h+r springs

[jim rose]

i got a "Nothelle" [small german "tuner"] suspension on a blowout deal for 
my 5k about 1.5 years ago. the "kit" is  h+r springs, bilstein sports for 
the front and koni adjustables for the rear, with "nothelle" stickers on 
them =]  im guessing this is bc bilstein has no sport shock for the rear of 
my car [88 5000tq] but koni offers one.

the sprigns drop the car a good deal - like 1.5 inches f+r. it looks GREAT 
and it handles very well. the ride has suffered. it can be a bit bouncy on 
the wrong roads, and its harsh. small bumps feel big and big bumps make me 
wince. putting a stiff as hell suspension on a car with 240000 miles and NOT 
changing every bushing in the car, i got what i expected.

the car doesnt brake dive AT ALL. it doesnt really squat AT ALL [konis are 
all the way hard]. it absolutely RAILS on highway offramps and lane changes 
are telepathic. if i had decently wide wheels and tires it would be even 
better [still on 15x6 bbs's] and ive learned to live with the harshness.

it is darty - but the camber has been off since the suspension was done. im 
getting the strut mounts slotted in a couple weeks at 2B and having my front 
end all put back to square as its gotten pretty far out in a year of bad 
camber. if you do drop your 5000, you will need to address the camber thing. 
the 200's dont seem to have the same issues, i dont know if theres more 
adjustability, but 2B advised me goofy camber was par for the course when 
dropping a 5000. they are releasing adjustable machined camber plates soon 
they told me, fyi. so im hoping it drives better after is all finally 
sorted. im sure it will....

if i were reccomending upgrades, it would probably be to use a softer 
spring, like an eibach. the HR's are pretty damn firm. i imagine that the 
stock spring with a well damped sport shock would be a big upgrade over worn 
out stock shox. if you want the best performance and are willing to deal 
with the added harshness, get the HR's. its not unbearable, but the car will 
squeak and rattle more [age faster =]

btw... the ride height has never been an issue [2 tahoe winters] even in 8 
inch deep sierra cement. snow tires and diff locks will cut thru the 
toughest grease and grime. 1+5" lower on a quattro is about the stock ride 
height of a honda ;)

hope that helps, let me know if you have any other specific q's i didnt 
address.

jim "its more important to LOOK good than FEEL good" rose


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