Coilovers Before or After X-Country Move?

[fallingreason]

My stock suspension is shot. I'm ready to put SoloWerks coilovers on but am debating if I should do it now, or after I drive across the country with my car loaded down with all my stuff as I will be moving from coast to coast.

My concerns/thoughts are:

Will the coilovers be damaged or wear faster from the car being loaded down for 3500+ miles?

Will the wheels rub? (I'm not planning on slamming it, just an inch or so lower than how it sits currently)

Will it be safer to make the drive with new suspension? The car already bounces more than I like and hits the front bump stops on speed bumps with only me in the car.

It may make sense to get an alignment before the move so maybe this makes sense anyhow?


Any thoughts or suggestions?

[ZipMeUpJ]

do it before. rubbing depends on tire sizes, offset of the wheels, and drop. I would put in the new suspension before making a trip that long, definitely.

[claudiovagkraft]

I'd say put the suspension on. Who knows what you may encounter on your trip. I know I'd want a solid suspension under me in case I have to make any sudden maneuvers, especially with a loaded car. Shot suspension is one bad enough, but a loaded car on shot suspension is even worse.

[Spike00513]

If you install coilovers, you have to give them time to settle before getting an alignment or adjusting height to your liking. What's the point in only giving them 3 days to settle, getting an alignment, then finding out you want to change their height after the trip. Your shocks are probably worn out, not your springs. Meaning it doesn't really matter if the car is loaded down. Depends on what model suspension your car has to begin with, too. 02' Quattro GmBh OEM sport suspension will last longer and is stiffer than all of the others, AFAIK. IDK how important having new shocks is. I mean sure, under braking, more weight might travel forward without good shocks to keep the car level, same with cornering, but you're not looking to set a record lap-time at the Nurburgring. I would leave it as is and drive carefully. I have done this before, and so does everybody else. I rarely have to swerve to avoid other drivers, because I try to predict their moves and drive accordingly. Defensive driving. Positioning myself in spots where I am clearly visible to other traffic. Things like that are what matter - not things like blindly following traffic rules without thinking of anything else. Yes, I was in the "right" for being stopped at a red light, but that didn't stop a car from plowing into me. Plenty of people are in the "right" by driving through their green light, but that doesn't stop somebody in oncoming traffic from swerving into and killing them. There is only so much that new shocks can do anyway. It's your call. But like I said, I wouldn't, unless I had the means to easily do so. I'd install all the right parts, let the suspension settle, and get a good alignment...I wouldn't simply throw them on and head out the next day as is..

My car is in great shape, but that means nothing if I don't look both ways before going through a green light, even thought I shouldn't have to do that and account for other peoples stupidity, because they shouldn't be so stupid to begin with. If I hadn't have done that recently, the guy in the E90 4-door who ran his red would've ended up right in my door and killed me. Maybe he was texting. Maybe he had a spontaneous brain aneurism. Solo Works coil overs won't really make a difference in a situation like that.

Even your current suspension could be better than much newer suspension on the lesser-quality (in terms of performance) econo-cars that rule the roads today..

What if you find out it does rub. Then what, raise the height? Your alignment will suffer. If you hit bump stops on speed bumps then I think you go over them too fast...

Can a loaded trailer-pulling semi-truck handle or brake ANYWHERE near as good as your car? No. Yet they still travel all over the country, every day...If your car is full of shit, then don't expect it to brake like it would if it was empty...

[fallingreason]

If you install coilovers, you have to give them time to settle before getting an alignment or adjusting height to your liking. What's the point in only giving them 3 days to settle, getting an alignment, then finding out you want to change their height after the trip. Your shocks are probably worn out, not your springs. Meaning it doesn't really matter if the car is loaded down. Depends on what model suspension your car has to begin with, too. 02' Quattro GmBh OEM sport suspension will last longer and is stiffer than all of the others, AFAIK. IDK how important having new shocks is. I mean sure, under braking, more weight might travel forward without good shocks to keep the car level, same with cornering, but you're not looking to set a record lap-time at the Nurburgring. I would leave it as is and drive carefully. I have done this before, and so does everybody else. I rarely have to swerve to avoid other drivers, because I try to predict their moves and drive accordingly. Defensive driving. Positioning myself in spots where I am clearly visible to other traffic. Things like that are what matter - not things like blindly following traffic rules without thinking of anything else. Yes, I was in the "right" for being stopped at a red light, but that didn't stop a car from plowing into me. Plenty of people are in the "right" by driving through their green light, but that doesn't stop somebody in oncoming traffic from swerving into and killing them. There is only so much that new shocks can do anyway. It's your call. But like I said, I wouldn't, unless I had the means to easily do so. I'd install all the right parts, let the suspension settle, and get a good alignment...I wouldn't simply throw them on and head out the next day as is..

My car is in great shape, but that means nothing if I don't look both ways before going through a green light, even thought I shouldn't have to do that and account for other peoples stupidity, because they shouldn't be so stupid to begin with. If I hadn't have done that recently, the guy in the E90 4-door who ran his red would've ended up right in my door and killed me. Maybe he was texting. Maybe he had a spontaneous brain aneurism. Solo Works coil overs won't really make a difference in a situation like that.

Even your current suspension could be better than much newer suspension on the lesser-quality (in terms of performance) econo-cars that rule the roads today..

What if you find out it does rub. Then what, raise the height? Your alignment will suffer. If you hit bump stops on speed bumps then I think you go over them too fast...

Can a loaded trailer-pulling semi-truck handle or brake ANYWHERE near as good as your car? No. Yet they still travel all over the country, every day...If your car is full of shit, then don't expect it to brake like it would if it was empty...

Thanks for your input. The move isn't until mid-Dec, so I would have lots of time to let the suspension settle and get a proper alignment. Especially since the place I would get it aligned will adjust the alignment for 6mo after the purchase.

The wheels and tires are stock sport sizes. The suspension is the stock sport suspension from 02 or 03 I'm not sure. The model year is 03 but the manufacture date is 02.5 based on the door sill sticker.

I know the shocks are worn not the springs, but wouldn't this matter if the car is loaded down? Wouldn't I experience more sway and less control when turning, making lane changes, etc?

When I go over speed bumps I literally crawl over them, and my front end still bottoms out, though just barely. This is on large speed bumps which some local parking lots have.

I would never have expected new shocks to make a world of different with stopping time, but could be important for other factors.

Good point with the semi-trucks, most likely my driving will be pretty mellow the whole way.

[Spike00513]

60mph to 0 stop distance is something like 120 ft for a new b6 a4, and 500 ft for a semi truck.

As long as you're not changing lanes in 1/10th of a second while stabbing at the brake pedal, you won't have a problem, and even then, the electronic nannies will probably save you. The car is designed to under steer. Do that in a RWD BMW in the rain and you'll probably spin out.

I see you have the 034 RSB so the car will tend to oversteer more, but don't put it in that situation

Keep in mind this is all just my opinion. And regarding suspension install, it depends. Does the shop doing it have time? Will they do it right? Do you have time to DIY and get all necessary parts ordered in? It's all your choice. It took me half a day to a day to install my suspension, and 2 weeks prior to that I had to wait for parts. It's smart to do the FCP Op3 control arm kit while you're in there, along with associated suspension parts like upper strut mount bushings.

You might be able to tell what suspension you have by looking at pics of 02 sports. The difference is noticeable. They look almost as if they're on coilovers.

Not sure why you bottom out on speed bumps. What does that feel like? I'm sure I will if I go at them too fast. Springs technically do wear out, it just takes a very long time.

[fallingreason]

60mph to 0 stop distance is something like 120 ft for a new b6 a4, and 500 ft for a semi truck.

As long as you're not changing lanes in 1/10th of a second while stabbing at the brake pedal, you won't have a problem, and even then, the electronic nannies will probably save you. The car is designed to under steer. Do that in a RWD BMW in the rain and you'll probably spin out.

I see you have the 034 RSB so the car will tend to oversteer more, but don't put it in that situation

Keep in mind this is all just my opinion. And regarding suspension install, it depends. Does the shop doing it have time? Will they do it right? Do you have time to DIY and get all necessary parts ordered in? It's all your choice. It took me half a day to a day to install my suspension, and 2 weeks prior to that I had to wait for parts. It's smart to do the FCP Op3 control arm kit while you're in there, along with associated suspension parts like upper strut mount bushings.

You might be able to tell what suspension you have by looking at pics of 02 sports. The difference is noticeable. They look almost as if they're on coilovers.

Not sure why you bottom out on speed bumps. What does that feel like? I'm sure I will if I go at them too fast. Springs technically do wear out, it just takes a very long time.

Looks like I have 02 sport suspension. My rear tires are nearly tucked under the fender. Front tires have just <1" tire to fender.

When I go over a speed bump, as soon as my front wheels drop off the bump to the ground, the hood/engine goes down then I feel a sharp stop to the movement with a bump and it returns to normal height. This was even more pronounced when I drove with my car loaded down last.

[Spike00513]

Looks like I have 02 sport suspension. My rear tires are nearly tucked under the fender. Front tires have just <1" tire to fender.

When I go over a speed bump, as soon as my front wheels drop off the bump to the ground, the hood/engine goes down then I feel a sharp stop to the movement with a bump and it returns to normal height. This was even more pronounced when I drove with my car loaded down last.

You mean roll off? When you say "drop off", I imagine you going full speed straight-on and allowing the wheels to be mid-air for a split second while they crash down to the ground...Why don't you try taking the speed-bumps slower...it doesn't matter if you hit bump stops, that's what they're there for. It is supposed to be more pronounced with the car loaded - that is one of the pit-falls of having a primitive spring suspension.

Like I said. You're not looking to set a Nurburgring lap time. You're looking to get from point A to point B. So none of this stuff really matters. It would've helped if you stated your mileage. I assume it's around 100k. I wouldn't think twice about setting off on a cross-country road-trip. The only thing suspension-related I'd be concerned about is making sure the car is aligned. In other words, I'm not going to go for a road-trip right after I re-attach my rear-subframe, because who knows how screwed up the toe settings are.

[claudiovagkraft]

I would put the coilovers on sooner rather than later. Let your car settle, adjust the height where you like, do the alignment and call it a day. Plus you have the 6 month grace period in which to make any adjustments if need be before going cross country and not having that at your disposal anymore. Loading your car and driving cross country won't ruin your suspension. Hitting a ton of potholes might, but that can happen anywhere. Why deny yourself the joys and satisfaction of a nicer handling car - both now and when you go on your trip. Rubbing is a none issue with stock wheel size/offset. So throw those bad boys on and enjoy!