PSS9 bounce?

[bskis1080]

hey thinking about getting some pss9's for a mid-level coilover setup as I can get them for about 1300-1500. The car will be mostly a daily driver. In the process of researching these found a lot of complaints mainly in the S4 RS4 threads about cadillac bounce in the front. I'm assuming this is a problem only with the v8 due to the added weight?

I know a bunch of people have these, any input?

also did anyone do a perch mod in order to make adjustment easier? I will most likely set the height and leave it but plan to adjust the dampening/rebound a bit more often if its not a PITA.

[x610326]

KW V3 all the way!!!!!!!!

[bskis1080]

i know i know, but the V3 isn't dampening/rebound adjustable on the car which isnt a huge deal but i'm trying to stay under 1600-1700 as my very top limit.

[grimlock]

If you prefer a firmer ride just stiffen up the settings on the front and rear. I have mine set at 5 all the way around and find it to be an acceptable balance between performance and comfort. I did drive for a while with the settings at 7, and while I don't know if I'd characterize the ride as "bouncy" the dampening was noticeably softer.

[bskis1080]

yea some of the S4/RS4 guys say that at highway speeds they notice a bit of bounce/roll in the front like over expansion joints the front will bob a few times before settling, and of course this sounds terrible to me for such a significant investment. I imagine its a bit of OCD since bilstein generally makes a quality product but if any a4 guys were echoing this i would look elsewhere for my CO setup.

[swoardrider]

yea some of the S4/RS4 guys say that at highway speeds they notice a bit of bounce/roll in the front like over expansion joints the front will bob a few times before settling, and of course this sounds terrible to me for such a significant investment. I imagine its a bit of OCD since bilstein generally makes a quality product but if any a4 guys were echoing this i would look elsewhere for my CO setup.

I used to get that bad when I had Stasis/Koni Tracksports on the car. When I would drive on a bridge, the car would feel like a horse galloping in a parade. Switched to Ohlins Motorsports, and the gallop has significantly improved, but is still noticable. I believe a lot of it has to do with using a stiff spring and short wheel base. Sucks, cuz it makes the car feel like a cheap mini truck. But at least its isolated to just bridges.

[your daddy]

sounds like a bad dampening setting...

[Satyroi]

Worth every penny. In DD i have the setting at 7 and it's a bit on the soft ride side but with these roads here i have no choice. Once I dial them down to 5 or under the handling characteristics change much more aggressively. The car feels like it's on rails and you really do not get any bounce or unpleasant dampening in the lower settings. IMO the higher settings are more OEM in comfort and dampening. The lower settings begin to eliminate any roll and "bounce" as you dial lower.

Pros
* Great build quality.
* Transformed the car's handling.
* The ride is AMAZING
* Shocks can be sent back to Bilstien to be rebuilt
* 0 body roll when put on stiffest setting
* Dampening adjustable
* Can go pretty low.
* Rides like stock (I think) if put on softest setting
* Lifetime warranty

Cons
*Cost
*rear height adustment access

[SleeperAvant]

The bouncing / wallowing would only occur when you've set the coilovers at the softer settings, like 5+. I ride daily in my avant with the fronts set to 2 and the rears set to 1. I know, it's harsh, but it handles amazing.

[bskis1080]

ok thanks a lot thats really all the convincing I need. I am going to snag a set of PSS9's as soon as possible. I plan on doing the perch mod in the back, hopefully this will make any adjustments easier. are the dampening dials easy to get to? do I have to take off the wheel even?

[b7a4GT30]

i believe the dampening needs to be adjusted off the car... i could be wrong!

[$lick]

nope... they can be adjusted on the car with out the wheels being taken off. you just need to take the weight off them before adjusting by putting up on a lift or jacking up each corner and adjusting them individually. then you just reach the dial on the coils and adjust. so easy!

i have the pss10's (which should be almost the same as the 9's) and they ride great. i agree with everything that has been said about them. great build quality and warranty. awesome handling and love the ease of adjustability. they are a little bouncy over certain sections of road on the softer settings, but goes away as the stiffness is increased. i think s4/ rs4 guys may experience this a little more because of the added weight on their cars from the v8. no complaints from me though....

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk127/megz974/CARS/5676858987_d5b25ebe25_b.jpg

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk127/megz974/CARS/5677452790_21380081e2_b.jpg

[bskis1080]

yea im going to be away from the car from the month and then buy them looking for deals on the pss9's though. I know like a year ago people were finding them on modbargains for 1400 which would be awesome but the cheapest i can find them is like 1700-1800 so im hoping a deal will pop up

$lick, car looks great, i gotta get these installed so i can start saving for some nicer wheels