Help! my Koni/H&R setup rides like sh*t

**whyb2nd** · 03-29-2008 01:12 PM

installed the Koni sports(yellow) with H&R sport springs and Hotchkis sport sways yesterday. the ride was terrible on firm shock settings and still feels bad on mid setting. should I set the shocks at the softest setting for more travel maybe. also what's odd is the frt dropped 1.2-1.4" but the rear looks the same. H&R said the rear will settle, not really sure....thanks

**VR2V8** · 03-29-2008 02:18 PM

Sorry, not much help here, but I guess this is why everybody says to go with coilovers and do it right first time. All I want is to close the wheelgap by about an inch, but the more I think about it, the more I realize I'm going to have pay the high coilover price. It just sucks spending that kind of money for coilovers and not even using them for the crazy 2-3" drop they were intended for.

**likewater** · 03-29-2008 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by whyb2nd

installed the Koni sports(yellow) with H&R sport springs and Hotchkis sport sways yesterday. the ride was terrible on firm shock settings and still feels bad on mid setting. should I set the shocks at the softest setting for more travel maybe. also what's odd is the frt dropped 1.2-1.4" but the rear looks the same. H&R said the rear will settle, not really sure....thanks

What do you consider terrible? Remember, the factory set up is a compromise between ride quality and handling. When you change out to a set up like this you're definitely going down the path of more performance and therefore you're going to loose a little ride quality. I have the exact same set up (shocks set mid-firm) and it rides really nice (much firmer with more control). I guess it all depends on what you're looking for. As for the drop, give it a little time to settle (both front and rear) and see how it looks. I don't know the exact numbers mine dropped but it went through the same process and now looks sweet.

**RAudi Driver** · 03-29-2008 05:14 PM

I would set my rear sway bar to the soft setting and put the stock sway bar back on the front.

**whyb2nd** · 03-29-2008 09:10 PM

the ride feels like there is no shock damping and the spring is doing the work which is like riding on steel wheels. on anything but table top roads there is also clanking type of noise. I had a performance shop that owed me a favor do the work.No this isn't a typical suspension upgrade I'm experiencing. I think Monday I will bring it to Audi.

**SpfldS4** · 04-09-2008 11:38 AM

I agree its gotta be the sways. I'm thinking of doing a similar setup with Koni/Stratmosphere Springs and stock sways.

**Dompiece** · 04-09-2008 12:36 PM

FYI- I have exactly the same set-up and my car rides smoother than stock. I have it set on the stiffest setting in the back and about 80% up front. I have my rear sway set to soft. Car handles AMAZING!!!! your car should not be riding like this on these upgrades

**SpfldS4** · 04-11-2008 05:37 PM

Can you guys post picks of your ride heights. I want to do this same combo also. Thanks.

**Speedymon** · 04-11-2008 05:45 PM

Same here. Very interested in the ride height.

**Mike@PureMS** · 04-11-2008 06:12 PM

Soften the shocks. They should be about 25% up front and about 30% out back.. Any more firm and the ride will begin to be real firm.

**tatarin** · 04-13-2008 03:17 PM

sway bars don't have an effect on ride quality. you need to set your shocks to full soft and go from there.

**whyb2nd** · 04-13-2008 11:50 PM

we have determined it's not shocks but the springs. the stock shocks were reinstalled and the ride height up front is still over 2" drop (typo on my first post of 1.2", should be 2.2")
H&R states they have no problem with these springs but there is something wrong here. The car is with my Audi tech now and he says the same. Only solution if the springs aren't defective is early production of my car(9/3/03) may require 03 springs. I don't know, I'm not getting any help from H&R. Stk springs with Koni tomorrow, if the ride height goes back to normal we have a problem with H&R.