A3 8P Anti Roll bar advice

[E5 FUL]

Wanting to get some ARBs for my 2.0 tdi sport A3.

Looking at either the H&R or Eibach ones, any others I should consider/avoid??

Currently on the standard sport suspension, however looking at getting some coilovers later down the line. Will this be an issue, eg. should I do the suspension first and then the ARBs?

Also could I fit them myself? (have very little mechanical knowledge but I own various spanners and a jack).
If not any idea how much a garage would charge to fit them?

Cheers!

 

[TimWills28]

Can be done yourself mate with axle stands..plan to get one done around February...

 

[S3Alex]

Either of those are good,and will work fine.

They will make a big difference on their own,but obviously more to come when you change to a decent set of coilovers as well.

 

[RafaelF]

Either of those are good,and will work fine.

They will make a big difference on their own,but obviously more to come when you change to a decent set of coilovers as well.

I have other question, since I have an a3 8p 170hp, someone told me atleast the golfs 6 gtd arbs are better than on a normal version... the change worth it or?? I already have eibach sportline +b8 sprint setup

 

[Sayam]

Either of those are good,and will work fine.

They will make a big difference on their own,but obviously more to come when you change to a decent set of coilovers as well.

What's the trade off here though? Nothing is for free in this world, so a stiffer ARB makes the handling better but you must lose something elsewhere? Or is it a free upgrade?

 

[TimWills28]

What's the trade off here though? Nothing is for free in this world, so a stiffer ARB makes the handling better but you must lose something elsewhere? Or is it a free upgrade?

Don't think you lose anything, some can rattle if not fitted correctly if I recall

 

[nluk100]

There is no downside to fitting uprated ARBs, well with the exception of faster tyre wear as the car handles so much better, especially on roundabouts!

 

[Sayam]

There is no downside to fitting uprated ARBs, well with the exception of faster tyre wear as the car handles so much better, especially on roundabouts!

So, for example, on roundabouts I won't suddenly be driving what kicks out like a rear wheel drive car lol?

 

[S3Alex]

What's the trade off here though? Nothing is for free in this world, so a stiffer ARB makes the handling better but you must lose something elsewhere? Or is it a free upgrade?

I think it is one of the very few no loss upgrades.

 

[superkarl]

Actually stiffening ARBs can have a negative effect on handling if not approached properly.

Front bars are the most important and so you should be careful changing these if being truly accurate and pedantic about it.
Stiffer bars INCREASE load on the outside tyre which will REDUCE grip.
This is why you should first address body roll with suspension and increased spring rates. This allows less roll, and less loading of the tyre and so MORE grip.
Another important consideration is camber settings. If you don't have enough negative camber when fully attacking a corner you will lose contact patch and reduce grip.
Now in increasing spring rates you will reduce roll, reduce loading of the tyre, and if setup up with correct camber, maintain a full contact patch with the road and use all available grip possible.

Changing bars relative to each other, front:rear, changes the overall balance of the car. As they join two struts together they actually inhibit the ability of the suspension to work independantly in certain situations. But the effect of loading the outside front and rear tyres to different extents is what changes the handling characteristic (oversteer, understeer). But, as ive highlighted, there is more positive to changing suspension and camber settings.

To summarise;
1. Change suspension and spring rates first.
2. Have a neutral alignment setting, do some track driving or even some spirited road driving. Check tyre wear after a considerable amount of miles to asses if camber could do with a change.
3. If body roll persists, or you still have initial understeer characteristics, on a professional level you would alter spring rates front to rear very carefully. Now obviously this isnt possible for the average consumer who buys off the shelf, so the final approach would then be to change ARB size to finally tweak the whole setup.

 

[Sayam]

That's what I was thinking on mine - purely from what I've read using a stiffer rear ARB on a FWD car like mine makes the car less understeer happy and more neutral

 

[SootySport]

I would buy ARB's that have stiffness & drop link adjustment so you can tune the suspension yourself.