Fed up of bouncy springs, can you retro fit dynamic suspension?

[Lhasa2008]

Having only driven less than 1700 miles in my S3, I'm fed up of the crappy bouncy suspension (and potentially dangerous at speed) .

I Really wished I've had specced up the dynamic suspension now..

Anyway, has anyone retro fitted dynamic suspension to their 8v?

I assume it just fitting and a bit of vcds coding?
Thanks

L

 

[Gazwould]

Bouncy only comes from tired or too soft a damper.

Bilstein B8 dampers , but you might as well add Eibach springs for total satisfaction .

 

[Lhasa2008]

Bouncy only comes from tired or too soft a damper.

Bilstein B8 dampers , but you might as well add Eibach springs for total satisfaction .

The consensus on the forum is that the 8v springs are the issue, rather the shocks.

 

[Gazwould]

How do they work that out ?

What's the hypothesis ?

Like I said bouciness only comes from an underdamped spring wether it be linear , progressive or dual rate .

 

[Satory]

How do they work that out ?

What's the hypothesis ?

Like I said bouciness only comes from an underdamped spring wether it be linear , progressive or dual rate .

Totally agree. The car is under-damped.

 

[Lhasa2008]

How do they work that out ?

What's the hypothesis ?

Like I said bouciness only comes from an underdamped spring wether it be linear , progressive or dual rate .

I agree that increasing the damping of the shocks would help, but IMO this would make the suspension too harsh for UK B roads, which is my gripe with the OEM suspension. I think a slightly softer spring would improve things.

But you can have best of both world with the dynamic suspension and switch settings depending on road surface/quality, hence my question.

 

[Jassyo06]

Me S3 bounces constantly on uneven Road surfaces,as above it can be dangerous my S3 nearly bounced me off a country road into a burn

 

[Rob2k68]

Changing my springs sorted 90% of the bounciness out at the expense of maybe 15-20% harsher ride.

Fitted Eibach Sportlines that were 15mm lower front and 20mm rear.

 

[simonali]

The consensus on the forum is that the 8v springs are the issue, rather the shocks.

Surely you've just answered your own question there? Fitting the mag ride will involve changing the dampers, yet you say the springs are causing the problem. I have no clue whether I'm correct or not, but it is possible that the mag ride set up uses the same springs as the standard one?

My old Cupra 280 had the 3 way suspension and all it did was let you choose whether you wanted a little bounce, a slightly bigger one or a really scary one!

 

[Max-Robbo]

Me S3 bounces constantly on uneven Road surfaces,as above it can be dangerous my S3 nearly bounced me off a country road into a burn

And that's all down to the springs is it Jassy...?

 

[0B1001001]

And that's all down to the springs is it Jassy...?

Yes, I've had exactly the same happen. An undulating road results in unexpected rebound behaviour... pogo-tastic!

 

[Jassyo06]

And that's all down to the springs is it Jassy...?

I only had the car 3 weeks when this happened,as l have said on some other thread, l thought the S3 would handle the same road in a similar manner.... Lol

 

[yetirider]

I only had the car 3 weeks when this happened,as l have said on some other thread, l thought the S3 would handle the same road in a similar manner.... Lol

At what speed?

 

[Jassyo06]

At what speed?

About 60 mph

 

[cuke2u]

Its a typical audi, steering that doesn't tell you what the front wheels are doing and a uncompliant suspension, it'll take more than just changing the springs or dampers..

 

[Jassyo06]

The new TT Does'nt suffer this problem,its well known the S3 suffers of this

 

[S3quatt]

I can safely say that if you had specced adaptive suspension, it would have been money thrown away too!
When in comfort, it wallows & bounces in bumpy corners.
When in dynamic, its uncomfortably hard & bouncy in bumpy corners.
I can relate to the (almost being spat out on a corner) post. Had the same thing on a well known stretch of road I use, where my old 8L handled it so well, the new one makes for a white knuckle drive.

Save the cash & put it into Bilsteins & Eibach springs I reckon.

 

[GSB]

In 1200 miles in my loan car (S3 with mag ride) on every kind of road, including some horrendously undulating B roads in deepest darkest Essex that are extremely unsettling, I haven't found this much reported bounce.

And trust me, I'm not hanging about...

 

[Satory]

"Dynamic Suspension" "Adaptive Suspension" "Magnetic Ride"

Three completely different things. Only one of is them available as a factory fit on the Audi S3.

 

[S3quatt]

"Dynamic Suspension" "Adaptive Suspension" "Magnetic Ride"

Three completely different things. Only one of is them available as a factory fit on the Audi S3.

This is helpful how?
Different terms for the same thing.

 

[GSB]

Pedantry, yes.

But, it's worth nipping in the bud early in a thread about the various complexities of the suspension system, both passive and with actively controlled dynamic adjustment of magnetorheological fluids. The correct nomenclature will help.

 

[Rob2k68]

They sound very similar granted but I guess that technically mag ride has only two states it's either on or off whereas the others suggest multiple settings or a wider operational range (?).

 

[GSB]

They sound very similar granted but I guess that technically mag ride has only two states it's either on or off whereas the others suggest multiple settings or a wider operational range (?).

Mag ride utilises variable power settings, for variable damping.

 

[vacant]

http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/coilovers-for-the-8v.241997/

 

[Satory]

This is helpful how?
Different terms for the same thing.

Don't talk stupid. They are three completely different things (NOT different terms for the same thing) and since my psychic powers are at a low ebb I can't figure out which you are referring to. The OP asked about dynamic suspension and you are prattling on about adaptive suspension.

ETA: I assume the OP really is talking about 'dynamic suspension' which is the standard non-sports suspension on the A3 line, though not available as standard on the S3. This would give the softer springs.

 

[Rob2k68]

Mag ride utilises variable power settings, for variable damping.

I didn't think the A/S3 system was that sophisticated - certainly on the R8 yes.

 

[Satory]

They sound very similar granted but I guess that technically mag ride has only two states it's either on or off whereas the others suggest multiple settings or a wider operational range (?).

Adaptive suspension is continuously variable and is air based rather than mag based. Only available as standard on *4 range and above.

 

[GSB]

I didn't think the A/S3 system was that sophisticated - certainly on the R8 yes.

It's the same on the TT. Im not sure why they'd go to the trouble of engineering such a horrendously complex system only to give it an on/off switch. They could achieve the same with standard shocks, a simple valve and £3 worth of actuators.

 

[Lhasa2008]

..so back to the topic in hand ..can you retro fit....

If not, and not wanting to bin brand new suspension, Eibach springs seems to be a good and cheapest starting point

 

[GSB]

..so back to the topic in hand ..can you retro fit....

If not, and not wanting to bin brand new suspension, Eibach springs seems to be a good and cheapest starting point

That'd be my first choice. Fitting wiring looms, processors, and all sorts of other stuff stretching to the four corners of the car, and then coding it all to get it to work, sounds like a total ball-ache.

 

[Rob2k68]

Yep never mind the cost of the shockers themselves !

 

[Spaced]

The consensus on the forum is that the 8v springs are the issue, rather the shocks.

The lack of control of the rebound is down to the dampers, not the springs. Changing springs can mask the problem by making the ride harder and if you want to lower it then it's a way forward.

 

[VWNCC]

Save the cash & put it into Bilsteins & Eibach springs I reckon.

I agree. If one doesn't need adjustability, Eibach springs + Bilstein B8 is probably the best daily driver setup which gives both good handling and OEM-like comfort.

 

[Gazwould]

^ You won't go wrong with a B12 kit .