Pics request...B8s and H&R

S3_Pricey

Registered User
Joined
Nov 14, 2006
Messages
302
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Worcester/Leamington Spa
Hey guys,
The time has come to start upgrading various bits on the S3. I will be getting some bilstein B8s with H&R springs as well as 10mm and 15mm spacers front and rear.

I have been looking for pics of this set up with OEM RSTTs so I can see how the stance will look, but have been struggaling. I've found a couple of pics of the suspension set up with different wheels.

Anyone who has this suspension set up please post pics...:photo:

Thanks,
Graham :thumbsup:

P.S - I remember there was a similar thread fairly recently, but havn't been able to find it...
 
JS1500 - Cheers for the reply. yeh I realise will take a while to settle properly, just wanting to know how the wheels will fill the arches with the spacers and suspension combo.
 
10mm front spacers will be just right imo. 15mm on the back means the wheels will be almost flush with the arch at hub level but the tops will be tucked in a bit (well, on my car anyway). Have considered 20mm for the rear but i'm pretty happy with 15mm.

/ \
 
Nice. Just a quick question, are you getting adjustable tie bars to go with the spring and shocks? Considering getting them at the same time, but not decided yet.
 
i got adjustable tie bars when i went with this set up, they were needed
 
Dampers dont set the ride height, so B8's are irrelevant to this discussion!

Any car with H&R springs and spacers will do.
 
Thanks, didnt know if they were needed with this set up, will add them to the list, lol

EDIT: have you got any pics of your car with this set up?

no sorry, to busy driving it. I will take some when it is next clean for you. I dont have the right wheels for you though
 
Dampers dont set the ride height, so B8's are irrelevant to this discussion!

Any car with H&R springs and spacers will do.

Bilstein say different, first part of the description on the DPM site 'Shortened shocks' which to me means shorter bodies/shafts than OEM shocks and therefore lower ride height
 
Bilstein say different, first part of the description on the DPM site 'Shortened shocks' which to me means shorter bodies/shafts than OEM shocks and therefore lower ride height

i thought that the shorter shocks meant that the operating window which the dampers were deisgned for were shorter, i.e. they are designed to damp shorter springs. It is the springs that take the weight of the car, the shocks just damp the springs so you dont bounce along the road
 
Cookstiens got it in one.

The "shortened" bit is the length of the damper rod/body.

The distance between the hub carrier and lower spring seat is the same as stock, so will give exactly the same ride height.

The point of the shortened body is that if you kept the full length body, and lower the car 2", then your now sitting 2" closer to the bump stops and have hardly any bump travel left. By shortening the body of the damper, you put the shock back into the middle of its stroke in both directions, maximising travel.
 
But if the shock is shorter than an OEM one, the car will sit lower even with OEM springs, as they will have to be compressed more to fit the shorter shaft
 
The spring sits between the inner wing, and the lower spring seat on the damper.

The inner wing doesnt move, and the lower spring seat is in the same position with respect to the hub carrier as the standard shock. As a result the ride height is the same.
 
The spring sits between the top mount and the lower seat, the distance between these has changed because the shaft length has changed and the top mount is bolted to the shaft
 
yes, but thats irrellevant once you place the cars weight onto the spring.

The cars weight compresses the spring by a certain amount. The preload on the spring doesnt change this, and the final length will still be the same regardess of the starting point.
 
Lets take an imaginary car which whos front right corner weighs 500kg.

If you take a spring with a rate of 250kg/in then with the cars weight applied to that spring (with no damper fitted at all), the spring will compress two inches.

If you take the same spring, and mount it in a damper thats 1" shorter than the springs free length, then with the car jacked up the spring will be 1" shorter as your suggesting as the damper stops it expanding any more, but as you lower the car, the spring wont begin to get any shorter until there is 250kg resting on it, and as the remaining 250kg comes down it will compress 1 further inch. IE the same as it was previously.

The cars weight simply cancels out the preload once the spring becomes weight bearing.
 
As aragorn has pointed out, the damper housing is the same size and has the same spring platform placement... a B8 side by side with an OEM damper is physically the same fitment wise but... its the damper assembly inside the tube etc that is shorter... this has no bearing on the final ride height ONLY its ability to damp affectively... B8's are designed for lowering springs as they are more effective in the shorter travel afforded once lowered whereas normal dampers are less effective...

-30mm springs on std dampers will give the same ride height as -30mm springs on B8's

<tuffty/>