Lowering on stock struts?

[sCeRaXn]

Well im in a unique situation right now and i need some advice. My cars on jackstands because i just removed the trans(for the second time) to fix the reverse gear lever. I thought itd be a perfect time to do some suspension mods. I got some vogtland club spec springs and Bilsteins to give the car a better stance and to stiffen up the handling a little bit. I went to put them on today and quickly realized the the Bilsteins were for the wrong car...they were completely different in almost every way. So now im gonna have to send them back and wait almost a month to get a new set sent to me. I got the struts through a friend with a special hookup, and now im told that the guy he got them from wont have the right ones for atleast 3 weeks.

For the price im paying for them, im willing to wait...but since i have everything out anyway would it be ok to put the springs on the stock struts for now? I know it definitely isnt the best solution, but itll only be a temporary thing. At the most theyll be on for a month or two since i might get lazy and not put the Bilsteins on right when i get them. Im sure that the struts can hold up to the mild abuse that theyll get, im just worried about odd handling issues that ive seen before with aftermarket springs on stock struts....especially on heavy cars. Thanks in advance for the help.

BTW-I havent searched for other methods of removing the front struts...but i might have found a way to dramatically speed up the process. I only removed 3 nuts, and spent a total of 15 minutes removing both sides. Ill post some pics and do a little write-up if i find that this hasnt been discovered already lol.

[S4 John]

there are guys that run the stock struts with lowering springs. if you do not mind doing the extra labor twice, then go for it.

[highPSI-S4]

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...s+stock+shocks

[dgrs4sd]

don't waste your $$ on labor twice, get some Bilsteins or save up for some and get the real benefit from your springs

if your shocks are shot or close to it, they will begin to fatigue the spring over time and they can sag too, regardless of the manufacturer

so much better off to save and do it once, do it right!

[RolledMySTi]

No point in doing the labor twice. Just wait until you get the right shocks.

[sCeRaXn]

Thanks for the link man. There were alot of mixed reviews, but it looks like it wont make the car handle badly. Thats all i really wanted to know. Im still welcoming input though.

Ive searched about struts removal and every method i found was much more complicated than how i did. So when im putting it all back together ill take some pics and show the method i used. 3 bolts per side is alot easier than taking off control arms and pinch bolts and all that nonsense...i just hope it goes back together as easy as it came out lol.

[sCeRaXn]

Im doing the labor myself, so thats not a problem. I dont mind working on my car at all, so i think ill go ahead and put the springs on the stockers. Also, i dont need to save money to get the struts as ive already bought them, ive just got to wait a while to get them. The car is already on jackstand and the front suspension is out, so as long as it wont hurt the handling i dont see whay i shouldnt do it lol.

[dgrs4sd]

Im doing the labor myself, so thats not a problem. I dont mind working on my car at all, so i think ill go ahead and put the springs on the stockers. Also, i dont need to save money to get the struts as ive already bought them, ive just got to wait a while to get them. The car is already on jackstand and the front suspension is out, so as long as it wont hurt the handling i dont see whay i shouldnt do it lol.

you can easily do the lowering by yourself, on the front just have something against the wall and to the opposite end to cushion the strut's release

I've done a B5 suspension MANY times, it's not bad at all

[sCeRaXn]

on the front just have something against the wall and to the opposite end to cushion the strut's release

What do you mean? Im a little lost here. What do i need to put against the wall and what am i cushioning? Are you talking about taking the spring off the struts? If so i have a nice Matco spring compressor thatll get used for that. Im confused lol

[S4 John]

you need to take the pinch bolt out. then tighten with the wheels on the ground. if you don't your upper control arms are going to go out.

[dgrs4sd]

What do you mean? Im a little lost here. What do i need to put against the wall and what am i cushioning? Are you talking about taking the spring off the struts? If so i have a nice Matco spring compressor thatll get used for that. Im confused lol

if you have a spring compressor than my comment is null

[sCeRaXn]

you need to take the pinch bolt out. then tighten with the wheels on the ground. if you don't your upper control arms are going to go out.

Why do i need to take the pinch bolt out? Theres a method of doing it that doesnt require it and i havent heard anyone saying that it caused their control arms to go out. I didnt read alot into it so i might have missed something though.

[Jung]

i've got a completely stock suspension except for Neuspeed lowering springs.. i'm not slammed, but pretty damn low

[highPSI-S4]

i've got a completely stock suspension except for Neuspeed lowering springs.. i'm not slammed, but pretty damn low

But to answer alot of some people's question's how many miles on the car from when you had them installed to now, and have you measure the height since the install?

[Jung]

read sig for ride height.. Idk when they were installed, they were on when i bought them. But 10K miles later, after a VERY hard winter, and uneven pavement, everything has held up pretty well. Except for part of the obttom of my bumper when i hit a rather large ice chunk going 50mph. cracked it and took a chunk out of the bottom.
I haven't rolled my fenders though, and the tires scrape a littel when i do a sharp turn

[sCeRaXn]

Well that makes me feel better about the situation. I put the springs on the struts today but i havent put them back on the car yet. The stock struts looked brand new, so im hoping theyll last for a while. I know im going to wait a while to install the struts...after having the car off the road for 2 months ill just be happy to be driving it lol. But its good to know ill have the Bilsteins to put on if the stockers blow. This will also give me alot of solid info on stock vs aftermarket struts as far as reliablity and handling are concerned. I know the bilsteins will be better, but im hoping the stock struts will be pretty good.

[The_Jerbel]

I ran stock struts and shocks on Eibach pro lowering springs for 30k miles. No issues at all. I upgraded to Bilstein sports and the ride and handling has greatly improved, as is to be expected.