B7 driving impressions and progression

[SummitP]

Everytime I join one of these forums, I say, I am going to participate more. I am going to maintain a build thread. And then I don't really do it. I typically pop in and provide a useful bit of info here and there after I have been around for awhile, but that is usually about it. With that said, I have a new car, and maybe I can actually do a build thread, or an ongoing maintenance type thread, or whatever.
Anyway, now that I have had the car for a week, I thought I would talk abouit how it handles in relation to other cars that I have had. Hopefully this will be interesting for people who are looking at B7s.
Here is my car, a 2005.5 a4 2.0t quattro 6 spd manual.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-PiG1GVng8n4/UqOFUZ47N7I/AAAAAAAAM6c/XPHOhIb31uA/w863-h576-no/20131207_114530-1.jpg

It is in immaculate shape, it has 53000 miles on it, and has been dealer maintained by the previous owner. I love the color, and the quality of the interior, and the heated seats. I have always liked the look of the a4, and actually got to drive my moms 1994 super 90 cs quattro, and have always liked a smaller AWD car, especially with a manual transmission. Can you say powerslides?
My daily driver prior to this car was a 1988 e30 BMW 325ix coupe, 6 cyl, 5 spd manual, AWD. Great little car. With bilstein HD, and H&R sport springs, it was fun to drive, if a little soft. It handled quite well, and felt pretty neutral and was very communicative. The audi in comparison, with the stock non sport suspension, feels firm on bigger bumps, but too soft around corners, and pushes way to much if you come into a corner with any amount of speed. Before the e30, I had a 1999 e46 bmw 328i. I set that car up with H&R springs and the ZHP suspension package, stiffer than sport oem shocks, sway bars. That car was beautiful cruising on the highway at 100 mph. I live in Utah and drive to the desert or up to Boise or Sun Valley fairly often, so high speed cruising is critical. The e46 was awesome. My aim for the B7 is to make it feel as good at 100mph as my e46 did. With that in mind, Koni sport shocks and H&R springs are on the way. I probably won't get to them until mid January, but that should go a long way to solving the audi handling problems. After that I plan to install an rs rear sway bar. Once the chassis is sorted, I'll probably chip to stage 1 for a little extra power, but I have never needed a lot of power to have fun or enjoy how a car drives.

In summary, the B7 stock is good in the snow, (note a6 wheels with hankook snow tires) but not noticeably better than the e325ix. I can definitely feel the Torsen diff engaging actively, where as the bimmer would engage as slippage occurred. Engine braking down a snowy hill in the quattro is also nice, as you can feel the torque from engine braking shift around to where there is traction. The b7 is a nice riding, quiet, and comfortable car, I LOVE the heated seats, but it is not very inspiring to drive, but then again, the e46 was relatively uninspiring until suspension was added on. So I am looking forward to getting the suspesnsion built, seeing how it drives, and then adding power if I decide to keep it. The clutch feels way to soft, and the twitchy throttle at the beginning of the range of motion, is not really to my liking, especially compared to the e30 which was the real deal, direct engagement with the clutch.

Anyways, I will try to document installs, and make updates on this page. If I get it stuck in some DEEP snow after the plow comes through, I'll post pics of that up too.
Here is a picture of my street one saturday afternoon after the plow had spun sideways and gotten stuck. A good home for the quattro me thinks.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AY8eBlmaPAY/USk3UbVW1JI/AAAAAAAAJM0/HLIQgSYSqm0/w432-h576-no/20130223_142309.jpg


As it sits now....
H&R sport, Koni yellow, GIAC stage 1, Sline wheels, Bridgestone RE760 sport, rack, almost done...
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-V6QgBCmzw5o/UzykPn91LNI/AAAAAAAANcg/pssWpasLpNY/w745-h577-no/20140402_175829.jpg

[LINDW4LL]

Welcome. Looks like you got a well-treated B7.

The 034 RSB and upgraded suspension completely transform the car, although I'm not sure it will be the same as your E30 just because of the weight difference.

[kaz02a4]

Did you consider coils before going with the Konis and H&R springs?

Oh, and welcome [up] The community here is very helpful and rather intelligent.

[SummitP]

I did consider coil over systems. My experience with my MR2, my e46, and my e30 has led me to believe that h&r makes high quality springs. Koni I know makes high quality shocks that are adjustable. I think the ride height on all the pics of h&r looks fine to me, and I don't see myself wanting to adjust height, and the maintenance required for the coil over systems combined with the tons of snow and salt they dump on my street, I decided to go with the springs and shocks. Also, to get a comparable shock to the Koni, u need to spend $1000+, so if the real benefit is height adjustability (h&r and Koni apparently match pretty well) the $$ difference is not worth it to me.

Thanks for the welcome, there does seem to be some good info on the board, but sometimes it is difficult to separate the good info from countless "what's the best coil over" threads. But it's the Internet so what's new. It is great when you can come across truly informative threads.

[B7Joe]

^^ That's my exact setup and I think its perfect for my needs. Welcome!

[SummitP]

So b7 Joe, how do you have you Koni set? I was going to lean towards the softer end of the spectrum, I had Koni yellow on my old spec944 race car, so I know they are plenty capable of being stiff. How many turns clockwise did you set front and rear? How is the ride quality vs. Performance?

[turbo944s2]

FYI. There is a company on the forums that sells a coilover kit with shocks and springs for 500 bucks. http://www.amimotorsports.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=31255

[SummitP]

Not interested in $500 coil overs.

[turbo944s2]

Yea, I read it, seems like toward the end you were complaining about price, so I tossed that bone to you.

[SummitP]

No worries, I edited my post to be nicer, sorry about the snark. I'm a value shopper, and it's not my first car to start modding. I have done a lot of track driving as a racer, and as an instructor(not for a couple years now [mad]), as well as a lot of long distance high speed cruising, so I have a pretty good idea of what I want, and how to get there. I think it's pretty evident that if you buy a good spring and shock combo, you need to spend significantly more on a coil over to get to the same quality of damper. So cost counts, but is not a defining factor.

[turbo944s2]

Its cool, don't sweat it. I'm building up a dyno queen atm, but once I get it done you could give some insight on how to make it handle better.

What year 944 did you own? I had a 79 924 that I really liked but I was only 16 when I had it and it was a piece. The handling was incredible but it didn't have very much horsepower.

[mec]

coilovers are coilovers, unless you want to spend $2k in suspension you are pretty much buying the same shit.

[SummitP]

I had an 86 944. Regular 8v engine, easy to work on, reliable, and with the transmission in the back, beautifully balanced car. Everyone ran Toyo 225 50 15 tires, koni yellow shocks, and you could do a ground control coilover in the front, but you had to run the torsion bars in the back. Mine weighed about 2640lb if I remember correctly. They are neat cars, not super fast, but great drivers. I wouldn't be surprised if I end up with another one in the future. The best ones for the spec classes are the 924s models because they weight a tad less than the 944, and the s models have the shorter 5th gear, and a limited slip in the rear. I think the 944 sheetmetal looks better though. I'd be happy to answer any 944 questions you have.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-TzqcDJBaSwo/Tkx6u-V8leI/AAAAAAAAFao/4Zbf9mQE4pg/w768-h576-no/061408_0958.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-RmmqvdLg5Cw/Tkx6VvJphqI/AAAAAAAAFXE/vKhPr_4xU1Y/w767-h576-no/061408_0888.JPG

[Jay-Bee]

coilovers are coilovers, unless you want to spend $2k in suspension you are pretty much buying the same shit.

I dunno, i wouldn't rank that vmaxx or rokkor crap anywhere near kw, koni cup kits or any other well setup 750-1200 purchase.

OP some suspension and a sway bar upgrade will have you happy in the seat again, i can tell yours doesn't have sport suspension, and even vs base its' characteristics are a fair bit different. I was happy when i looked up and saw those red shocks, and for the 2 years i had the car i didn't feel any need to upgrade it yet. The Passat I have now is in great shape but it rides so soft... nothing like the B7 avant with sport susp.

[SummitP]

Made a few changes on the car the last couple weeks. Got a license plate filler installed up front, debadged the back, and threw a rack up top to hold my toys. Here it is as she sits now.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Y5EBFupRUew/UtL_vkdRA4I/AAAAAAAANAw/7ivZRlH_23w/w768-h576-no/20140112_134832.jpg


Also, had a bunch of snow the other day, and I couldn't make it up my street. I never had the problem with my old e30 ix, but I am going to chalk it up to the semi worn Hankook Icept tires, not impressed with them so far. Next year I will have to get some fresh studded tires.
Got these sitting on the bench along with some H&R springs, Tomorrow is the day.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-tMKf39pv5Hg/UtDC_4SaQZI/AAAAAAAAM_w/XFEexI-fiX8/w432-h576-no/20140110_210506.jpg

[KGB]

Nice, consider getting a set of OEM bi-xenons. I did that after coilovers haha

[bnish]

I have a set of OEM bi-xenons for sale if your interested. lemme know.

[SummitP]

Not interested in the xenons, thanks.

So it took a while, but I got the shocks and springs installed today. Car looks way better, haven't had a chance to drive it yet, will be taking down to the valley for an alignment tomorrow. Click for my review of the combo, and initial driving impressions, I will update the thread again after I have some miles on the combo: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/576691-a4-2-0T-Q-M-Koni-and-H-amp-R-install-and-driving-impressions?p=9377518#post9377518

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-4vy-8aKp5AM/UtTTdiCwGNI/AAAAAAAANBQ/wNr3nuqsnv4/w432-h576-no/20140113_221459.jpg

Here's a pic in the garage.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-yRftBSEb2QU/UtTThtPG1WI/AAAAAAAANBw/jid7qnPJQ2w/w768-h576-no/20140113_224750.jpg

Also, if you ever have a centercap that won't stay on cause one of the tabs is broken, here is a cheap fix. When I got these a6 wheels, they only came with 3 centercaps, and 2 of them had no chance of staying in. So I had some leftover hardware hanging around from some speakers I put in a different car, and the little metal bits that are designed to slide over sheetmetal, and give you a screw point, (I have no idea how to describe what they are for) but anyway, I had these little metal things that I thought would work great to keep centercaps in. Check it out, it works.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LwdhiMKPO3Q/UtTTe7l5DMI/AAAAAAAANBY/e_-XBI2ERXA/w432-h576-no/20140113_223917.jpg

[pkny]

Genius, i will be doing this tonight

[SummitP]

So car is driving great. Got an alignment, and drove around quite a bit. New suspension is great, for the type of driving I do in this car, it may not need a rear sway bar, I'll have to drive it for a couple weeks and decide. I probably will do it, just to get it to the next level of sportiness.
BUT, I in my travels today, I stopped by the shop at Streamline Industries in Salt Lake today, and they flashed my car with the stage 1 GIAC tune, and it has waken the car up nicely, noticeable gains in HP and torque, and combined with the suspension, is definitely a more entertaining ride.
Tomorrows projects are the cam follower, the revision D diverter valve, and while I am in there, a snub mount from Apikol. That take care of my work on this car for awhile. It has come a long way towards being the ideal snow capable high speed cruiser I was looking for.

[4rings5stars]

If you do get a rsb, make sure you run a good quality set of summer tires.

These cars plow when they corner hard as it is. For me, adding the bar just made it feel like snap oversteer when the tires grip was exceeded.

Lovin that pie plate look, btw!

[SummitP]

So little update. I have not purchased an RS4 rear sway bar yet, but have a couple updates to make. I got an alignment, and the front was off a bit. The inside of the tire is wearing fast as a result. The tie rod was stuck, so a new one is on the way.

Next, I did pick up some summer wheels and tires, and put them on the other day, but may have been a tad early, as it snowed the next two days, and I just about wrecked leaving my house with a dusting of snow. I got some s4 or sline wheels, and some bridgestone re760 tires. I proceeded to slide down my street, and fortunately the car coming from the left saw me sliding and stopped, and I was able to get it sideways and when I hit the bigger road, accelerate so I didn't slide into the guardrail at the bottom. I guess lesson learned, any time there is a dusting of snow the rest of the spring, Land Cruiser gets the duty.

Further impressions of the koni H&R combo are as follows. If you checked my koni and H&R thread, you will see I set my fronts at 2/3 stiff (1 full turn out of 1.5 possible). That is too soft. The ride is very good, and it cruises well on the freeway, but big bumps, or freeway joints cause the car to bounce some on the rebound. I will at some point remove them, and set them to full firm to better control the springs. I will update the koni H&R thread.

Anyway, here is a crappy cell shot of how it sits now.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/uIhnDQv1oKs59dBjR3QyLfd6EIkOeOLMW2EGp6fRk-I=w1044-h514-no

[SummitP]

Final update. After driving the car for a while, I decided that I didn't really like how it drove. It was pretty nice at speed, and handled relatively well, but it always felt like there was a ton of weight hanging over the front axle. Well there is, the bulk of the engine sits in front of the front axle. So there is no solving that issue. It just never felt as good as either of the BMW's I have had.
Now, reliability. this car was bought from the original owner, and had all the services up to 53k when I bought it completed at the dealership. It had just had the 55k mile service completed when I bought. Then... the one of the ignition coils went bad. Fixed that. Then a wheel bearing went bad. Fixed that too. Then the check engine light came on again, (can't remember what it was, cleared the code and it never came back). Then it came on again, something different. Cleared the code. Then it came on again for something else. WTF!!!! Cleared it, came back on several times for the same thing, (that intake manifold flat motor thingy). Kept clearing it, then it stopped coming on. Whew. Then the fucking air conditioning died. Metal chunks throughout the system. WTF!!!!! Car only has 60,000 miles! Who builds shit like this?!?! Fixed it to the tune of $1500. That was the last straw.
I sold the car. I won't be buying another audi again soon. Currently shopping for a used BMW. Consider this my sign off of audizine, (what did I have, like 15 posts? haha.) anyways, good luck people.

[funky_snowman]

Sounds like you're doing a lot of code clearing, but few actual repairs. Oh well?

[4rings5stars]

Sounds like you're doing a lot of code clearing, but few actual repairs. Oh well?

Either a lemon or poorly maintained from the get go.

[p0isin]

Tldr: one audi you bought had issues which you didn't take the time to properly diagnose, therefore all audi products are terrible...

[pfig88]

I've owned 2 B7 A4s. I assure you that you've got a lemon or badly maintained car on your hands. I've had nowhere near the number of problems you've mentioned.