suspension review
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Oranoco
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Don't seem to list a coilover for the B5 A4.
Being an owner of coilovers on their B5 (AP) I have to say on the whole I find them a bit too harsh and stiff on the road and have to explain to passengers why the ride is a bit bumpy and harsh and then on the track they are a bit too soft so in all honesty they don't excel in either scenario.
Being an owner of coilovers on their B5 (AP) I have to say on the whole I find them a bit too harsh and stiff on the road and have to explain to passengers why the ride is a bit bumpy and harsh and then on the track they are a bit too soft so in all honesty they don't excel in either scenario.
Oranoco
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Serves me right for simply Googling "Cobra Coilovers" .
They look ok to be fair and are TUV approved. Wouldn't expect miracles for the money as they are very much a budget coilover. Decide if you can put up with the crashy ride.
They look ok to be fair and are TUV approved. Wouldn't expect miracles for the money as they are very much a budget coilover. Decide if you can put up with the crashy ride.
Oranoco
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I honestly wouldn't drop it too much. Mine sits a bit lower that I really want it but just not got round to raising it 20mm yet .
Farmer Broad
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Hi chap,
Firstly I will say that I am not familiar with Cobra Suspension so please do not take what I say as gospel but I've been in the budget suspension game for a long time and actually used to speak to Dan @ DC lots when he bought bits and bobs from us at Janspeed, so, feel I may be able to help you, in some way!!
Dan is a great guy (I'm guessing it is still him running DCD!) so I really doubt he'd sell some of the more terrible suspension that is out there, but do remember we are talking budget and you really do get what you pay for with suspension.
Anyway, long story short & looking at the supplied picture, I'm pretty sure I know who has actually made that suspension and it will do the job just fine but in my opinion the AP coilovers are much better quality for the same sort of money.
Rather annoyingly I have not been able to drive my car since buying the coilovers but the general quality of the damper, spring seats/adjusters and springs is far beyond most other budget coilovers that I've tested, imported and sold over the years.
Also don't worry too much about the quoted drop ranges. For TUV they have to state a drop range but I've always found the coilovers to drop much lower than they state. Again I can't be too factual for you as I still haven't been able to fit my front coilovers but the rears drop more than the quoted 60mm for sure!
Hope this helps!
Firstly I will say that I am not familiar with Cobra Suspension so please do not take what I say as gospel but I've been in the budget suspension game for a long time and actually used to speak to Dan @ DC lots when he bought bits and bobs from us at Janspeed, so, feel I may be able to help you, in some way!!
Dan is a great guy (I'm guessing it is still him running DCD!) so I really doubt he'd sell some of the more terrible suspension that is out there, but do remember we are talking budget and you really do get what you pay for with suspension.
Anyway, long story short & looking at the supplied picture, I'm pretty sure I know who has actually made that suspension and it will do the job just fine but in my opinion the AP coilovers are much better quality for the same sort of money.
Rather annoyingly I have not been able to drive my car since buying the coilovers but the general quality of the damper, spring seats/adjusters and springs is far beyond most other budget coilovers that I've tested, imported and sold over the years.
Also don't worry too much about the quoted drop ranges. For TUV they have to state a drop range but I've always found the coilovers to drop much lower than they state. Again I can't be too factual for you as I still haven't been able to fit my front coilovers but the rears drop more than the quoted 60mm for sure!
Hope this helps!
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The "drop" range is quite simple.
The lower you go, the less suspension travel you have left. This means you need a higher spring rate to stop the car bottoming out and smashing the bump stops continuously. Given coilovers come with one fixed spring (and are stupidly designed NOT to take standard coilover springs, so you cant even change them!), the manufacturer has to make a compromise. If they say you can run "-90mm" or whatever other stupidly low figure you might dream up, then they need to equip it with springs rated high enough to deal with the fact your car now only has about 1 inch of travel, and as such it ends up rock hard, regardless of the height you want.
If they provide a more modest range, they can provide a much more sensible spring rate which makes them actually usable.
Going too low, ruins the handling, because it stops the suspension being able to do what its designed for, ie keeping the wheels on the road. It might feel like its "on rails" due to a lack of bodyroll, but actual mechanical grip is very likely less than it would be with a correctly setup car at a modest ride height. This is because instead of absorbing bumps the whole system is so stiff the car essentially skips and bounces over them instead.
The upsurge of coilovers has to be about the worst thing thats happened to aftermarket car suspension tuning in recent years.
The lower you go, the less suspension travel you have left. This means you need a higher spring rate to stop the car bottoming out and smashing the bump stops continuously. Given coilovers come with one fixed spring (and are stupidly designed NOT to take standard coilover springs, so you cant even change them!), the manufacturer has to make a compromise. If they say you can run "-90mm" or whatever other stupidly low figure you might dream up, then they need to equip it with springs rated high enough to deal with the fact your car now only has about 1 inch of travel, and as such it ends up rock hard, regardless of the height you want.
If they provide a more modest range, they can provide a much more sensible spring rate which makes them actually usable.
Going too low, ruins the handling, because it stops the suspension being able to do what its designed for, ie keeping the wheels on the road. It might feel like its "on rails" due to a lack of bodyroll, but actual mechanical grip is very likely less than it would be with a correctly setup car at a modest ride height. This is because instead of absorbing bumps the whole system is so stiff the car essentially skips and bounces over them instead.
The upsurge of coilovers has to be about the worst thing thats happened to aftermarket car suspension tuning in recent years.
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how low?
Mine measures just under 25" from the ground to the arch lip. Thats about as low as you want to go on a B5 while still maintaining a car that drives and handles properly. It already scrapes on stuff at that height too.
I fitted a "normal" springs and dampers lowering kit. The parts are designed to work together at the factory designed ride height, and they work together perfectly. Coilovers are pointless for a road car imo. The good ones (bilstein PSS9, KW Vx etc) are all very expensive, and the cheap ones are just garbage.
Mine measures just under 25" from the ground to the arch lip. Thats about as low as you want to go on a B5 while still maintaining a car that drives and handles properly. It already scrapes on stuff at that height too.
I fitted a "normal" springs and dampers lowering kit. The parts are designed to work together at the factory designed ride height, and they work together perfectly. Coilovers are pointless for a road car imo. The good ones (bilstein PSS9, KW Vx etc) are all very expensive, and the cheap ones are just garbage.
well iv got 18s on it and i just want it to sit down a bit on them. probably so the tread of the tyres sits level with the arch
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Eibach Pro-Kit springs and RS4 dampers on the avant.
The RS4 dampers arent ideal though, My other car has the same springs and Eibach dampers, which rides much better, however the Eibach dampers arent made any more and Eibach has teamed up with Bilstein instead.
Bilstein B12 kit has the Eibach Pro-kit springs and is combined with Bilstein B6 dampers.
What car do you have?
The RS4 dampers arent ideal though, My other car has the same springs and Eibach dampers, which rides much better, however the Eibach dampers arent made any more and Eibach has teamed up with Bilstein instead.
Bilstein B12 kit has the Eibach Pro-kit springs and is combined with Bilstein B6 dampers.
What car do you have?
2.8 quattro avant. I was looking at the b12s a while ago for my 1.8 but thought the adjustables would be better. But it seems they're not now
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there are two B12 kit options, "pro-kit" and "sportline" the sportline is 20mm lower IIRC.
Pro-kit seems like the one to go for to me though.
Another pic of my Brothers S4 on Pro-kit springs:
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img826/8571/audis4020.jpg
Pro-kit seems like the one to go for to me though.
Another pic of my Brothers S4 on Pro-kit springs:
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img826/8571/audis4020.jpg
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I've recently fitted prokit and oem sport shocks, albeit on my B6, but what a difference to the handling and ride height. I love the way the car sits.
Very pleased with this setup. Although I've never owned a car with coilovers, I have been in a few with them on and I didn't like them for the above reasons already mentioned.
Very pleased with this setup. Although I've never owned a car with coilovers, I have been in a few with them on and I didn't like them for the above reasons already mentioned.
These are what you are on about aren't they?
http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/performance/suspension-kits/bilstein-b12-suspension-tuning-kit-savings
http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/performance/suspension-kits/bilstein-b12-suspension-tuning-kit-savings
Just looked at them a bit more and its a different set for my car, not the reduced ones. Fortunately they do have a set of those for the mrs A3 £750 down to £200. They might just magically appear on Saturday.
Kevinb5
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I suppose it depends what you want from the car,if it's just lows and looks your going for and dont mind the choppy ride then I see no problem with cheap coilovers but if you want the car to ride/handle well without spending bilstein or KW money then good sorings are probably the way to go.
