Mid range coils advice required please..

S3_Jacko

S3_Jacko

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Guys i'm looking at improving the ride quality in my car as it sucks...

The car is a 8P3 S3 for info.. And on 19" rims

My problem, at present i've got 25mm H&R springs on the standard dampers and the ride quality is very poor, the car just bounces everywhere..

I've recently had a go of a friends S3 with apx coilovers on roads I know very well and the ride quality was like night/day in comparison to my own car. So this has made up my mind to upgrade the ride quality of the car as I feel i'll enjoy it more...

The car is generally used as a toy and social car as I also have a company vehicle, so basically just a few days out on Scottish B roads.. A fast road car if you will..

I have around £600-£700 budget and with some initial research takes me into the Bilstein B14 range or KW V1. Thats the 2 preferred choices over the ap and weitec stx as maybe its all about the name, though both seem to get very good feedback.. (I've heard though, the weitec stx's are just basically V1s, if anyone can confirm)

Heres what i'm looking for...

To remove the bouncy feel of the current suspension, while retaining a confortable enough drive. Not bone shattering and pot hole cringing...

Wanted slightly lower at the rear i.e 5mm, with the front level so I assume that would be 10mm further drop at the front than where it is at present...

I also know that uprated dampers with my current springs would help issues a lot, but doesn't quite provide the stance i'm looking for, so i'm willing to sacrifice some comfort for the look I want..

This is where my noobish knowledge comes into play...

Doing some research it looks as if the S3 sits 25mm lower than the SE height, so added with the 25mm H&R springs that would be 50mm lower than a standard A3? (Is this correct?)

If this is correct, most of the coilovers i've been looking at quote a drop of 30-50mm, if thats the case, what I would like to know is that from the original S3 25mm drop from SE height, or is that the maximum drop from SE height, where being maxed out at the height I have at present, the advert quotes that drop from the original chassis??

I'd rather not max out the coils for drop as i'd imagine thats when the ride becomes extremely harsh..

I know i'm asking a lot of questions, but I just wan't to make sure of what i'm doing, as this is really the 1st time i'm going for a full suspension setup rather than just springs..

Thanks a lot in advance for any input you can provide to help..
 
Last edited:
Ap's is more than enough for what you'd want bud, made for fast road use and comfort is very good.

Mines wound all the way down and is more than what you'd want, comfort is still very very good.
 
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smurfworth said:
Ap's is more than enough for what you'd want bud, made for fast road use and comfort is very good.

Mines wound all the way down and is more than what you'd want, comfort is still very very good.
Click to expand...

Veedubnoodle said:
At that sort of budget you could consider BC Racing coilovers. Damping adjustable, height is set separately from spring preload and very well made too. Have a look and see what you think. I loved my old ones.

http://www.bc-racing.co.uk/applicat...-55mm-strut/br-series-coilover-type-ra-4.html

Your other options would be ST or AP coilovers. Heard very good reviews about both.
Click to expand...


Cheers lads.. As mentioned above, drove my mates with Aps and the ride was pretty good.. Heard a horror story about all the struts leaking on another car and had to be return for a warranty replacement...

Was looking at a decent kit, but again, don't want to spend over the odds for kit i don't need
 
I don't see the point in the adjustable dampners unless you take it on the track.

You'll find the softest setting on the ones that have adjustable damping is the hardest the ones that aren't adjustable get.

No need to over complicate your setup when it's only a daily.
 
Na I know.. The Bilsteins and V1's are set, non adjustable...

Will the ap's just do as good a job and is it just paying for the name. The extra £200 or so
 
Well your paying for the stainless bodies, I'd have thought ap's will be more than enough.
 
Yeah, its just cause they are so cheap, i'm worried they are gona be cheap tat...can get v1s for £670
 
I've had JOM's, AP's and H&R ultralows which use bilstien dampers, and tbh for the money vs performance the AP's win hands down.

There's not enough difference (performance and comfort wise) between the H&r/bilstien and the AP's to warrant the extra money especially when the AP's are £450 and the h&r's are £1100.

I could understand it if you were tracking the car but not on a fast road basis.

AP is KW's budget range if you didn't know so isn't cheap tat. Mine have been used for around 20k now and still going strong.
 
Sorted... Spoke to Graeme at GNJ and he rates the kit too, so thats them ordered.. Also the 5mm spacers to drop the offsets to ET45s... So should sit nice and ride a lot better.. Looking forward to seeing what they're like
 
S3_Jacko said:
Sorted... Spoke to Graeme at GNJ and he rates the kit too, so thats them ordered.. Also the 5mm spacers to drop the offsets to ET45s... So should sit nice and ride a lot better.. Looking forward to seeing what they're like
Click to expand...

What you bought? Mines et45 so should sit how mine is if you want to be brave and drop them that low
 
Got gen Rs3s on now... 8J et50s..
19's too.. Gona be fun setting it all up, looking forward to it..

And the beaut of it is.. Any rubbing, either raised slightly or spacers ditched
 
S3_Jacko said:
Got gen Rs3s on now... 8J et50s..
19's too.. Gona be fun setting it all up, looking forward to it..

And the beaut of it is.. Any rubbing, either raised slightly or spacers ditched
Click to expand...

I mean what coilovers? You should be ok depending on tyre size. I get a slight bit of rubbing on the front which has taken the paint off the arch :(
 
smurfworth said:
I mean what coilovers? You should be ok depending on tyre size. I get a slight bit of rubbing on the front which has taken the paint off the arch :(
Click to expand...

The APs... As long as they do a decent enough job
 
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