Lowering springs

[audistealth]

Just out of curiosity, do people just throw the springs onto the original struts/shocks and wait for them to fail? If so, do they replace them with OEM parts, or say Koni sport struts/shocks? If anyone is in this situation, I did notice that some websites have Koni's 25% off until May 31. That's all [wrench]

[VR2V8]

You should always do it right the first time. Since the suspension will already be apart, and the shocks are on sale, it's a good time to do it.

That being said, I left the stock shocks installed. I don't put a lot of miles on my cars so the shocks should last me for years so I couldn't justify the extra expense. I guess it depends on your driving habits and what results you're looking to get out of the upgrade.

[F40LM]

Why wouldn't you just get coilovers if you are going to do springs and shocks? That's doing it right the first time.......

[mecheng]

Just out of curiosity, do people just throw the springs onto the original struts/shocks and wait for them to fail? If so, do they replace them with OEM parts, or say Koni sport struts/shocks? If anyone is in this situation, I did notice that some websites have Koni's 25% off until May 31. That's all [wrench]

There are those who want performance, and there are those who want aesthetics. If you're the former, coilovers or a full strut and spring assembly is the way to go, then you get into upper control arms if you drop low enough. Personally, I'm the latter, and I'm happy to run the OEM struts to oblivion then replace them if and when necessary, springs cost a far sight less than a whole kit and I do all the work on my car so I saved a few hundred bucks in labor as well.

[F40LM]

There are those who want performance, and there are those who want aesthetics. If you're the former, coilovers or a full strut and spring assembly is the way to go, then you get into upper control arms if you drop low enough. Personally, I'm the latter, and I'm happy to run the OEM struts to oblivion then replace them if and when necessary, springs cost a far sight less than a whole kit and I do all the work on my car so I saved a few hundred bucks in labor as well.

I just don't understand if you can pick up H&R Streets for like 1100 dollars.....why you wouldn't go for that route. In the end, its not that much more money considering the spring install is like 400 dollars alone. Might as well pay a little more and get both aesthetics and performance.

[mecheng]

I just don't understand if you can pick up H&R Streets for like 1100 dollars.....why you wouldn't go for that route. In the end, its not that much more money considering the spring install is like 400 dollars alone. Might as well pay a little more and get both aesthetics and performance.

Fair point, but if you've financed your car, and you've got a mortgage, and RRSP contributions, and all you want is to get rid of the damn wheel gap on the OEM monster truck, $1100 isn't exactly trivial when you can find a set of springs for $400 and do the install yourself in an afternoon... Busting a $700 nut isn't always in the cards.

[F40LM]

Fair point, but if you've financed your car, and you've got a mortgage, and RRSP contributions, and all you want is to get rid of the damn wheel gap on the OEM monster truck, $1100 isn't exactly trivial when you can find a set of springs for $400 and do the install yourself in an afternoon... Busting a $700 nut isn't always in the cards.

True. For me, I'd like to be able to throw back on the stock components for trade in after I'm done with the car. I don't want to wear down components then have to pay for replacement of those in the end as well. That is why I went with coilovers and the fact that I've seen a lot of people on the boards switch from OE's to coilovers because of the supposedly bouncy highway ride. I can't confirm that. A good compromise might be the KW adjustable springs. I've seen a review stating they switched from OE's to those and had better handling than the OE's along with no bouncy ride.

[drob23]

I just don't understand if you can pick up H&R Streets for like 1100 dollars.....why you wouldn't go for that route. In the end, its not that much more money considering the spring install is like 400 dollars alone. Might as well pay a little more and get both aesthetics and performance.

Lowering springs are just north of $250. Works fine for those who don't need the adjustment. I guess everyone has different priorities. You can get a lowering spring + koni shock package for like $700 I think. I'm not sure there's a performance benefit to the H&R street coils vs a matched setup other than being able to adjust stance/rake.

[F40LM]

Lowering springs are just north of $250. Works fine for those who don't need the adjustment. I guess everyone has different priorities. You can get a lowering spring + koni shock package for like $700 I think. I'm not sure there's a performance benefit to the H&R street coils vs a matched setup other than being able to adjust stance/rake.

I swear it has been mentioned on here from a user before that ran OE's/koni that it isn't a true matched setup either and was still not the ideal handling desired. I'd have to dig it up

This thread provides a lot of OE user feedback: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/541463-H-amp-R-OE-Sport-springs-with-stock-shocks-are-not-working-out-too-bouncy

[MYFASTA4]

for the best quality ride, either get springs with new sport shocks and struts or just get coils.
if you do springs alone your ride will be bouncy.

[Pilfer]

I have OE springs for the last 11,000 miles and my ride isn't bouncy, at all. It's firmer but it doesn't lose composure at freeway speed and we have some shitty ass roads out here.

[drob23]

I swear it has been mentioned on here from a user before that ran OE's/koni that it isn't a true matched setup either and was still not the ideal handling desired. I'd have to dig it up

It just depends on what you define "matched". I think it's too hard to make broad statements when it comes to suspension, the only set I would truly consider "matched" would be the OEM setup, considering their calibration engineers probably drove S4's for thousands of hours over all kinds of road surfaces. And the suspension probably favors street driving over all else, especially considering how high the COG is.

All these aftermarket kits are the same part numbers for tons of different applications, probably same for B7's, B8's, avants etc. My guess is that if you truly want a "matched" or "balanced" setup for your application, you'd need to get a fully adjustable coilover kit...which brings it's own set of issues to the forefront, requires someone skilled in the art of chassis setup to dial it in. I think a lotus boss said something to the effect that "giving a customer the ability to adjust suspension will lead to the worst possible setup". Circuit tested made a great post about how intense these setups can get, especially considering how frequent the rebuild requirement is.

Anyways, end of rant, point is a suspension setup will always have a compromise, just do the research on what options there are and compare with price point and your goals. There is no "right" way to do it until your goals/constraints become more focused.

[F40LM]

I have OE springs for the last 11,000 miles and my ride isn't bouncy, at all. It's firmer but it doesn't lose composure at freeway speed and we have some shitty ass roads out here.

True, you have probably put them to the ultimate test in the midwest.


It just depends on what you define "matched". I think it's too hard to make broad statements when it comes to suspension, the only set I would truly consider "matched" would be the OEM setup, considering their calibration engineers probably drove S4's for thousands of hours over all kinds of road surfaces. And the suspension probably favors street driving over all else, especially considering how high the COG is.

All these aftermarket kits are the same part numbers for tons of different applications, probably same for B7's, B8's, avants etc. My guess is that if you truly want a "matched" or "balanced" setup for your application, you'd need to get a fully adjustable coilover kit...which brings it's own set of issues to the forefront, requires someone skilled in the art of chassis setup to dial it in. I think a lotus boss said something to the effect that "giving a customer the ability to adjust suspension will lead to the worst possible setup". Circuit tested made a great post about how intense these setups can get, especially considering how frequent the rebuild requirement is.

Anyways, end of rant, point is a suspension setup will always have a compromise, just do the research on what options there are and compare with price point and your goals. There is no "right" way to do it until your goals/constraints become more focused.

What I was referring to is that some people complained about the bounciness of the OE's, so they switched to the Koni shocks from stock. Upon doing that, they said the Koni shocks are then too stiff for them. I guess it really depends on your personal preference. What may be a stiff ride to them, might not be a stiff ride for me. I was looking for a little bit stiffer than stock, lower ride height, and less body roll. I have read a lot on the topic of springs vs coilovers on this board and many have switched from OE's to coilovers due to being unhappy with them. I am just trying to avoid that. If all you care about is a drop though the OE's are the cheapest way to do it for sure.

[KRp220]

would springs that provide less of a drop minimize the bouncy-ness and stock suspension wear?

it seems that H&R OE's are the most common option for springs, but i'd take just short of a 1" drop just to improve the aesthetics a little and worry less about clearance. any suggestions?

[audistealth]

would springs that provide less of a drop minimize the bouncy-ness and stock suspension wear?

it seems that H&R OE's are the most common option for springs, but i'd take just short of a 1" drop just to improve the aesthetics a little and worry less about clearance. any suggestions?

That entirely depends on spring rate.

[KRp220]

That entirely depends on spring rate.

fair enough, but that only answers part of my question. any other reputable options for less of a drop than OE's?

[jkc1985]

would springs that provide less of a drop minimize the bouncy-ness and stock suspension wear?

it seems that H&R OE's are the most common option for springs, but i'd take just short of a 1" drop just to improve the aesthetics a little and worry less about clearance. any suggestions?

I have the OE springs and honestly the ride quality is perfectly fine. I would not go any more conservative than the OE if you are worried about aesthetics. The OE springs give and OEM plus look. There is still wheel gap. So, I feel, if you are looking for any less of a drop you might as well stay stock. Just my opinion.

[KRp220]

I have the OE springs and honestly the ride quality is perfectly fine. I would not go any more conservative than the OE if you are worried about aesthetics. The OE springs give and OEM plus look. There is still wheel gap. So, I feel, if you are looking for any less of a drop you might as well stay stock. Just my opinion.

thanks for the insight. i thought the front wheels were a little 'tucked' with OE's, which i'm not really a fan of. i'll have to find some more pics

[mact3333]

all depends on whether you are handy and will do install yourself... springs are cheap...also depends where you live...I couldn't find anyone to do spring install for anything close to 400.00 and had to pay 650.00 labor.

If I intended to keep this car for more than 2 years I would have gone full coils for sure...but for now I just needed a drop for aesthetics...but ride is bumpier now

[svander]

As long as the drop provided isn't too drastic, a set of springs will work well. Yes, your shocks are valved from factory to work with stock springs but there are tolerances built into these things. Will your socks wear out a bit quicker? Maybe.

Honestly, I have yet to see a set of springs only that would drop this car past it's point of being safe on the stock shocks.

[MrPink462]

I put my car on H&R OE sports about a month ago. I have ADS and did not want to lose that function. In all honestly I really enjoyed how the car rode on the stock suspension but I just couldn't handle the wheel gap anymore especially with the aftermarket wheels I went with, it just didn't look proper. So I purely lowered my car for aesthetic reasons and I will say as far as the drop is concerned its about perfect for me, a little lower wouldn't hurt looks wise but I didn't want to slam the car so I went with the OE's rather than the sports. As far as ride quality goes I will say there is a definite decrease in comfort especially on poor roads. Obviously on good roads I don't have much to complain about, its a bit stiffer but nothing to bad....but once you hit a bumpy or poor maintained road you will feel everything much more. I read a lot about guys describing the springs as making the car bouncy but I really don't know if that's the issue. The car is a bit stiffer, I would describe the ride as more harsh. So when you do hit bumpy roads you fell everything much more than you would on the stock springs maybe that is the "bounciness" people are talking about. But if I hit just one bump car goes up and down once, just a bit harsher than stock, by no means does the car start bouncing all over the place. The car has seen some excessive highway speeds and I would say it still felt very composed, maybe not as nice as a set of coil overs but I never felt scared by any means, not to mention there really is no reason to be doing that kind of stuff but with the GIAC stage II ver II on my car its easy to get carried away, thing is a totally new beast, on race mode its to much fun, impossible to enjoy within the legal limits of the law.

Sorry side tracked....back to the springs.
Pros: Gets you a nice conservative drop, really completes the look of the car especially if you have aftermarket wheels with a nice offset / slightly less roll in the corners (at least that's how I feel) / zero rubbing issues so far (AG M550 19 X 9.5 et40 w/ 255 Mich PSS)
Cons: Ride is more harsh then stock, very noticeable and poor roads (could be consider bouncy)

Conclusion: If you don't mind sacrificing a little bit of ride quality to get the look and not sweat the bill, I would totally recommend it. If youre looking for a ride as good/comfortable as stock or looking for adjustability and track performance look else where. But to get rid of the wheel gap and to enjoy the occasional spirited mountain road the OE sport springs are a decent option.

[westwest888]

GMG motorsports is selling springs for $550 now. Not sure if they are better or just smaller economies of scale.

Regarding dampers, OEM are still the most expensive at around $750 for all corners. They must be doing something right. I worry about kits cheaper than OEM from a longevity standpoint.

I haven't done coilovers on this car because of the rebuild requirements.

Sent from Sony Android by Google Play

[mact3333]

You nailed it....describes my experience with OE springs too.



I put my car on H&R OE sports about a month ago. I have ADS and did not want to lose that function. In all honestly I really enjoyed how the car rode on the stock suspension but I just couldn't handle the wheel gap anymore especially with the aftermarket wheels I went with, it just didn't look proper. So I purely lowered my car for aesthetic reasons and I will say as far as the drop is concerned its about perfect for me, a little lower wouldn't hurt looks wise but I didn't want to slam the car so I went with the OE's rather than the sports. As far as ride quality goes I will say there is a definite decrease in comfort especially on poor roads. Obviously on good roads I don't have much to complain about, its a bit stiffer but nothing to bad....but once you hit a bumpy or poor maintained road you will feel everything much more. I read a lot about guys describing the springs as making the car bouncy but I really don't know if that's the issue. The car is a bit stiffer, I would describe the ride as more harsh. So when you do hit bumpy roads you fell everything much more than you would on the stock springs maybe that is the "bounciness" people are talking about. But if I hit just one bump car goes up and down once, just a bit harsher than stock, by no means does the car start bouncing all over the place. The car has seen some excessive highway speeds and I would say it still felt very composed, maybe not as nice as a set of coil overs but I never felt scared by any means, not to mention there really is no reason to be doing that kind of stuff but with the GIAC stage II ver II on my car its easy to get carried away, thing is a totally new beast, on race mode its to much fun, impossible to enjoy within the legal limits of the law.

Sorry side tracked....back to the springs.
Pros: Gets you a nice conservative drop, really completes the look of the car especially if you have aftermarket wheels with a nice offset / slightly less roll in the corners (at least that's how I feel) / zero rubbing issues so far (AG M550 19 X 9.5 et40 w/ 255 Mich PSS)
Cons: Ride is more harsh then stock, very noticeable and poor roads (could be consider bouncy)

Conclusion: If you don't mind sacrificing a little bit of ride quality to get the look and not sweat the bill, I would totally recommend it. If youre looking for a ride as good/comfortable as stock or looking for adjustability and track performance look else where. But to get rid of the wheel gap and to enjoy the occasional spirited mountain road the OE sport springs are a decent option.

[audistealth]

GMG motorsports is selling springs for $550 now. Not sure if they are better or just smaller economies of scale.

Regarding dampers, OEM are still the most expensive at around $750 for all corners. They must be doing something right. I worry about kits cheaper than OEM from a longevity standpoint.

I haven't done coilovers on this car because of the rebuild requirements.

Sent from Sony Android by Google Play

Cost and quality often fall under correlation. That's not the same thing as causation.

That said, I agree with you on certain coilovers.

[MrFunk]

I've got springs and stock shocks/struts. It's fractionally bouncy... like 5% more. There are BY FAR more positive reviews for HR OE springs on here vs any single coilover... I have read horror stories of coils banging and clanking and people not being happy with them. I've read they are not ideal in northern climates with all the salt and snow and I won't be adjusting height... (nor do most people who get coils)... It was not so much the money that pushed me towards springs vs the uncertainty as to which coils actually work well with this particular car. I've ridden in many cars with full coils (top shelf ones) that have terrible ride quality...

I just wanted to drop the height for aesthetics and firm things up a bit. Add sways, links, alu k and I think it's a very capable handling car for DD'ing. Day and night more composed over the stock set up.

[westwest888]

I've got springs and stock shocks/struts. It's fractionally bouncy... like 5% more. There are BY FAR more positive reviews for HR OE springs on here vs any single coilover... I have read horror stories of coils banging and clanking and people not being happy with them. I've read they are not ideal in northern climates with all the salt and snow and I won't be adjusting height... (nor do most people who get coils)... It was not so much the money that pushed me towards springs vs the uncertainty as to which coils actually work well with this particular car. I've ridden in many cars with full coils (top shelf ones) that have terrible ride quality...

I just wanted to drop the height for aesthetics and firm things up a bit. Add sways, links, alu k and I think it's a very capable handling car for DD'ing. Day and night more composed over the stock set up.

Coilovers have more metal on metal and more parts. They make noise. It has no bearing on their performance, which can be fantastic if you spend $500 to get it calibrated.

The cross weights on the factory S4 are actually quite good. It's like Audi corner balanced it for us. They probably go to shit when you lower it, though.

[IanCH]

I have OE sports and love the height (just low enough that I can still make it over the driveway entrance at my parents house when I go there which is a hellish bump for lowered cars.)

But I think my front struts are going out as of yesterday. I am gonna pick up the Koni shocks at the discounted price before the sale ends. wont bother with the ADS delete I'll just code out the light instead.

Before anyone says "look, oe sports kill your shocks/struts!!!" my car has 82,500 miles on the stock suspension and I knew I would need new ones soon enough and for 6 months and total price of ~700 dollars I think I will be very happy with the end result.