noob help

[cu3tip]

ok so i figured id just come out with some of my questions...because lets face it...im an audi nub, and id like to sort some things out with your guys' help.

ok so i have an 96 a4 FWD.
id like to make a couple additions....actually 3 :)
wheels, suspension, and hid's.

with everyones feedback hopefully i can figure this out......
k so my questions are...:

is my suspension the "stock" sport suspension? or if im looking to get about an inch lower can i buy some used audi sport suspension.. if not what is a good strut/spring setup for a FWD audi?

as far as wheels...im not looking to ruin my ride..and i've had rims before on other cars...for those of you that have 35 series tires...is it bearable? is it horrible? what is your feedback for driving on shitty road conditions....?

as far as staggered - can you stagger a FWD car? is it recommended?

and my last questions is. im looking to put some nice HID's on my car...what exactly do i need? do i need new headlights and the ballasts/kit? if so what are some good kits for my car?

let me know what you guys think... in the meantime i have been looking around on the forums for stuff....

[generik777]

For HID's you will need different headlight housings. Something that uses a projector for the low beam.

[Ado]

get you suspension done first with brakes. get some aggressive pads then deal with the wheels and tires. i would say to get some coilovers so that you can adjust you hight. link to set of tein coilvers for a FWD that are for sale. http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=199790
i have a 97 FWD lowered on Stasis coilovers on 19 inch wheels running a 235/35/19 tires. the ride is stiff due to the fact that i did adjust the dampering on the coilovers. i dont mind the stiff rides but my passenger's hate it. in my opinion the car handle's like a dream not only due to the coilovers but to my other suspension mods that i have (upper LLtek tower bar, DTS, 28mm rear neuspeed sway bar)

[xAUDIx]

You will be able to tell if your suspension is "sport" if your springs are red. Also, if you have the three spoke steering wheel, you have the sport edition.

35 tires....ROUGH is all i gotta say. I blew a tire the first day i had them on. So be warned.

Good luck.

[jbrentd]

The sport suspension was not offered in 96-97, but you can install a used sport suspension from a 1.8T. The 12v and the later 1.8Ts are very close in weight (with ~35lbs). Just try to stay with a similar configuration (ie FWD/Auto or FWD/Manual whatever the case may be for you). I did this with no problem, but I think a new setup would be better if you have the funds. Here's my before and after.



With regards to the HIDs, you'll need new housings like generik777 said. Your best option for performance would be the Valeo E-codes and a VVME HID kit. Depos aren't as bad as they used to be. I used them for three years without issue.

[cu3tip]

wow...surprisingly there is a big enough difference with the sport suspension drop.....very minor but i like it.

ok welll i think im gonna pass on the 35 series tires considering i live in san jose area and maybe skip the rims for now..and just grab some hids...