Evan's Q7 Evo Build Thread

[ucsbwsr]

Totally get where you are coming from. I couldn't find a q7 that worked for me options wise (and price wise) with the adaptive air.
That said, I am curious how these springs will be able to work with the stock struts, especially given the level of drop in the rear. Definitely looks great - but I too would be worried if I were towing or had the car filled to the brim in the back.

I am a big DIY kind of person and the videos I've seen of replacing the front suspension look like a lot of disassembly in the engine bay. Wonder if that was just those few folks or just the way it is. Thankfully I do have a lift at home.

Yea, you probably have to remove some items to get access to the nuts holding the strut to the unibody, shouldn't be too bad. I have a diesel X5 which is the tow-pig and gets the same MPG towing 6,000+lbs as the Q7 does not towing but I do want to avoid any rubbing when we have 4 adults in the vehicle. This is compounded since I run a taller 285/40/22 tire which decreases clearance in the wheel wells so we'll see how that plays out.

It is worth nothing that there are multiple P/Ns listed for the OEM struts, I believe there were ~5 variants and I assume the strut tuning is related to the configuration of the Q7. Ex; if it has a 3rd row or not etc. US market only got 3rd row but elsewhere in the world you can get a 5 seater or 7 seater configuration. I don't know the exact differences in the struts but it may be helpful for people tinkering with lowering the Q7, unfortunately there isn't much info out there.

[dubjager]

Yeah totally get what you mean. I have a set up 1991 911 that I've noticed rubs in one spot as soon as I have the two kids and wife in the car. Definitely going to have to work on addressing that.
Makes sense re: multiple P/N - but good shout as it will have to be something I look into!

[ucsbwsr]

Picked up a new set of wheels for summer duty. OEM SQ8 22x10.5 Forged, OEM, 5-spoke yum. I sold the 22" SQ7 wheels to a good friend for a "bro deal."




For OEM Audi standards that's light!


No spacer up front and 5mm in the rear for flushness. For rubber I went with 285/40/22 Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3 SUV which are "AO" (OEM for Audi), I was able to snag a SET of tires 9/32, no repairs, for $500 shipped. Not bad considering that's usually the price for a single brand new tire. Nice tire, my only gripe is the weight; at 40lbs it is 5-10lbs heavier than other tires of the same size which seems excessive.



I finished the rebuild of the Forgeline CF3C-SL wheels. New barrel from Forgeline, lips all refinished by Forgeline, and new (non-Porsche) center caps. I am happy with the results. These will be up for sale so hopefully they find a good home but if they don't move I may mount some tires and install them on the Q7. Even with a meaty 21" Michelin Pilot AS4 tire the Forgelines would save 15-17lbs per corner! Not insignificant! I created another thread which goes into more detail on the wheel project but here are some pics.

I bought some 5x130-5x112 wheel adapters so these could be fitted to a 4L or 4M Q7.

[19birel]

I wasn't sold on the Forgelines initially but seeing them finished I think they'd look darn good on the Q! Hopefully they make it on there!

[ucsbwsr]

I wasn't sold on the Forgelines initially but seeing them finished I think they'd look darn good on the Q! Hopefully they make it on there!

Yea, It's bit tricky to put a 3 piece wheel on something like the Q7 and not have it look out of place considering the design language on modern Audi wheels is so wild, we are accustomed to seeing these bold geometric shapes. Thankfully these are a clean traditional design which is hard to fault in general and step lips are always lovely (IMO). Lastly, the finish of the wheel faces is quite close to the graphite metallic paint on the body of the Q and the "transparent smoke" finish on the lips helps downplay everything; if these were polished or chrome it would really change the look. Subtle > Shouty.

[Timben79]

How much are selling the wheels for?

[ucsbwsr]

How much are selling the wheels for?

$3,500 + shipping

[allbizns]

Hey Evan, Not to get off subject, I had read above that you adjusted your headlights not long after you purchased the Q. Did you just turn the adjusters under the hood or did you also need to relearn thru Vag-com. After lowering mine, I need to bring the lights back up, but I wasn't sure if i need to perform a relearn after adjusting. If so, could you share what the coding was to get to the relearn.

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[ucsbwsr]

Hey Evan, Not to get off subject, I had read above that you adjusted your headlights not long after you purchased the Q. Did you just turn the adjusters under the hood or did you also need to relearn thru Vag-com. After lowering mine, I need to bring the lights back up, but I wasn't sure if i need to perform a relearn after adjusting. If so, could you share what the coding was to get to the relearn.

My headlight alignment was all done mechanically, no coding.

[allbizns]

My headlight alignment was all done mechanically, no coding.

Awsome thanks for the info.

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[Das Ponto]

Working my way through all the info here, very thorough! Love it.

For the added rear light, did you just wire those into the reverse lights? Adding some accessory lighting on our Q7 project is next on my list I think... well apart from a hitch mounted spare maybe (trailer / bikes on the roof so only place an oversized spare can go).

[ucsbwsr]

For the added rear light, did you just wire those into the reverse lights? Adding some accessory lighting on our Q7 project is next on my list I think... well apart from a hitch mounted spare maybe (trailer / bikes on the roof so only place an oversized spare can go).

I used a relay harness I actually stole power from a large power wire from my hitch harness, which runs to the engine bay and is connected to the jumping terminal in the engine bay. LED reverse light harness is grounded in the rear and trigger wire is tapped into the stock reverse lights. I did experience some relay buzzing at first but that has since been resolved with a capacitor.

[ucsbwsr]

Not too much to report which I think is a good thing overall. No news is good news?

Q7 has been buzzing along without many hiccups. Although when I do (rarely) get to drive the wife's Q7 I did notice some on-off-on-off surging when at very light throttle -very annoying. The V6 likes to sit at LOWWWWW rpms, like lower than the 6-cylinder diesel in my X5. I know Audi was trying to be cute and squeeze added fuel efficiency out of the blown V6 but it seems like it might contributing to some drivability issues. It's a bit "out of sight out of mind" for me as I rarely drive the Q7 and my wife, although she says she does notice the surging, it doesn't seem to bother her. It also seems the engine is down on power compared to before. I have a hunch the S/C clutch might have prematurely worn out, or maybe I failed to install it properly, derp. When I have some time I will do some data logging to check target/actual boost and also see if there is anything telling about the lugging/surging at low throttle and LOWWWWW RPMs.

Overall the Q has been easy to live with and I have a good buddy who also bought a used 4M Q7 and did not do preventative maintenance as I did and he has been getting stuck with repair bills right and left, PCV valve and a 4-digit bill were the last offenders.

The Q7 was missing a sprayer nozzle for the rear wiper and it would just dribble water down the rear hatch, easy fix.





Some people on the forums have been upgrading the OEM subwoofer to a Rockford Fosgate woofer. It was an easy and inexpensive install but as others have noted, it's hard to REALLY tell the difference. Especially for me since I don't have a lot of seat time listening to music in the Q7. I didn't add any poly fill to the enclosure, merely removed the old woofer and installed the new one.





New black plates!



Also, the Forgeline wheels I rebuilt are up for sale! I have a separate thread on the rebuild and will be drafting a classified listing shortly, please share with anyone who might be interested! Thanks!

[dropshadow]

I did the fosgate sub upgrade a couple months back. I had the same initial thoughts that it was only a minor improvement over stock. However, once the sub was fully broken in and after tweaking settings to my liking, it does push out a lot more low end than stock. I will probably add a small amp at some point, but it has definitely added some bass that was lacking from the OE sub.

[allbizns]

Did you run the 2 ohm or 4 ohm version. I've found some mixed responses on some of the other forums.

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[dropshadow]

Did you run the 2 ohm or 4 ohm version. I've found some mixed responses on some of the other forums.

I bought the 4 ohm and wired it as 2 ohm.

[JetG0ld]

Curious if being dual pulley may have worn out the supercharger clutch quicker. There’s a lot of talk on the 3.0t FB groups about this, apparently it’s the reason IE and 034 only offer single pulley tunes for the CREC. Post your findings after you log!

[ucsbwsr]

Did you run the 2 ohm or 4 ohm version.

4ohm

[ucsbwsr]

Curious if being dual pulley may have worn out the supercharger clutch quicker. There’s a lot of talk on the 3.0t FB groups about this, apparently it’s the reason IE and 034 only offer single pulley tunes for the CREC. Post your findings after you log!

Yea, the S/C clutch definitely seems to be the weak link (bottle neck?) in the Q7's engine performance, too bad considering how robust the engine is in many ways and all the fuel injection it has available. I guess there is always welding the clutch or if possible, reverting to the pre-Evo non-clutched supercharger snout. Not too keen to go down this route on the wife's vehicle but if there's a decent solution to bypass the clutch.

[ucsbwsr]

Not sure if this falls into the "efficient" or "lazy" category but I picked up an oil extractor. The Q7 was low on oil prior to the change which should mean it's down 1 qt (.98L) Oil extractor pulled 6L and the fill capacity is 6.8L so that all seems to add up. Oil changes happen every 5k and cost a mere $20 thanks to FCP Euro so if there is a little residual oil left during a change it isn't a big concern with the frequency or fresh oil the engine gets.



Also, if you happen to have some extra Barrina lights around they can be fit into the hood latches to make an effective engine bay light.

[JetG0ld]

Yea, the S/C clutch definitely seems to be the weak link (bottle neck?) in the Q7's engine performance, too bad considering how robust the engine is in many ways and all the fuel injection it has available. I guess there is always welding the clutch or if possible, reverting to the pre-Evo non-clutched supercharger snout. Not too keen to go down this route on the wife's vehicle but if there's a decent solution to bypass the clutch.

I believe we’re unable to fit the prior gen 3.0t snout, I guess it just doesn’t bolt up or line up right. I can’t recall which it is… But, yeah I’ve basically just decided to go with a single 179mm pulley for now until someone comes out with an upgraded option… or I decide to have Shane Horning weld mine. I just don’t want to deal with a check engine light if I do.

Great work on the Q7 btw!

[ucsbwsr]

I believe we’re unable to fit the prior gen 3.0t snout, I guess it just doesn’t bolt up or line up right. I can’t recall which it is… But, yeah I’ve basically just decided to go with a single 179mm pulley for now until someone comes out with an upgraded option… or I decide to have Shane Horning weld mine. I just don’t want to deal with a check engine light if I do.

Great work on the Q7 btw!

Thanks! I have my old clutch and I've worked with a local machine shop to bore some wheels for me and they mainly focus on automotive performance parts, they have built some billet intake manifolds and such....so I might see if they would be able to weld and balance the clutch OR ideally machine a plate which could replace the clutch plates and be a strong bolt-in replacement. Sounds expensive but also sounds much better than welding. There also may be some other interest from other 3.0T Evo engine owners/enthusiasts who might find value in it so maybe we could explore a group buy if it becomes a viable option.

As for the CEL, there is likely a way to remove that either by VCDS coding or creating a module to fool the sensor.

[JetG0ld]

I believe it would need to be coded out by whoever is tuning the vehicle. My understanding is the crec monitors blower rpm vs crank rpm and if there’s a certain amount of deviation it throws a CEL.

I would certainly be in for information if they come up with a viable solution for the clutch! I was thinking of preemptively changing mine soon anyway


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[JLAllroad]

Not sure if this falls into the "efficient" or "lazy" category but I picked up an oil extractor. The Q7 was low on oil prior to the change which should mean it's down 1 qt (.98L) Oil extractor pulled 6L and the fill capacity is 6.8L so that all seems to add up. Oil changes happen every 5k and cost a mere $20 thanks to FCP Euro so if there is a little residual oil left during a change it isn't a big concern with the frequency or fresh oil the engine gets.

Falls under the efficiency category. Our 4M is what motivated the extractor purchase, it loved to splash hot oil out of the pan. Now oil changes are a relatively clean 5 minute exercise (including filter).

In my efforts to remove as much old oil as possible I back our cars up the driveway pushing all the oil to the front of the pan.


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[Gunmeister]

I like the build so far. May I ask how you got the reflectors off? Which side did you pry on? I also hate my reflectors. I'd like to paint then black or color match the glacier white metallic.Screenshot_20230815_230050_Gallery.jpg

[ucsbwsr]

I like the build so far. May I ask how you got the reflectors off? Which side did you pry on? I also hate my reflectors. I'd like to paint then black or color match the glacier white metallic.[

Reflectors are held on with double sided tape so remove the front bumper, pry from the backside while pushing from the outside, a heat gun helps. Skip black, color matching is the way to go.

[Sablea4]

Evan, what are your thoughts on removing this "wall" in the airbox. I was changing the filter out yesterday and it got me thinking. Does this help with airflow? Also, is that foam in the airbox just for sound deadening?

[ucsbwsr]

Evan, what are your thoughts on removing this "wall" in the airbox. I was changing the filter out yesterday and it got me thinking. Does this help with airflow? Also, is that foam in the airbox just for sound deadening?

That wall is for directing the air around the filter at low throttle positions. The driver-side snorkel (which your drill is on) has a vacuum operated flap which doesn't open until needed. With lower throttle driving the air is only entering through the passenger-side snorkel and that wall helps guide the air around the filter. The potential benefit of removing the wall would be less obstruction at WOT, and I suppose slightly more intake noise, but the downside is less air filtration or at least having a smaller portion of the air filter being utilized since it's likely most air (and dirt) would enter the front of the filter without the wall there. I think there might be a benefit to removing it but gains would probably be negligible at best and there are likely some drawbacks which would accompany removing it. Personally, unless gains were proven I wouldn't seriously consider it. But in the spirit of testing, failing, learning, and succeeding -you could also give it a shot. :)

It seems like removing the driver-side vacuum flap altogether would be the best solution for ramming air directly into the intake but I am sure there is a reason Audi went through the hassle of implementing this system, likely to keep the filter cleaner for longer.

Yes, I believe foam is for sound absorption.

[Gunmeister]

Reflectors are held on with double sided tape so remove the front bumper, pry from the backside while pushing from the outside, a heat gun helps. Skip black, color matching is the way to go.

Thanks sir. Crazy they just stick on with tape lol.

[ucsbwsr]

Thanks sir. Crazy they just stick on with tape lol.

It's a pretty common practice for something like this in the automotive world. Adhesives have come a long way and modern options like 3M VHB are viable replacements for mechanical fasteners and have been used as solutions to mount windows on skyscrapers, elevator panels, bus windows, etc.

[Beniii]

I deleted this wall! I can report that the air filter feels much much colder after removing this wall. Big difference.

Also the Vacuum operated flap on the right side of this air intake i removed what gives the air filter mutch more air in my opinion. I removed (broke) the yellow white flap out of the holder and placed the holder back otherwise you have a opening in that place. When you remove the Vacuum flap with holder you see what i mean, little hard to explain.

Also If you look at the entrance to the air filter that starts at the front of your grille, you will see a rubber flap at the bottom that completely blocks the entrance. I don't know why this was done, but you can't even shine a light through it. Perhaps so that no water gets through with off-road activities or rain? I am thinking about removing these rubber flaps so that 100% air can enter without any restrictions.

Have you also seen this or look at this?

[Beniii]

I added a BMC filter to mine this fall. It added a little more sound without being obnoxious. I’m using the APR 186/57 dual pulley with APR stage 2 tune. Here is a dragy run and a picture of the filter upgrade.
Attachment 291017Attachment 291018Attachment 291019


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How much power do you run with this dual pully from Apr?

https://youtu.be/2LUwJFGOQCE?si=4qrMIKEZKyZsYitt

Last seen this video stage 1 410 hp that 4.76 seconds with 0 degrees outside temp and 100 octane petrol. Now I don't know if people are speaking of the truth here of if this is stage 1. Seems fast to fast!

Currently my Q7 3.0 tfsi is standard oem. Soon an appointment for a stage 1 tuning. According to the company, stage 1 can achieve 440 hp on 98 fuel. We're going to experience it soon i gues!

[ucsbwsr]

FINALLY found some time to install the 034 lowering springs. The goal is to retrofit OEM air suspension but in the meantime I had to get rid of the excessive wheel gap. I just had to.

I had a set of H&R springs in my possession but I just couldn't come to terms with the rake the H&Rs offered, front was too low and rear too high. I've also had less-than-ideal experiences with H&R springs in the past so I was happy when 034 came along with another 4M spring offering.



Engine bay disassembled to access upper strut mounts.


Clean as you go!



Lower suspension fork out.


Front strut out


Swapping springs




Removed the upper fender liner screw as it is the first thing to rub



There was a collection of OEM tool required to remove the rear spring including a $1,500 spring compressor. No thank you. My solution was to remove the rear axles and angle them out of the way juuuust enough to slide my spring compressor tool in there and thankfully there was enough room to get the spring out as well.



For reference here are a couple BEFORE photos:



Overall, I am very pleased but there is one snaggle in that the driver rear sits too high. I thought it may settle with some driving but it hasn't yet. I've brought this to 034's attention and I plan to go back in to triple check my work. As the Q7 sits the driver rear is high and the driver front seems to be ever so slightly low. Driver side looks perfect and I assume this is what the passenger side should look like. Either way I'll work with 034 to get it dialed.

Initial impressions are very positive. The ride height (on driver side) is just about perfect. I like to match the fender gap at top with the sides, meaning if you measure the fender-to-wheel gap at the 9 and 3 o'clock position, the vehicle will be lowered until 12 o'clock matches that measurement. I also have a meatier 285/40/22 tire which further helps will the wheel wells. Considering this is on static springs front and rear, this fitment is as good as I could have hoped for. Ride quality is fine, as others have noted it's very similar to stock but IMO a bit firmer (which makes sense) but not harsh. I consider the OEM 4M spring suspension to be on the firmer/sportier side of the spectrum, it doesn't seem to use a lot of travel but it stays composed and relatively comfortable. I noticed a more pronounced difference between OEM and 034 when hitting bigger compressions. I didn't bottom out or rub but the the higher spring rate and shorter travel was noticed, again to be expected.

The big test for me will be how the Q7 handles extra weight, loading it up with 5 people, plus some gear, and a couple beefy MTBs hanging off the rear will be a good test. If the 034 springs pass this test they will get high marks from me, especially with my meaty tire setup and more aggressive Q8 wheel offsets. I will report back after I get more real world testing complete.

Here are the AFTER photos.

[4ings]

Great thread, thanks for documenting the process! Did the suspension settle?

[ucsbwsr]

Great thread, thanks for documenting the process! Did the suspension settle?

A little yes. Rear driver is still a little high and front passenger is still low but everything is more even than before.

[ucsbwsr]

I snapped a couple pics when visiting the Wings Over The Rockies air museum, awesome museum BTW.

With the wheel gap under control I'm now happy with the current state of the exterior aesthetics. Lower stance, meatier rubber, Q8 wheels, badge delete, OEM black Audi rings, color matched reflectors, window tint, and of course a black license plate all come together for a clean, less-is-more OEM+ look. Mission accomplished!

[DRKNESS65]

I have enjoyed your path to oem plus fitment as that’s what I strive for also. Is it costly yes, does it make me smile certainly, is it worth it HECK yassssssssss lol.


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[4ings]

Glad to hear it. Ill be going o34 sway bars and springs and may follow suit regarding the q8 wheels if i can find a suitable rear brake caliper that looks better.

[ucsbwsr]

Glad to hear it. Ill be going o34 sway bars and springs and may follow suit regarding the q8 wheels if i can find a suitable rear brake caliper that looks better.

I've looked into rear calipers (briefly) since I can't stand the cheap look of the 2 piece calipers, I much prefer monoblocks. Problem is the electronic E brake is built into the rear calipers so you would need to find calipers with that feature, which is compatible with that system on the Audi, in addition to fitting the rotor etc. After some initial research this looks like a worm hole so I aborted and haven't gone back to it.

[Poopcorn]

Nice build thread. Although never made any comments, I am followed since.

Question, how are the studs holding? I am getting the motorsport hardware studs for my SQ7... I got the 70mm bullet sets, sounds really solid as they are made from manufacture that makes hardware for nuclear plants... But I've heard snapped studs in the B6/7 forum when I used to have my S4 Wagon.