Another suspension thread

[Pirrex]

Hello,
I received my LM's yesterday, but had to try them on even if it's still over half a meter of snow outside.
Didn't take me very long to realize that i will need to get her lowered, just not sure what to get. I'm kinda on a tight budget, and not sure if i want to spend very much on coilovers, so I'd like some advice what to get if i decide to go for normal springs. Although, i drive on a sweet bendy road every day, so i guess i will have to get shocks too.
I have kinda bad imagination, so i would like to know how much i should lower it.


This is how she sits now:

This is about how i would like it to be, atleast not lower:

I know the rims should be an inch bigger, but i got them to cheap and decided to go for it. I don't want to go any lower than in photoshopped pic. Killed too many oilpans on my old mk3, since i have to drive on a horrible road alot.
http://i509.photobucket.com/albums/s331/Pirrex/Autot/IMG_4200.jpg

 

[Jonezy87]

http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/showthread.php?t=65880&highlight=java+green

check this mate to give you an idea, i bought AP coilovers from venom motorsport, think i payed about 270ish. its lowered as far as it will at back so according to coilovers 70-80mm(however i dont think its that low!)

Hope it helps

 

[Pirrex]

That looks very good, although i won't be going that low. From what i've been researching this evening, i'm pretty sure i will go for a KW, H&R or a Koni cup kit. Not sure yet, but I think a -40mm kit is pretty much what i'm looking for?
Can you guys recommend anybody who sells any of these? I usually buy all of my parts from Germany, but now that the pound is quite low compared to the euro, i guess i could get it from the UK quite cheap too.

 

[Ess_Three]

If you want to keep your sump intact, and you like to actually drive the damn thing, on roads that are not perfect, I'd avoid coilovers - especilly cheap coilovers as they are frankly, crap.
Also, don't go much lower than 20-25mm. Even at -20mm you may scuff the sump if driven enthusiastically on real (poor) roads...but if the dampers, bump-stops etc are all uprated, you'll be OK.

To make best use of the S3s grip, you don't want something rock-solid...

I suggest you read the 'Bilsteins' 'Anti-Roll Bars' and 'Suspension Set-Up' sections of this post:
http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/showthread.php?t=24824

Also read this:
http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/showthread.php?t=56875

But beware:
Lowering an S3 anything over 15mm or so gets expensive if you do it properly.
You'll mess up the rear camber and need adjustable arms to recfify it...ARBs help, you'll need a decent 4 wheel alignment afterwards...

You can bolt on a set of cheap-*** coilovers at under £300 and have it low...but it'll cost you £600-800 to really improve things using springs and dampers...up to many thousands for really good coilovers.

In all honestly...
A set of decent springs (£150ish for H&R or Eibach) and an alignment is the first and only step if the budget is tight...it'll look lower, but the damping on standard dampers is awful (verging on dangerous) and it'll wear the insides of the rear tyres without the adjustable tie bars.
Add dampers, tie bars and preferably uprated ARBs and you are looking at around £1200-1300 fitted - hardly budget anything!

 

[Pirrex]

If you want to keep your sump intact, and you like to actually drive the damn thing, on roads that are not perfect, I'd avoid coilovers - especilly cheap coilovers as they are frankly, crap.
Also, don't go much lower than 20-25mm. Even at -20mm you may scuff the sump if driven enthusiastically on real (poor) roads...but if the dampers, bump-stops etc are all uprated, you'll be OK.

To make best use of the S3s grip, you don't want something rock-solid...

I suggest you read the 'Bilsteins' 'Anti-Roll Bars' and 'Suspension Set-Up' sections of this post:
http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/showthread.php?t=24824

Also read this:
http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/showthread.php?t=56875

But beware:
Lowering an S3 anything over 15mm or so gets expensive if you do it properly.
You'll mess up the rear camber and need adjustable arms to recfify it...ARBs help, you'll need a decent 4 wheel alignment afterwards...

You can bolt on a set of cheap-*** coilovers at under £300 and have it low...but it'll cost you £600-800 to really improve things using springs and dampers...up to many thousands for really good coilovers.

In all honestly...
A set of decent springs (£150ish for H&R or Eibach) and an alignment is the first and only step if the budget is tight...it'll look lower, but the damping on standard dampers is awful (verging on dangerous) and it'll wear the insides of the rear tyres without the adjustable tie bars.
Add dampers, tie bars and preferably uprated ARBs and you are looking at around £1200-1300 fitted - hardly budget anything!

Thanks for a great post.
I was looking at two different KW cup kits, one 30/25mm and one 35/30mm. The second one was for s3 and second one for a3q, but it's all the same, isn't it?

Can you recommend any of these? My bugdet would be about 500 euros, so that would be about £400 + shipping.

Btw. If it's for example a -30mm kit for the s3, would that be -30mm from what it's now or 10mm, seeing as it's -20mm from the factory, right?

 

[reptor245]

http://www.dpmperformance.co.uk/a3-8l-springs-shocks-c-1924_1925_2110.html

 

[Pirrex]

http://www.dpmperformance.co.uk/a3-8l-springs-shocks-c-1924_1925_2110.html

I guess i will have to order a kit soon. Those were only for FWD, and the quattro ones are £385.
I guess that's the best price I can get them for?

Also, the 35/30mm kit should work good w/o me needing any other expensive parts, right?
About the control arms, I will just do a retro fit and fraise the stock control arms a bit.

 

[Ess_Three]

Whatever the kit lists as the lowering, is what you should get from a standard S3...not one that has the Quattro GmbH kit on it as an option (late cars option) as they are lowered compared to a regular S3.