[s-cars] H&R info

[jeff posto]

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[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]

Hi,
(long)
Thanks to everyone who advised on suspension. (Taka, Igor K, Neil, Bob P, B=
ob R, Paul K, Frank, Hap, Joe P, James the Archive, Doug G, Jimmy P, Jack, =
Peter and many others.) Here's my story 1993 S4.
<< I have one noticeable improvement to Igor's camber plate mod worth consi=
dering>> My solution may not be optimal, but is what I chose to do.
I purchased H&R part number 29921 from Eric at supremepowerparts.com. Got t=
hem in time for Labor Day.. What ELSE would I do on, LABOR day.. yeah, tear=
 apart my S Car. Heidi now knows I am crazed.
I cancelled the Eibach pursuit, even though I cut extra perch slots. They'r=
e still on backorder all popular sites. I bought Bilstein Sports from bimme=
rparts.com
The H&R's arrived, in GREEN, with 29921 and VA on front painted on the spri=
ng.
My rear springs were marked with 29921 and HA, green too.
Installing the rear, was easy. Any self actualized S car owner-mechanic can=
 do the rear.
Bob Rossato told me the front is a b_itch. A real PITA as I found out.
Nevertheless, will and determination persisted over common sense to pay Tim=
 McLean in Concord NH.

Eric N from SupremePower Parts is awesome.. Did exactly what he

said, emailed tracking nums, product in stock, I got my springs Friday. pai=
d $325 plus shipping.

I set into this project with the expectation it would take 2 weekends.

I had a backup car to reduce the completion pressure.

Given that, if you're a decent wrench, just take your time and make sequent=
ial progress. My son Andrew kept me calm and filled with cold beer.

The strut is really devised to be pulled out of the car completely for re-w=
ork.  Bentley says, remove brakes, sway bar, prop shaft, and tie rod, drop =
the hole unit down and out.

Change of spring and strut occurs on the bench. Easy if done that way.

I would now recommend that as the preferred de-install process.

But I didn't want to do that, last Friday. Crazed.

First PITA is the nut that holds the shock (down) inside the strut. Right u=
nder the dust boot you can see it between the spring openings. Mine were on=
 since build day and only acetylene heat, a big pipe wrench and muscle free=
d them.

There is a special Audi tool for this, which I did not buy. Bilstein suppli=
es new retainer nuts so the OEM stuff is not re-used..

Once I got those free, I loosened the shock retainer nut on top, tough but =
do-able.

Sure, take out the shock and all the inner stuff. Boot, bump stop etc.

So the next bitch is getting enough spring compression to remove it.

The strut is hanging free now, and pushed down with a jack. Like Igor wrote=
 in www.urs4.com.

I had to remove the old strut bearing, and top rubber grommet thing BEFORE =
I could generate enough free clearance to remove the srping. Squeeze, swear=
 and push just right and out it came.

I used three threaded rod compressor tools at 120 degrees apart to squeeze =
the OEM spring.

It's tight in there, so I was only going 1/4 turn per wrench spin, per comp=
ressor. Sloooowwww.. process.

One precise spring rotation, and magically it finally came out. Then being =
the anti-rust fanatic, I sand blasted the struts and primed and repainted e=
verything in there.

Then I drove to my Mech Engineer friend and used his drill press. If you wa=
nt to do it your self, it's quite easy if you use specific cutters. (Can lo=
an mine). Igor's faq's and camberplate drawings at this point are worth unl=
imited beer, food and stuff to keep Igor happy. I cannot thank him enough f=
or taking time to share his experience and drawings with all of us.

I drilled the new holes on a drill press, not for the inexperienced.  But I=
 had the center drills, sequentially larger drills, final size reamers, and=
 several copies of camberplate.pdf complements of Sikorsky Aircraft ( my Da=
d)  and Igor.

<< One thing I will post to the list, is counterboring the strut side of ca=
mber plate so that the bolts, set flat and at right angles to the bottom of=
 the camber plate. Easier seen once you have it in your hand. My 1993 cambe=
r plate is composed of 2 plates, spot welded together. Where the bottom (st=
rut side) plate has some stamped formation for structural strength and the =
top plate that contacts the body is flat.

And using Igor's camber plate drawing, the center points of the new holes f=
all on these formed areas. such that the bolts will not re-install flat and=
 perpendicular but lie on those formed metal areas. That is the bolt will b=
e positioned at a slight angle. In this case the bolt circle of the base is=
 on spec, but the top of the bolts are at a larger diameter due to this ang=
le. Better seen that described.

I tried to hammer the bottom side flat, but that steel is too tough. Then, =
I found a counterbore, (from my Dad) and drilled a crescent shape removing =
those formed areas, so no interference resulted and a flat surface would be=
 presented to the bolt head.

Then the bolts pressed in flat and true >>

I did not buy the front strut tower bearing in advance, like everybody reco=
mmended.

Yes you WILL need to replace them, at $24 the pair buy them in advance!

Ordered them today, as I wait for my bearings and will finish this weekend.

Can't wait for that Sunday morning drive!

Jeff Posto



PS: Thanks for listening. Comments welcomed.

 Neil Swanson wrote:OK

As far as those odd markings on the springs here is
the scoop. This is from the paper work that came in
the spring set I installed in a customers car friday.

Front springs are marked "F" or "VA"

Rear springs are marked "R" or "HA".

Of course it is easy to tell the S-car springs apart
but I guess on others not so.

Also interesting is the list of cars that need the
rubber bump stops trimmed or replaced with shorter
ones. Not an Audi listed at all and I've always
trimmed the top "pillow" out of the three on the rear
stops when installing H&Rs, or Eibachs for that
matter on 200s or S4/6s.

If they aren't trimmed there is barely any rear travel
(1/2"?) before the car settles on the stops. When it
rides on the stops the effective spring rate goes way
up. Feels good on the downhill right hander at Lime
Rock but not so good on the street.

When I first installed H&Rs in my 91 200 the car was
"jiggly" like no other H&R'd 200 I had driven. I
realized what I'd not done and reached in with a
hacksaw blade and cut off one pillow. After that the
car was right.

We worked on Paul Krummins' S6 monday and driving it
it felt different than my S4. We have the same
suspension and his car even still had my wheels and
tires on it (his were on my car) but something was
making it not feel right. My guess was right. His
car hadn't had the stops trimmed when his H&Rs were
installed.

So I found it odd that no mention was given in the H&R
info sheet. Anyone else?

Neil



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