2003 A4 (B6) Suspension Upgrade

**mr_esmit** · 10-13-2008 02:37 PM

Ok, so I've read most of the threads involving suspension upgrades. So far I've been able to concluded that there are basically 2 ways to go, an aftermarket spring/ shocks combo or coilovers. I'm not really not interested in c/o's so that leaves changing shocks & springs all at once, but the big question is ...which springs, which shocks???

I live down in the Caribbean and to be honest streets here are pot hole, speed bump infected hell tracks (i'm exaggerating, but you get the picture) which is one of the reasons I bought my 2003 A4 1.8T....ride comfort. Like most every body I would love to enhance my suspension without sacrificing the comfort of course. After all it's my every day driving baby.

The top contender for springs (according to your posts) are:

H&R
Eibach
Vogtland

I had some Vogtlands on my previous ride and give them

.
H&R lower the ride to much for what I'm looking for and according to some Audi enthusiasts, the ride is bumpy.
Eibach is less bumpy.

So I'm in between Eibach & Vogtland

The Shocks configuration however have me a bit more confused (now that I have the Eibach/ Vogtland option). I saw some eibach pro damper shocks, but I'm not sure that the level of damping can be modified. What would you recommend???

P.S: I' m planning to upgrade to 18" wheels with 235/40/18 tires in the near future.

**mr_esmit** · 10-15-2008 02:02 PM

Anybody???

**jeremy@matrix** · 10-16-2008 11:03 AM

If you've had Vogtland's before and were happy with them then I'd recommend you use them again.

As far as dampers, I'd recommend Bilstein Sport's(not rebound adj) or Koni Sport's(rebound adjustable off the car).

The only downside we see to dampers/springs is that if the springs drop your car too much or not enough, you're stuck and can't change ride height (whereas with coilovers you can).

I hope that helps.

**mr_esmit** · 10-16-2008 01:58 PM

Accoring to Vogtland, the springs lower about 1.4 inches. Will my car ride lower than that once I put in the Bilstein or Koni dampers on?? Any body have pics of their car with some vogtland springs on them and Bilstein or Koni dampers??

Jeremy, thanks for your help!

**jeremy@matrix** · 10-16-2008 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by mr_esmit

Accoring to Vogtland, the springs lower about 1.4 inches. Will my car ride lower than that once I put in the Bilstein or Koni dampers on?? Any body have pics of their car with some vogtland springs on them and Bilstein or Koni dampers??

Jeremy, thanks for your help!

You're very welcome.

If your current dampers are really worn out, the new dampers could raise the car above what the current dampers have the car sitting at (but then the springs would lower it down from that, so maybe not as low as the 1.4" spec).

**mr_esmit** · 10-16-2008 02:23 PM

Jeremy thanks again!

Pics anybody??

**mr_esmit** · 10-16-2008 03:41 PM

Anybody have eibach dampers with non aibach aftermarkets springs?? How does the ride feel??

**Bmeister** · 10-28-2008 10:02 PM

Originally Posted by mr_esmit

Anybody have eibach dampers with non aibach aftermarkets springs?? How does the ride feel??

I got a ride in another B7 A4 this past weekend. She had Eibach Progressive springs ("Pro") and the Koni FSD shocks. The drop was about 1.25" from her stock (she says) and the ride and handling are superb.

Considering my stock shocks are at the point where they should be worn out, I ordered a set of Eibachs and Koni FSD shocks from Tire Rack. Add in $300 to install unless I have time to do it myself, the total is under $1000 and maintenance free.

If you are set on going coilovers, the Vogtlands are outstanding as are the Stasis StreetSports. I'll let you know how the Eibach/FSD combo feels on my car; I'm expecting a better than stock ride with a noticeable improvement in handling...I'll let you know.

**Bmeister** · 10-31-2008 11:57 AM

UPDATE:

I installed the Eibach Pros with the Koni FSD shocks and have ~250 miles on them today. Coming from the *stock suspension, the drop was almost 1.5" front and 1.25" rear although it might settle more over time. No alignment yet until it settles, but I'm tracking dead nuts straight ahead on the road.

The ride is VERY comfortable over even the most torturing ruts; instead of jarring the car, the Eibach/FSD soaked up the harshness with less noise and rebounding than stock. On good pavement in sharp turns, it rides on the proverbial rails. There is ~4.25" clearance underneath the car now and I've had not a single scrape/run in any of the steep approaches normally encountered.

Pictures coming soon. Eibach Pro + Koni FSD are highly recommended for daily driving if you don't need the deeper drop of a coilover.

*NOTE: My stock suspension A4 never had the excessive roll in hard turns some people complain about regarding their stock suspension. My stock suspension actually handled quite well but I wanted it to be lower for aesthetics. I found out why it handled so well for stock; unbeknown to me, it already had an RS4 sway bar installed.

**mr_esmit** · 10-31-2008 04:14 PM

Thanks for the input. I'm eager to see the pics.

**Bmeister** · 10-31-2008 10:29 PM

Here are a few pictures. As a pro photographer, I would like to provide nicer images but I've been too busy to put that much time into it. It was all I could do to make a few hours to do the spring/shock swap this week but I'm very glad I made the time to do it!

Stock suspension height BEFORE:

EibachPro+Koni FSD height immediately AFTER:

Overall view EibachPro+Koni FSD AFTER: