Suspension help please!want to lower

[jarvis**turbo**]

i have a facelift audi s3.i want to lower the car because i need two new rear shocks as mine are ****** and there fairly pricey to replace.so im toying with the idea of coilovers.is it worth it and wot do they drive like?only want to lower 40mm.plus wot are the ARB?has someone got a picture of one becuase my suspension is creaking a bit and i read a thread on here about greasing them up a bit.cheers

 

[Starry]

i have fitted PI coilovers and the ride is ok even on 19's, for £350 i dont think you will beat them. as for abr's they are anti roll bars you have them on the front and the rear and its the bar that runs from wheel to wheel and is about 25mm thick. it will run through two bushes which can dry up and cause creaking and a little lube should sort it out.

 

[Ess_Three]

You have to ask yourself why you want to lower it?
If it's for looks, go ahead and fit any old stuff you can lay your hands on.

If you want it to handle properly...you are going to have to spend, big time.
New suspension (coilovers if you must, or decent springs/dampers), adjustable rear tie bars, replacement ARBs and a full 4 wheel alignment.

Also consider that on an S3, -40mm will leave your sump vulnerable...
not a problem if you pose about town...but if you actually drive the damn thing on bumpy roads, you risk ripping the sump off if you lower it 40mm.
25-30 is about as low as you can go and still use it.
Mine was -25mm and it had a buffed sump.

 

[Rich-xstS3]

I think most people on here would say to go with a good uprated spring and damper set up like the Bilstein dampers and H+R springs or Koni dampers and Eibach springs. Ive got the latter and havent had any bother with buffing the sump on the back roads around Aberdeen. Maybe im not doing it right though Ess Three? Scraped the bottom of the bumper on speed bumps though.

 

[Prawn]

mines standard ride height and its got a new sump!

bolting a new sump on after leaving half of it on the road was a worrying experience..... wondering if i cut the engine fast enough.

i can imagine at -40mm id would get mashed quite fast.

 

[DPM]

As said above i'd put the money into a good set of shocks and springs... Bilstein B8's or KW's with H&R's or KW's. You'll get a much better quality ride then what you would with a cheaper set of coilovers.

 

[Ess_Three]

Ive got the latter and havent had any bother with buffing the sump on the back roads around Aberdeen. Maybe im not doing it right though Ess Three?

You should be OK...
The killer for mine was on the road to Glenshee from Blairgowrie...if you've ever driven it, you'll know the part I'm on about!
I scuffed the sump there...and chamfered the lip around the sump plug flat...lucky really!

Normally, at -25mm ish you'll be fine.
At -40 I'm not so sure.

Scraped the bottom of the bumper on speed bumps though.

Yeah, I had a few...but I tend to avoid Aberdeens finest speedbulps wherever possible!

 

[Rich-xstS3]

Not sure of that road. Sounds like u were pretty lucky though. I have an LCR splitter to put on it but i think it might just end up getting ripped off.

 

[campbell]

mine is standard ride height and the speed bumps around my area are dreadfull! scrapes the bumper on every bump so i wouldnt know why you would want to lower it 40mm in my opinion, i think the audi S3`s rideheight is nice as it is and looks pretty low anyway

 

[Aky]

I've put FSD's on mine and it has risen the ride by about 10mm. I'm going to put some 20mm springs to lower it just under OEM and hopefully will make handling even better than with OEM springs.
Depends whether you are after looks or performance.

 

[Starry]

as i said in my first post im running PI coilovers and the ride is ok, it will depend on what you want from the car ie if your looking to rant it through bumpy twisty b roads or track it then the more you spend then the more you get. mine has never hit the sump and the lcr splitter is still on there after a few months, maybe bristol has better roads.

 

[Ess_Three]

as i said in my first post im running PI coilovers and the ride is ok,

OK?
Only OK.
You can do better...it's possible to have perfect ride comfort and fantastic handling if you buy the correct parts.
Each to their own...it maybe depends on what you compare it to, as to how happy people are with their choice of replacement suspension.

it will depend on what you want from the car ie if your looking to rant it through bumpy twisty b roads or track it then the more you spend then the more you get.

True...but if you buy wisely, you can have track ability and great road manners.

Sadly, where suspension is concerned, my experience is that you buy the best you can...as it'll pay off in the long run.

 

[Starry]

ok let me be more specific on the coilovers, theres no banging if you hit pot holes, it doesnt bottom out even if you are giving it some over say a hump back bridge. no tram lining on white lines or the road camber. and this is all with 19's so with 18/17's it will only be better. as for the track, i took mine round castle combe and it was very good with no broblems.
so in short what im saying is for £350 they are very very good and capable of doing a competant job but if you want to spend £600 to £800 then you will get a better set of c/o's.. also i have upgraded my abr's and am running a 50/50 heldex which will help.