43.5]

Thought I would update this thread , I have ordered a complete new kit from Bilstein Suspension Direct in the UK , they certainly know there stuff not like the other mob . I had to threaten them with action through the UK consumer protection organization as he claimed that their return policy was no refund unless notified within 28 days . Well once he was informed that I had proof in emails that I notified him within the 28 days and would use social media to tip abucket on them he relented and arranged a full refund . In the mean time I will just have to live with what is now on there for a short time more .

[T5Pete]

who did you get them with and how many $$$. always remember the VAT free price is what you should get and shipping with http://www.transglobal.org.uk/ forget sea shipping, get your stuff in 4 days cheap!

[Sunny43.5]

Hi T5pete here is the link to Suspensions Direct in the Uk the price ended up at $1731 with freight no VAT and they split the order to avoid the dreaded import duty that would be charged here as any thing over a grand attracts duties , I ordered last week and was told it should be here end of this week .