Koni FSD's?

[A6C5V842]

Hi guys n gals.

So I have just over 100K on the car (01 4.2 with sport sus) and I'm thinking about new shocks. Seen and heard a lot of good things about the Koni FSD's.

I do not want to lower it (too many speed bumps and deep road culverts here in North OC. I don't want to track it. I'm way past all that.

So, anyone got these?

Cheers in advance.

G

[SinCityA6]

I am running the Koni FSD's on my 09 A6 and love them. They are probably the closest thing you can get to a "dynamic" suspension with conventional equipment. I am lowered on H&R springs but since these are not "progressive" shocks/struts, the ride is OEM like when cruising or rolling on the freeway, but firm and sporty when the roads get twisty. I highly recommend!!

[mr_dave]

I recently put FSDs on our S6 avant. It's our family vehicle so I didn't want something that was too stiff, and the FSDs are perfect for this application. They're fairly smooth over normal roads but when you need them while cornering or starting/stopping, they do their job very well. Coming from multiple vehicles that had a firm suspensions, it feels kind of strange to get used to since they feel soft while driving normally.

If you're looking for a sporty ride that gives you confidence to push your car hard, the FSDs are not for you. If you want a smooth ride that surprises you in the corners, the FSDs are awesome.

edit: This was the best price I could find (as of a few months ago): https://www.europaparts.com/koni-fsd-kit-2100-4044.html

[A6C5V842]

Thanks gents.

That;s exactly the info I wanted. Europaparts have the same deal still. It's a killer deal.

I don't want it to ride like a go cart. I'm too old for that.

Cheers.

[CAL4.2]

Sounds like the right choice. I'm going with Bilstein HD on stock sport springs on my A6 4.2 next week, but if I was 10 years older I'd probably go with the FSD's.

[A6C5V842]

I'm probably a lot more than 10 years older than you!

I did all my crazy stuff while I was involved with racing back in Europe. Now I just wanna get places quick n safe.

I'd go PSS9's if I was insane. I think FSD's are going to be a nice compromise from what everyone tells me.

Cheers.

[CAL4.2]

LA roads are rough as well, so definitely a good choice. Let us know how it goes!

[A6C5V842]

So the time has finally come to order new shocks for this thing.

Last shout out for ideas, thoughts and input from you guys.

FSD sounds like a great all rounder to me but my mechanic is a Bilstien fanatic!

[Eurylo]

I'd go PSS9's if I was insane.

LOLLLL

[mr_dave]

I think FSD's are going to be a nice compromise from what everyone tells me.

I'm still quite happy with my FSDs on the S6 and my review above from a year ago still stands. If you want a comfortable ride I don't think you can do better.

[A6C5V842]

FSD's it is.

Thanks guys.

G

[5spdJunkie]

I recently put FSDs on our S6 avant. It's our family vehicle so I didn't want something that was too stiff, and the FSDs are perfect for this application. They're fairly smooth over normal roads but when you need them while cornering or starting/stopping, they do their job very well. Coming from multiple vehicles that had a firm suspensions, it feels kind of strange to get used to since they feel soft while driving normally.

If you're looking for a sporty ride that gives you confidence to push your car hard, the FSDs are not for you. If you want a smooth ride that surprises you in the corners, the FSDs are awesome.

edit: This was the best price I could find (as of a few months ago): https://www.europaparts.com/koni-fsd-kit-2100-4044.html

i have them on my B6 A4 and this is spot on. Paired with hotchkis sways the ride is a damn near perfect for a daily driver. Smooth when it needs to be, fun in the corners.

[ChicagosPhantom]

FSD's it is.

Thanks guys.

G

Pair them with RS6 springs for a slight drop and you would be thrilled... (while you there) .

[A6C5V842]

I'd love to but finding RS6 springs for sale is like finding teeth on a hen!

[ChicagosPhantom]

I'd love to but finding RS6 springs for sale is like finding teeth on a hen!

Haha... Well consider yourself lucky.
I have a set.

[A6C5V842]

How much lower do they make the car? I deliberately didn't go for lowering springs as I didn't want the added camber nightmare and also CA has speed bumps everywhere and I hate the sound of my car dragging across some idiots car park "features!

[ChicagosPhantom]

How much lower do they make the car? I deliberately didn't go for lowering springs as I didn't want the added camber nightmare and also CA has speed bumps everywhere and I hate the sound of my car dragging across some idiots car park "features!

I would say just a slight drop over sport suspension maybe half an inch. Aftermarket is easy 1.5"-2" drop.
IMO it would sit just perfect for anyone not looking to go low, they should all come from factory like this.
Real OEM drop and look.

[A6C5V842]

^^ They do look great at that height.

Drop me a PM with details and I'll see if it makes sense. Thanks.

[A6C5V842]

Well a year after starting this thread I finally have the car settling down on the FSD's.

I've driven a couple of hundred miles on them so far and I can still feel the car finding it's final height and posture.

So far here are my thoughts:

I had factory sport on the car before with 100k miles on it. I've driven brand new factory sport as well as just about every suspension system from street to track to rally. The factory sport was a great option on these cars, mainly due to the additional weight of the V8 and the extra width, which changed the way the mechanical grip was laterally used.

We decided to keep the factory sport springs as after inspection they are still in perfect shape and hold the car at measured equal height all round. Also didn't want to lower it, for many reasons!! So it was those wrapped around the FSD's.

Initial impression was "woah, this feels like I'm on a magic carpet!". Probably the first 50 miles were like that as the shocks and springs searched for their new happy place. I could feel the car settling all the time. It went from "magic carpet" to "just magic" after around 100 miles. The heavy front end has never felt pointed on any V8 C5, to me. The car now feels like it wants to go where the corner is going. What a revelation! Roads I've driven hundreds of times have changed totally from a drivers perspective. Freeway on and off ramps have become fun parabolas instead of constant understeer battles.

On the freeway at @#$mph (!) the car rides like a comfort suspension C5 or actually better. Expansion joints, on CA's crap roads, are a mere blip now where there used to be need for spinal surgery previously. Again, roads I know really well are being overthrown by the good manners of this chassis now. However, change lanes quickly and the car seems to read your mind, a little like DRC does. I know very well how these cars settle when they have been moved off line quickly and this system has removed almost all of that rear end doubt. It's actually slightly addictive to keep feeling how settled it feels as soon as the steering input is removed.

I'm going to give it a few hundred miles and then get everything torqued down again. Then I'll go find something twisty to drive on......

All in all I am so pleased I went with this setup. I really do think Koni have hit on something here that is the better of both worlds if not actually the best of both worlds.

Thanks all for your thoughts and input on this.

So far so good.

[CAL4.2]

Sounds like the FSD's are great for DD/Family hauling duty. I ended up with Bilstein Touring (B4 OE replacement). They are great for the price ($450 for all 4), but I didn't notice anything revolutionary in the way the car managed uneven surfaces.

[A6C5V842]

I'd say the absolute revolutionary thing about the FSD's is the way that they handle uneven (read - crap!) CA roads. I took the car in today to have everything torqued down again and to check all is OK after a couple of hundred miles. I drove to the shop I use along roads I know like I know an SSL console (!). The car handles and behaves like a different animal over both high speed freeway expansion joints and low speed crap roads on the west side. The way it morphs from comfort to flat when steering input is applied is pretty amazing though and it 100% for sure goes around corners, of any kind, significantly better than it did on the stock sports suspension.

[b7slineA4]

I'd say the absolute revolutionary thing about the FSD's is the way that they handle uneven (read - crap!) CA roads. I took the car in today to have everything torqued down again and to check all is OK after a couple of hundred miles. I drove to the shop I use along roads I know like I know an SSL console (!). The car handles and behaves like a different animal over both high speed freeway expansion joints and low speed crap roads on the west side. The way it morphs from comfort to flat when steering input is applied is pretty amazing though and it 100% for sure goes around corners, of any kind, significantly better than it did on the stock sports suspension.

Glyn thanks for posting your results and all the feedback from the FSD's. They look like my next choice, and i'm willing to bet it's going to feel night and day better than my non-sport suspension'ed C5 4.2. I once put these on a Volvo 850 T5-R and wasn't impressed, but that was with lowering springs that brought it way too low honestly (i think it was 1.9" drop). I have yet to see how FSD's ride with a nice OEM spring or OEM sport spring like your C5 came with.