Final decision made on S3 8P handling mods

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baderlfc

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After much reading and advice from various sources and people in the know I've come to a decision on my chassis/handling mod package with which i'm targeting a firmer ride, significantly improved handling but not the awful crashy ride!

All the mechanical bits, servicing, every fluid on the car changed, preventative stuff is being done in one go over the next week then next month the following will be installed:

Superpro Anti Lift Kit
H&R Anti roll bar kit
Racingline Springs (for OEM shocks)
Vibratechnics engine mounts (large and small)
Lemforder OEM ball joints
Lemforder OEM drop links (front & rear)
Michelin Pilot Sport 4's all round. (on the 18" genuine Audi rotors i've bought off a fellow AS forum member)

Opinions please? It's a done deal now anyway but feedback good or bad is welcome for my decisions.

Hardest decision was the springs, but I took advice from my local indy specialist and someone at a very well known VAG tuning company and am going for the Racingline over the H&R
 
Vibra engine mounts are excellent but powerflex inserts would be an economical alternative. Along with the dog bone insert and front inserts.

If you’re doing springs and shocks then new top mounts and bearings is a must.

If you really want to tighten the front up then also consider the TyrollSport dead set kit which stops the subframe creaks/movement.
 
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samuelh_888 said:
Vibra engine mounts are excellent but powerflex inserts would be an economical alternative. Along with the dog bone insert and front inserts.

If you’re doing springs and shocks then new top mounts and bearings is a must.

If you really want to tighten the front up then also consider the TyrollSport dead set kit which stops the subframe creaks/movement.
Click to expand...

I'm going to push the boat out for the vibratechnics as from what i've read I suspect if I cheaped out on the powerflex stuff i'd soon get sick of the extra vibration through the car and probably upgrade at a later date and further cost.

It is just springs at the moment, i'm going to give them a try. The whole suspension system has been thoroughly inspected and the original post list is what i've come up with and hoping to be happy with.

I will have a look into the tyrollsport dead set kit though as that's something I haven't heard of, I am looking for a usable fast road daily as opposed to a track weapon though so whether that's necessary or not is up for debate, but I suppose you could say the same about all suspension mods!
 
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I've heard so many mixed opinions on the Racingline springs, but i've decided to give them a go and will report back my honest feedback in the next couple of months (once fitted, settled, aligned and driven a bit)...

I was torn between a few different tyre options, but an offer on blackcircles meant I got the PS4's at a very competitive price, putting them into a price bracket where in my opinion they are the best tyre available.

Michelin PSS I had on my 135i were also an option, toyed with Uniroyal RS3's and Goodyear F1 Eagles aswell (which the S3 currently has on the pre-facelift wheels).. but i've had PS4's and on the whole couldn't fault them for my needs so the discount for buying 4 was a bonus and one I couldn't turn down.

Will be ordering the H&R ARB kit from DPM in the next week, don't think there's any doubt over the quality and benefits of this kit.
 
Hi, I’m a bit late to the party on this one. I’ve put the following suspension mods on my 2007 S3:

Superpro Anti Lift Kit absolutely excellent
Superpro lower front control arms fitted at the same time as the ALK excellent
H&R anti-roll bars. A brilliant bit of kit that really improves the handling.
Bilstein B8s excellent bit of kit with good damping ability, supplied by Damian who kindly had the fronts shortened to accommodate the lower springs.
VWR springs, which I personally think are poor, they appear to have lowered the car a very small amount at the front but if anything in now seems higher at the back. I thought they might settle down but after a year they haven’t so I am going to change them for H&R or Eibach fronts and standard backs. I certainly won’t be buying anymore VWR / Racing Line products. They were bought new from a well known Audi vw parts supplier, but I wish now that I had got my springs from Damien when I got the dampers from him. The springs were fitted by a local VAG specialist who I trust implicitly. New top mounts were used.

Just for reference my car is running on genuine BBS CH 19s with 235/35/19 tyres ET 50 and no rubbing as the tyres are a taxi ride away from the wheel arches with these blessed springs on at the back!

B531EBD8 DAD0 4AF2 9840 4278DC54A043
4E3663C0 87E6 46A9 A025 E0C87F4FA640
04467F32 9AC7 4829 8E3D C55AA8434B9B
215F237A E803 423B 9D7B 49743EE9F5AE


Photos aren’t the best but the back is significantly higher than the front.
Anyway just my thoughts. Hope it helps.
 
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Funny you should comment as this stage as I've just agreed a deal with Damien to have the H&R ARB kit and H&R springs from him at the end of the month..

Turns out my final decision wasn't final :thumbs up:
 
Excellent, I’ll be interest to see how you get on with the H&R springs. The H&R ARBs are truly brilliant you won’t be disappointed.
 
I’ll be sure to add a bit of a review to this thread.. going to try and do a good bit of driving in it after all the servicing etc to get it spot on mechanically before fitting all the suspension bits so I’ll have a better idea of the impact the upgrades have had.. having not had the car long, and done a grand total of 200 miles in it so far, not including driving it home
 
with all S3 taking off their stock suspension I am wondering if it fits in a regular a3. Personally I would like to reduce the same in my a3 and I like the way the stock S3 sits.

Sent from my KFDOWI using Tapatalk
 
lincolnzondi said:
with all S3 taking off their stock suspension I am wondering if it fits in a regular a3. Personally I would like to reduce the same in my a3 and I like the way the stock S3 sits.

Sent from my KFDOWI using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I’d be surprised if the S3 springs didn’t fit the regular A3, I’m sure someone will confirm though.

I know a lot of S3/R32 bits are used as OEM upgrades on the Mk5 golf platform which as far as I’m aware is the pretty much the same car as an A3 8P underneath

You certainly won’t have a problem getting hold of some S3 springs and/or dampers on the cheap
 
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