Audi A4 Suspension

[imported_khuramz]

Hi,
Right ladz i need some advice....i'm new to this forum so if i make any mistakes apologies in advance....right my problem is i have a Audi A4 (B5) 96 reg 1.8T...minter of a car.....however i am not happy with my current suspension...i have had the car lowered with Spax spring 40mm...i now want to upgrade the shocks but i can't decide which ones to go for....i don't want a really stiff ride i want it to be a soft ride and maintain the handling at the same time. i'm lookin at Koni Adjustables but i have been told not much point going for these if you just going to leave them on the softest option....the other one im lookin at is Eibach and Bilstein.....so wat do u tink guyz? whos got what and what do u think of it......cheerz. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/[censored].gif

 

[aagallarini]

As a general rule, you should replace shocks with springs anyway, because the stock shocks are valved to work with the stock spring rates. When you change to a shorter (and usually stiffer) spring, you risk wearing the shocks out faster than they normally would wear out.

The S4 that I'm finally picking up on Monday has the Eibach Bilstein combo, but I've only driven a few miles on the car myself. It was a pretty pleasant ride. Low and firm, but still comfortable.

I do have experience with Koni adjustable equipment on my 1988 Integra RS that I use for autocrossing. When that car is on normal roads and empty, I do run them on full soft, but when I go autocrossing, the adjustments are great. I can increase rear stiffness to induce some oversteer. These shocks were custom built to match my spring rates. If you're into perfomance driving, I think adjustables are worth the extra money. If all you are doing is driving on the highways, and the occaisional twisty road, just get a good match for your springs.

What is it that makes you think you want new shocks? Does the car do something you don't like?

 

[imported_khuramz]

hey i ordered my new shox 2day...Eibach Pro Dampers.....£320...i think i got a good deal, cant wait to get them on the car. how was the S4? wat did u think of the Bilsteins??

 

[aagallarini]

I've had a few opportunites to run the car on some back roads, and feel now that it's a bit lower than it should be and could use a little more shock stiffness up front. The front bounces a little bit on big undulations, instead of taking the bump and settling. I just have to figure out how these Bilsteins adjust. I'm guessing they are the kind that need to be removed to adjust. My car also has wheel spacers that put the wheels right out to the edge of the fender lips. I did get some tire scrub when there was an extreme amount of suspension travel. I'll definitely need to remove the spacers before I ever autocross it or plan to really 'drive' it.

I'm also thinking that I'd like to eventually upgrade to an adjustable coil-over set up.

Anybody have suggestions about determining exactly what shocks I have, and how to adjust them? The previous owner didn't even realize the shocks were adjustable until I asked him and he looked into it more.

 

[ImolaS4]

[ QUOTE ]
aagallarini said:
I've had a few opportunites to run the car on some back roads..... My car also has wheel spacers that put the wheels right out to the edge of the fender lips. I did get some tire scrub when there was an extreme amount of suspension travel. I'll definitely need to remove the spacers before I ever autocross it or plan to really 'drive' it.


[/ QUOTE ]
Tony,
The spacers may be there because of wheel offset. The wheels may not clear your brake calipers without the spacers. Just something to consider.

 

[aagallarini]

The wheels are stock S4 alloys.

 

[jdp1962]

Spacers are not good news. Positioning the wheels further out from the hub than intended places a greater load on the wheel bearings than they are designed to cope with. This accelerates wheel bearing failure. If you think about it, if the wheels won't fit your car without using spacers, then they are not the right wheels for your car.

 

[aagallarini]

The wheel spacers were installed for aesthetic reasons. They move the wheels out to the very edge of the fenders. Here are pics to show how far the wheels are moved outward.

Now the front spacer

and the rear spacer

finally the stock alloys... these are the stock alloys, right?

I understand the stress on the wheel bearings as you mentioned jpd1962. I do like the way the car looks with the spacer, but will eventually take them off, most likely. Probably saving them just in case I enter the car in any shows. I took a nice long drive to visit some friends for July 4th Holiday and had no wheel scrubbing on the highways, nor on the short country road we took.

 

[jdp1962]

If the wheels are stock, and will fit without the spacers, then taken them off. They may look nice, but that will be little comfort if you have to pay out for new wheel bearings