The Aircon pipe in the engine bay also creates a lot of condensation when the system is in use.
Same on our Golf GTD.
Interesting as I was going to create a new thread to ask for some opinions. My A3 is 8V, Sportback Sport but without Sport suspension. It is neither am S or an RS but have had this creaking noise issue at low speeds especially on these ones:
The car has been with Oxford Audi 4 times since I bought it in April and is going in again on 21st. I can see that the car has the plastic casing however, as you mentioned removing it will make the car creak like a bit*h. I am considering lowering as an option maybe on Pro-Kit.
My question to you us dudiwering fix the issue for you, what did you do to fix it.
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I highly doubt that's the reason, but keep us posted if it fixes it? The plastic casing is there to prevent creasing when going over bump etc, but not a certain must... And you're experiencing low speed creasing WHILE turning? My installer did everything correctly and with the rubber sleeve intact, but mine's still making the clicking sound when turning at very low speed, even after replacing the strut mount and bearing on 2nd check. It's actually a pretty wide spread problem for SOME lowering springs and pretty sure I just found the reason after going back and forth with Eibach Germany, I have the fix, but waiting for back stocked new bearings just in case, will post if it's the case if I'm able to fix it then.
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Car fitted without spring sleeve was noisy as hell when turning the wheel at low speed/standstill
Sleeve fitted to spring and car is quiet
Sleeve fitted to spring and car is quiet
Justin Whitehouse
Registered User
Thanks. I have to drive 140 miles to MRC on Tuesday but can’t get the springs done until the afternoon. Will this apart from the noise do any damage, doesn’t make any noise when driving at any speed?
Car fitted without spring sleeve was noisy as hell when turning the wheel at low speed/standstill
Sleeve fitted to spring and car is quiet
Would have to disagree, the sleeve is there as a pre-caution, majority of the lowering springs out there H&R, VWR, 034 etc etc, none of them come with sleeves and not necessarily make any noise at lower speed/standing still when turning, the sleeves are there to eliminate possible VERTICAL movement creaking, it just has nothing to do with turning, and certainly won't be noisy as hell without. There's a simple logical explanation for the clicking/creaking noise at low speed turning which I'll post once I have confirmation after the bearing comes in... Not trying to be a smart a$$, but there's a reason why I can't post now...
Justin Whitehouse
Registered User
Maybe you aren’t trying to be a smart ****.....am not bothered.
However I have first hand experience of the RS3 with these pro springs fitted without the sleeve and it does indeed make noise when turning the wheel.
At low speed and indeed at a standstill.
As soon as the sleeve is fitted the springs make no noise.
Even some MSS now come with the sleeve
Maybe you aren’t trying to be a smart ****.....am not bothered.
However I have first hand experience of the RS3 with these pro springs fitted without the sleeve and it does indeed make noise when turning the wheel.
At low speed and indeed at a standstill.
As soon as the sleeve is fitted the springs make no noise.
Even some MSS now come with the sleeve
Not really sure if we’re talking about the same noise, and honestly, that’s really not what these sleeve are for, mine has the sleeve and it’s still making the creaking at low speed turns... but as long as it works for you
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Not really sure if we’re talking about the same noise, and honestly, that’s really not what these sleeve are for, mine has the sleeve and it’s still making the creaking at low speed turns... but as long as it works for you
I understand what you are saying about the vertical issue and why the sleeve is there, all I’m saying is in my experience when these sleeves are left off the RS3 eibach pros the noise from the steering at low speed and indeed at a standstill is terrible, it can be heard inside the car and when you turn the wheel with your fingers touching the spring, you can ‘feel’ the noise through the spring coil your fingers are touching........
I totally get what you’re saying too, and I know it’s your experience and understanding, but the sleeve might not have been the cause of your noise neither is my supposedly fix, low speed turning noise could be the top nut not tighten to spec giving the bearing and spring some play and the noise.. So, it might have been when you install the sleeve you also tighten it enough to eliminate the play but not cause of the sleeve... Just my 2 cents...
Justin Whitehouse
Registered User
I have the Sportsline not the Pros but don’t suppose this makes any difference. There are other things to check on mine and they are being looked at this morning now so will report back. Thanks for all the thoughts.
Top nut torqued up both times.
Second time only difference was the plastic sleeve, noise stopped.
There is no play in the spring or top bearing once the strut is reassembled properly.
There’s a purpose for each component, all I’m saying is the sleeve is for vertical movement creaking, there’s just no mechanical connection for these sleeve to have been able to elminate any turning noise... just saying... bottom line, you’re all set, that’s what it counts right? Am really not trying to stir up or argue on anything, I’ll just stop here hehe
I agree Larbel
Sleeves are to stop slap/drag
All my point was ever stating is that I found leaving the sleeve off caused them to make noise.
Even eibach technical said the sleeve must be left on and in the exact position it is shipped in, which is pretty much where the factory foam cup inset finishes the sleeve starts and goes around 1 full coil.....
I was surprised too by how the sleeve made such a difference to the turning motion of the strut, when in reality the spring is fixed into the strut, probably the fact that the bottom 2 coils are rubbing as the strut pivots /angle changes and the sleeve stops them rubbing.....
Justin Whitehouse
Registered User
So I now have the sleeve on both front springs and it has made a massive difference but still have a slight noise on the left hand side when stationary/slow moving. I’m hoping that I can bed it in by taking it for a good run tomorrow both to and from MRC....
Justin Whitehouse
Registered User
Well the creaking issues are still there but I think I have found the answer or at least the Audi tech told me of a raised issue by Audi on this problem which sounded very plausible. If you look the image, part 3 has the issue so the fix is to grease the top of this and the bottom of the mounting and supposedly this resolves the issue...... Told I don't have to dismantle to do this so will jack the car up lift the dust casing and apply the grease. Fingers crossed this works but makes far more sense than the bearings being worn on a car that has done 4000 miles...............
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http://s1020.photobucket.com/user/f...-481F-ABEB-9683C43C01CC_zpshe96aqo2.jpeg.html
There is the front there. Does look significantly nicer
There is the front there. Does look significantly nicer
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Does anyone have any experience with vibrations after lowering and mounting spacers 10mm each side? I mounted a H&R set with H&R spacers but when doing 150km/h the car vibrates.
I agree. I had zero issues with my spacers ( 8mm hubcentric H&R ) . Double check they are all mounted flush and secure then get you wheels balance checked.
Car fitted without spring sleeve was noisy as hell when turning the wheel at low speed/standstill
Sleeve fitted to spring and car is quiet
Sorry to dig up this old thread, but was this clicking/squeaking sound the same as described in my topic (you can hear it in the video):
https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threa...owering-with-eibach-springs-videoclip.415858/
I hope you guys can help me to get rid of this little clicking/squeaking sound.
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Same issue on mine. Plastic sleeves fitted but making the same noise as above at very low speed/turning the wheel at standstill..
Anyone manage to fix this?
Anyone manage to fix this?
First time post on the forums :-DView attachment 156082
Eibach Pro vs Eibach Sportlines & Audi Mag Ride re-calibration on FL RS3.
I thought I would post this here as it might help future readers.
After having Eibach Sportlines fitted on my previous S3 and being very impressed. Read article here
I knew it would be something that I would very much like to do my FL RS3 at some point. This was especially true when I recently parked next to a very nice Golf GTI Club Sport which had a lovely stance and made my car look incredibly high in comparison. The seed was already sewn but parking next to this car made it flower far quicker than I had expected and the mod itch had struck!
View attachment 156073
But with the additional mass of the 5 cylc engine over the front axle compared to the 2 litre lump in the S3 and with the shockingly poor state of our roads I wanted to re-investigate possible options. Would lowering the car ruin the comfort level and highlight the bad roads? Would lowering the car bring unwanted attention? Could it be done in an OEM+ fashion?
After driving the car for about 6 weeks I really liked the general level of comfort the car offered with the Mag Ride set to comfort setting, despite having 19’s all round and having the larger 255 set up on the front. It was something I did not want to sacrifice. Dynamic was great but a little too harsh for all of the time and especially with kids or passengers in the back although on a spirited drive on your own truly superb. (although I knew there might be room for improvement). My FL RS3 had so far never exhibited the bouncy castle ride that some PFL cars are known for so overall I was pleased with the ride and damping that the stock FL car had. I just wanted to improve the stance without sacrifices to either end of the spectrum between comfort and dynamic modes. I also wanted to find a solution that looked OEM+ and did not want the slammed look or any future issues with rubbing.
The car would be used on the road and with the current state of the UK road network I was very much focused on compliancy and suppleness but with all the control I had previously experienced with uprated springs.
So I knew I needed to try to keep as much of the comfort as possible whilst obtaining a suitable drop to improve the cars stance and if possible maintain or even improve dynamic mode. I wanted to keep the Audi Mag ride functionality and ensure there was a significant difference between settings without any compromises. No mean feat thats for sure.
Like many things, there can be a wide spectrum cost wise for spring and suspension set ups. I didn’t want to go crazy and fit a fully adjustable MSS kit, but at the same time fit a poor/ sub standard or cheap item to an otherwise great car. Having used Eibach previously and being impressed by them it really was an obvious choice for me again, especially at their price point ( circa £220 a set ) however I was intrigued about the differences between the Pro and Sportline variances.
The Eibach website states that the
Pro-Kit is the perfect answer for most popular road vehicles. The springs works with stock dampers and dramatically improves both a vehicle's performance and appearance. The Pro-Kit lowers the car’s centre of gravity, reducing squat during acceleration, body roll in corners and excessive nose dive under braking.
Lowering the car:
Front - 20mm drop
Rear - 10mm drop
The Sportline in contrast is the extreme-performance spring set created for the extreme enthusiast.
The spring for one who craves a racecar attitude for maximum street performance with the lowest possible drop (according to the Eibach website), but with the exceptional ride quality you expect from Eibach.
Engineered with the same care as the Pro-Kit springs, The Sportline springs dramatically reduce squat during acceleration, body roll in corners and nose-dive under braking.
Lowering the car:
Front - 20-25mm drop
Rear - 15-20mm drop
So what did I choose this time?- You can probably guess..::
I took the plunge !
View attachment 156074
Eibach Pro’s fitted.
The result is a subtle but effective drop of about 10-18mm all round from a stock height. On my car with Audi Mag Ride the stock height was circa 470mm from floor to wheel arch. This was actually identical to the stock height measurements I took with my previous FL S3 on Mag ride. So I would be able to make some general comparisons in both stance, drop and ofcourse ride comfort and control.
Stock heights - Front
View attachment 156077
Rear - Stock Height
View attachment 156078
With the Eibach Pro’s fitted to the FL RS3 its now appx 452mm floor to wheel arch. I also chose the Eibach Pros rather than the Sportlines as they come as black springs for a start ( compared to bright red on the Sportlines ) so offer a very stealthy upgrade to stock. The Pro’s seem to offer a similar drop albeit 5mm or so less drop, especially on the rear but balance this with superb comfort levels and incredible control when cornering, to offer what I would describe as an OEM+ offering.
Here is a comparison of the drop between Sportlines and Pro’s on an Audi Mag ride car.
Front - After fitting springs- Pros top / Sportlines bottom.
View attachment 156079
Rear. Pros top / Sportlines bottom
View attachment 156080
Comfort was excellent with the springs fitted, Dynamic was also good, but I knew from previous experience with the Audi Mag ride that a re-calibration would put the icing on the cake and provide total control to the top and bottom ranges of the damper extension. Especially with the new springs dropping the car around 18mm on the front and circa 10+mm on the rear.
Re-Calibration of Audi Mag Ride.
@DJAlix from Vagcarcoding was my first point of call for the re-calibration. We went out in the car with the Eibach Pros’s fitted for a before comparison. Alex was impressed with the springs and noted that Comfort was both controlled and very pleasant over everything bar the very worst of roads. Dynamic setting again was very good but your eyes had to be on full alert for pot holes and in perfections in the road. We both felt that the Eibach Pros were once again an excellent spring just like the Sportlines produced by Eibach. They were however marginally more forgiving over the worst of bumps and compliant over speed bumps. However you could feel the top and bottom of the dampers not quite controlling the very furthest edge of the range of movement, once again similar to the Sportlines I had fitted to the S3. The springs were excellent but not totally accepted and in unison with the car. The car had a sporty and flat/ stiff feel in Dynamic ( which I’m sure some may actually love ! but it wasnt fully controllled ) and with it came a bounce / jerkiness to the man moobs which was not to my liking over anything but smooth tarmac.
Resolution
Re-calibrating the cars mag ride and adjusting the settings that are stored by the factory to the new ride height would ensure that the car knew it was lower. I was convinced this would be a night and day difference based on previous experience. We went for a test drive and within 50 yards we could feel the difference and I was proved right. Alex and I both agreed the ride was now superb on the Eibach Pro’s and the handling was great for road use in both comfort and dynamic settings. The re-calibration had brought full control back over the cars springs and allowed the dampers to function as they were intended. Dynamic is usable just about all of the time providing a supportive yet compliant ride and comfort is ... what else can I say...comfortable and provides a very pleasant place to whaft away the miles after a hard busy days work. Once again I was very happy with the cars new ride height and comfort levels. More info on the Mag ride setting procedure can be found on my original post here:
Thoughts and conclusions.
Its still early days with the Eibach Pros, and I’m sure they have a little bedding in to do. However I am amazed and very pleased to report that they have done what Eibach claimed. They have lowered the cars centre of gravity, reduced the front wheel arch gap that I really wanted to correct and completely retained the level of comfort and precision that I demanded. Turn in is excellent and the ability to glide over minor in perfections in the road is phenomenal for a lowered car. (Ok I know its not slammed but circa 20mm drop on the front is noticeable ). The Pro’s offer all this in a very stealthy stock looking package that only a very keen eye under the car might spot. They are very much an OEM+ bit of kit.
The Sprtlines on the other hand offer 85% of the comfort of the Pro’s, but come as bright red springs. Yes the Sportlines do offer a further drop but it is negligible at the front (2-5mm ) and marginal at the rear 5-10mm.
View attachment 156083
If you are looking for an OEM+ look that provide great comfort and control then the Pros are probably for you. If you want a bit more drop and are willing to sacrifice 10-15% comfort yet not loose it entirely then the Sportlines are for you.
In my eyes the Eibach Pro’s really do seem to offer the best of both worlds, comfortable and compliant yet sporty when required.
To be honest I fail to see how you could be disappointed with either set of springs and what can be accomplished with a Mag Ride re-calibration.
What are you waiting for !.... I love how mine looks and drives !
View attachment 156084
View attachment 156085
Regds
Jungle
I have had my 2019 S3 Facelift for a couple of years but now the warranty is finished I want to do some mods. This post was incredibly helpful in deciding which springs to use - so a huge thank you for taking the time and effort to put such a comprehensive series of posts together on the topic. It has helped me to decide the eibach pro-kit is the way to go for what I want to achieve
Quick question - are you running any spacers on the wheels in these photos?
