Cameron

Help me balance out my car. I think suspension modifications are called for, because the car wants to roll during turns and dives in quick stops and pre-turn braking. I recently drove an A4 1.8TMS with a stiff shock setup that felt almost absolutely flat during all but the most aggressive driving. What is the effect of swaybars versus suspension changes. My guess is that suspension changes are of far more substance than swaybar swaps. Since there's no Chicago A4 club, I'm depending on you guys as usual.<p>Thanks in advance.<p>Cameron<p>~~~~~~~~~<p>Platform: Audi A4<br>Engine: 4-cylinder 5v; Turbocharged and Intercooled<br>Layout: In-line<br>Driveline: Quattro IV<br>Transmission: Custom Two-Bank Shifter<br>Corner Markers: Bosch clear Euro OEM<br>Side Markers: in.pro clear Euro<br>Taillights: in.pro clear Euro<br>Front Bumper: A!Avantgarde<br>Right Skirt: A!Avantgarde<br>Left Skirt: A!Avantgarde<br>Rear Bumper: A!Avantgarde<br>Front Suspension: Stock<br>Rear Suspension: Stock<br>Wheels: Stock<br>Tires: Stock<br>Mirrors: Stock<br>Driver's Seat: Stock<br>Driver Restraints: Stock<br>Passenger's Seat: Stock<br>Passenger Restraints: Stock<br>Steering Wheel: Four-Spoke Panel<br>Grille: A!Avantgarde Sport<br>Badges: None<br>Tint: None

John/TSR

Questions :<br>What kind of roads do you drive on (i.e. highway, urban, twisties) ?<p>What kind of condition are they in (i.e. smooth as a baby's butt, washboard-y, just slightly less rocky than the Continental Divide)?<p>How do you want the car to feel when your done (firm in corners, stiff in corners, or soooo harsh that on smooth pavement you can feel it when you drive over dead worms) ?<p>Since you haven't yet started to mess with the suspension, you have a lot of choices to make. Swaybars will change the cornering characteristics (i.e. flatter) but what you may really be searching for is springs/shocks.<p>John<br>Trained Seals Racing<br>(if I don't answer, I've run off to Mid-Ohio for the SCCA Run-Off's, to screw around and try to snag a tire deal for next year. Look for me on Speedvision's coverage - 1-6pm eastern, Friday-Sunday -...I'll be the guy with the seal on a leash)

Steve S.

I know...I know....DSS satellite dish...get it now...while its hot. :-&<p>Steve S.<br>97 2.8QM<p><br>

KDC

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Cameron

Most of my miles are highway, probably 99%. While these roads aren't the perfection racing suspensions expect, they're far better than your average highway -- partly due to Cook County's trucking infrastructure and its political influence at the mayor's offices. Roads are relatively smooth, and you never see a crushed air dam (though suspension work would probably work to ensure lack of damage).<p>The main height considerations are steep driveways, speedbumps, and snow. In my area, there may be 5" of snow on the ground routinely, making it a true Quattroville where the main road hazard in wintertime is high school students trying to get their Miatas un-stuck. Height for the sake of "sportiness" isn't particularly important to me, though if height adjustments result from a suspension change I would not be disappointed (so long as the reduction in ground clearance was not significant relative to the considerations above). I would like a car that is, overall, closer to level attitude (attitude stated in yaw *and* pitch here) during a higher percentage of my driving -- and I am willing to sacrifice a significant amount of "ride quality" (currently a euphemism for Jell-O like body movement) in order to acheive this goal.<p>I think everyone's definition of "firm" and "stiff" is a bit different, along with subjective positions between the two. I'd rather not fall in the "stiff" category, but I certainly want to the car to be "firm". I drove a Boxster with the Sport 17" Wheels, etc. package and I'm really looking for a ride a bit firmer than this. However, the NSX with the "Ultra" package sitting at Motorwerks awhile ago was "stiff" -- too stiff for everyday driving. But, I must admit, there is a reason I posted this question in a forum with all the AutoX guys as opposed to posting in the general A4 forum -- I want something firmer and more responsive than most.<p>Hope this helps in giving you an idea of the suspension characteristics I'm looking for. If it doesn't, post questions, and I'll be happy to define further.<p>Cameron

Cameron

I meant "pitch and roll"... pitch referring to nosedive braking and roll referring to lateral body movement not mirrored by road conditions. I do apologize, but I'm writing this during lunch and I have a calc exam in ten minutes. Sorry about that.<p>Studying and Thinking about A4's,<br>Cameron<br>

Steve S.

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John/TSR

the 125cc GP race from Barcelona - it was absolutely awesome !!!! Those guys have HAIR !!!<p>Just don't even think about it, Steve. Just keep watching one of the 7 shopping channels that your paying for on cable.

John/TSR

The body roll can be handled by bigger swaybars front & rear, but the nosedive you mentioned has only one solution - springs.<p>The swaybars will keep the car "flatter" as you twist the car into corners. Swaybars are cheap - a whole lot cheaper than anything else you can put on the car. Start with swaybars. Too much front or rear bar might unbalance your shocks/springs, but I play with bars all the time, (even "blade" type adjustable bars that can be tweaked from full hard to full soft in about 10 seconds) and haven't found that to be the case. <p>Nosedive/overall firmness ? - You need firmer springs that will compress less as the suspension loads move to the front of the car. Many will tell you that with a spring change, you have to change shocks... Remember: opinions vary. <p>My personal theory AND practice ? Shocks can be really expensive (I can think of lots of more entertaining things to buy than shocks), and you already own a set (they're in the car NOW). Get a set of springs, & stick'em in the car. If you decide that you don't like the stiffer springs, take'em out and you're only out a couple hundred bucks. Decide you like'em, maybe in a year or two upgrade the shocks. Wear the free ones out first, or at least blow'em apart with the new springs. <p>Coil-overs ? Email me and I'll give you my opinion. I won't post it here in deference to all those out there with coil-overs in their street cars. And they're expensive, too.<p>Bars, then springs, then maybe shocks. That's a nice, progressive approach that will allow you to make value (and performance) judgements on each addition. If you do it all at once, you'll never know what each component does by itself. My own upgrades are based on VALUE, not on PRICE. I do it the same for my race cars. <p>What have I done to my A4 1.8TQM ? New ECU from Hoppen. Nothing else. Stock suspension is soft and supple - perfect for wet/slippery/snowy crap where I live, and comfortable on LONG highway runs (I will sometimes do a 800-1000 mile run in a day). Oh, yeah - I do have a little box that sets off radar detectors in other cars - LOTS of fun to torture Camaro/BMW/Supra drivers on the highway. I hope I never grow up...<p>John<br>Trained Seals Racing<p><br>

Another Drew

Hey John,<p>Any idea where we can get that little box too? Sounds fun.<p>Drew<br>