budget lowering

[mastayoda]

Hi, i would like to lower my s3 a little as visually to me as standard there seems to be a little too much wheel arch to wheel clearence compared to the latest generation of audis etc..

Im quite happy with the ride etc.. as it is now, as im not planning on using it for track days and so forth. on previous cars ive used coilover suspension, but this seems a little drastic for the inch or so i would like to drop the s3.

Are lowering spring a no no on the s3, ive found some h&r ones which drop exactly 25mm, which i was considering to do the job.

any advice most gratefully recieved

Ollie

 

[Ess_Three]

Yup, they'll do...
But you'll bounce all over the place unless your dampers are brand new...and even then they only last 6000 miles or so before you start to 'boing' more than Tigger.

The other problem with lowering on standard dampers is that you'll bottom out easily...and the sump sits low. My sump was scuffed...and the difference between a scuffed sump and a new engine, is luck.


The H&R springs do lower to a nice height though...and normally you get a little more than the 25mm they say...like 30mm or a shade more.

 

[nick-barnes07]

i have just bought some h&r springs , 30mm , what else will i need as well as these then .

 

[Ess_Three]

Ideally, some uprated and shortened dampers.

 

[mastayoda]

ok, so which shocks would you reccomend. My car has done over 60,000 now

I really dont want the ride too harsh ?

 

[Ess_Three]

Bilstein Sprint (B8s I think) were superb...not harsh, but inpeccably damped and they matched the H&R springs very well.

Not the cheapest though...

 

[Caesium]

Koni Adjustables

 

[bouncer--daz]

Definately upgrade the shocks... didnt do it on mine and I regret it now... its on the todo list now.

 

[jonS3]

dont forget the tie bars

 

[mastayoda]

what do i need to do with the tie-bars then?

 

[Ess_Three]

You need to fit some adjustable tie-bars, to correct all the rear negative camber you'll get by fitting lowered springs.
If you don't, you'll have a car that eats the inside edges of the rear tyres and is unpredictable in it's handling.

Unfortunately, they will add another £250-300 to the cost of lowering.

 

[nick-barnes07]

Ideally, some uprated and shortened dampers.

where is the best place to get these from

 

[Ess_Three]

You'll have to search for them...
Try DPM on here, I believe he can offer decent prices.

 

[bouncer--daz]

I have a feeling thats what could be now gone on my car... with a nice knocking sounds... f**king wonderful

 

[mastayoda]

crikey, i am starting to wonder if my quest to lower my car an inch to improve the look of the stance is worth it? what a nightmare. Is this an s3 specific problem with the camber? Ive had previously lowered cars and none have really munched the inner rears to a noticable degree.

 

[Ess_Three]

Not S3 specific...but as all cars on the same platform goes (Golf, Leon, TT, A3, S3, Octavia, Beetle, Bora etc) it's a specific of the 4 wheel drive cars as they have independant rear suspension as opposed to the twist beam of the 2WD cars.

There are a lot of cars out there that are affected in a similar way.

 

[mastayoda]

i see, how much do you think im realistically looking to do the whole lowering opperation properly?

 

[Ess_Three]

To do it properly and get a gain in handling, and not ****** up the ride and handling:
Springs £150
Dampers £450
Adj Tie Bars £ 275
Full alignment £ 100

...at a guess on the prices.

You can just change the springs if you want...but you'll still need the full alignment....and you'll have ******** up the handling and it'll eat tyres (rear, inner edges)

Sadly, with the S3...it's really a 'all or nothing' sort of thing...do the lot, or leave it alone.

 

[mastayoda]

i think im feeling the leave it alone approach now. Has any one got a pic of what the s3 looks like on 18's with a stock ride height??

 

[bouncer--daz]

Would It be the tie bars that could be the problem with mine then as mine is not 4WD? I havnt noticed any problems with the handling or inner edges wearing?

 

[Rich-xstS3]

I just paid 650 for Koni FSD's and Eibach springs. Il fit them myself then 360 to supply and fit tie bars and get the alignment done. sorry no pounds signs. Im sure you get the jist though.

 

[mastayoda]

jeepers, what was the ride like afterwards?

 

[Ess_Three]

Would It be the tie bars that could be the problem with mine then as mine is not 4WD? I havnt noticed any problems with the handling or inner edges wearing?

If you have a FWD, then you don't need to worry about tie bars as you have a rear beam which by it's design, doesn't affect rear camber when you lower.

 

[Toxik-Signal]

So I take it lowering the back of my A3 TDi by 40mm and the front by 30mm would also be very costly?

 

[Ess_Three]

So I take it lowering the back of my A3 TDi by 40mm and the front by 30mm would also be very costly?

Not if it's FWD.
Is is a TDI quattro, or a TDI?

Again, the tie bars are only required, along with a full 4 wheel alignment, on the quattro cars.

On FWD you can lower without any rear camber problems...but the same advice stands for dampers, the standard Audi ones are crap...so you should fit shortened and uprated dampers when you fit lowered springs if you want a proper handling gain and to avoid a bouncy car.

 

[nick-barnes07]

i got some tie bars today , is £250 okay for brand new forge tie bars , i got hubcentric spacers 10mm and 15mm and a dog bone mount , all for £300

 

[Rich-xstS3]

jeepers, what was the ride like afterwards?

Im not sure yet. Im away from home just now so they are waiting to be fitted. Il let you know when i get them done over the weekend.

 

[Ess_Three]

i got some tie bars today , is £250 okay for brand new forge tie bars , i got hubcentric spacers 10mm and 15mm and a dog bone mount , all for £300

I'd say that was a damn good deal...
I paid £70 for 2 sets (4 in total) of 15mm hubcentric spacers, and that was under retail price...so all that lot for £300 was a cracking deal. :icon_thumright:

 

[nick-barnes07]

just gotta get some dampers now , and then lowering should be sorted

 

[Toxik-Signal]

Not if it's FWD.
Is is a TDI quattro, or a TDI?

Again, the tie bars are only required, along with a full 4 wheel alignment, on the quattro cars.

On FWD you can lower without any rear camber problems...but the same advice stands for dampers, the standard Audi ones are crap...so you should fit shortened and uprated dampers when you fit lowered springs if you want a proper handling gain and to avoid a bouncy car.

It's a TDI (FWD), if I just get lowering springs fitted will it handle worse than it does now if I don't get uprated dampers then?

 

[Ess_Three]

I'll feel stiffer, but will bounce about a lot more...
You'll get some gains, and some things will be worse.

To be honest, at anything over a few thousand miles the dampers won't handle the stiffer lowered springs...so you should really change the dampers.

 

[Toxik-Signal]

Ok, thanks for the advice mate :icon_thumright:

 

[jonS3]

I'll feel stiffer, but will bounce about a lot more....

 

[Ess_Three]

*groan*
That's nightshift for you...

 

[Tunbridge]

After reading that you need Tie-Bars if you lower your S3 can I ask the following question...
The S3 was avaialable with a factory Gmbh suspension option which was 25mm lower with uprated dampers. As far as I know these have the same tie-bars as a standard S3 so the camber problem can't be that bad on a 25mm drop if you could buy them from the factory like that, can it?
Has anyone on here got the factory upgrade suspension who can confirm this?

 

[Ess_Three]

Gmbh wasn't 25 mm lower, was it?
Didn't they claim 20mm?
I'd say it was nowhere near....10-15 perhaps.

I know the H&R springs settle lower than the 25mm they claim....mine ended up 30-35mm lower.

I know several S3 owners with GMBH suspension that have a car with an appetite for rear tyres (inner edges)

You can do it properly, save your tyres AND get better handling...or you can ignore the tie bars, wear out the tyres and have an unpredictable rear end.
Your choice...