I just lifted my Evoque Dynamic for two reasons 1) Tow an old caravan more effectively - the drawbar on the old caravan is set a bit too high for modern towballs, so the additional height at the towball is welcome 2) Extra clearance for lengthy beach, sand track driving where obviously the Evoque can traverse easily except a lot of dragging if not lifted.
The H&R springs kit added 30mm. The Russian made plastic spacers which sit atop each strut (so basically classified as a 'body lit' in my opinion) added a further 20mm for a total 50mm suspension lift (the legal limit in my country).
First thoughts are that the additonal space in the wheel arch with stock tyres visually suits the vehicle. There is lots of clearance for larger tyres, potentially I will go with a rolling diameter aproximately 50mm larger than stock thus adding another 25mm of lift at a future date.
Climbing in and out is similar to before, but a little less comfortable of course with the additional height. The H&R springs have not diminished the handling at all.... in fact, dare I say it they have made it handle 'better' on road with slightly less body roll. This is because the springs seems to achieve the added height via increased preload, they are physically not much longer to my eye, but visually larger diameter steel thus increased spring rate no doubt. How this pans out offroad remains to be seen, but for beach driving I would say there should be no negative affects since articulation of the spring is not a big deal on sand compared to say.... mud and ruts.
The spacers atop the struts are good quality with steel collars inserted and a good fit. Had I not fitted these I would have said that the 30mm lift from the Springs alone would not be worth the expense and effort. But combined with the spacers, the project makes more sense.
Clearance under the vehicle seems very pronounced compared to stock. I can actually climb under the vehicle now, a clear sign that I have achieved useful clearance.
Installing the kits myself has given me a new appreciation for the Evoque. It certainly appears to be a 'chelsea tractor' on first impressions with more style than substance. However, having dismantled the suspension for the project I have noted that the stock dampers are extreme heavy duty quality items fit to take on anything in my opinion. The suspension design is very advanced, being able to accommodate the lift without even losing much alignment. Castor correction or other items normally required on modified lifted 4x4's are not necessary. Eveything seemed to be appropriately heavy duty and the rear suspension is very advanced compared to the many other vehicles I have modified. I also noted significant travel on the suspension. It seems to drop down forever compared to similar use vehicles I have modified. The engineers have managed to compensate for the low ride height via clever long travel suspension.
All in all, I'd say the Evoque was not just for show, it seems the engineers stayed true to the brand and got their way under the skin of the vehicle even if they did decide to compromise on the ride height. Hopefully I don't break anything via the modifications, time will tell, but so far it seems angles of driver shafts etc all seems fairly mild with the lift.
I'll post some pictures when I can.
The H&R springs kit added 30mm. The Russian made plastic spacers which sit atop each strut (so basically classified as a 'body lit' in my opinion) added a further 20mm for a total 50mm suspension lift (the legal limit in my country).
First thoughts are that the additonal space in the wheel arch with stock tyres visually suits the vehicle. There is lots of clearance for larger tyres, potentially I will go with a rolling diameter aproximately 50mm larger than stock thus adding another 25mm of lift at a future date.
Climbing in and out is similar to before, but a little less comfortable of course with the additional height. The H&R springs have not diminished the handling at all.... in fact, dare I say it they have made it handle 'better' on road with slightly less body roll. This is because the springs seems to achieve the added height via increased preload, they are physically not much longer to my eye, but visually larger diameter steel thus increased spring rate no doubt. How this pans out offroad remains to be seen, but for beach driving I would say there should be no negative affects since articulation of the spring is not a big deal on sand compared to say.... mud and ruts.
The spacers atop the struts are good quality with steel collars inserted and a good fit. Had I not fitted these I would have said that the 30mm lift from the Springs alone would not be worth the expense and effort. But combined with the spacers, the project makes more sense.
Clearance under the vehicle seems very pronounced compared to stock. I can actually climb under the vehicle now, a clear sign that I have achieved useful clearance.
Installing the kits myself has given me a new appreciation for the Evoque. It certainly appears to be a 'chelsea tractor' on first impressions with more style than substance. However, having dismantled the suspension for the project I have noted that the stock dampers are extreme heavy duty quality items fit to take on anything in my opinion. The suspension design is very advanced, being able to accommodate the lift without even losing much alignment. Castor correction or other items normally required on modified lifted 4x4's are not necessary. Eveything seemed to be appropriately heavy duty and the rear suspension is very advanced compared to the many other vehicles I have modified. I also noted significant travel on the suspension. It seems to drop down forever compared to similar use vehicles I have modified. The engineers have managed to compensate for the low ride height via clever long travel suspension.
All in all, I'd say the Evoque was not just for show, it seems the engineers stayed true to the brand and got their way under the skin of the vehicle even if they did decide to compromise on the ride height. Hopefully I don't break anything via the modifications, time will tell, but so far it seems angles of driver shafts etc all seems fairly mild with the lift.
I'll post some pictures when I can.