[s-cars] Suspension/steering stiffness question

[Igor Kessel]

Ivan Demkovitch wrote:
> List,
>  
> I'm about ready to overhaul suspension on my 93' UrS4
>  
> Currently car has 133k miles and PO installed Bilstein SP + H&R at around 75k.
> My feeling is that shocks already done. Also, I don't like current stiffness.
>  
> 1. To me it's too harsh and I don't see this benefiting handling. It almost feels like wheels disconnect from the pavement on a 
> bumpy road when I go into tight turns.
>  
> However, I like ride height and hate to raise a car since it will look silly with my 17" RS4 style wheels.

Ivan,
I see that you have finally replaced those 15" OEM wheels the car came 
with! Good.
Keep in mind that the large wheel/lower sidewall combination introduces 
quite a bit of stiffness not in the least induced by the weight of the 
package. Every late autumn I replace my 255/40/17 Sumitomo HTRZ-II on 
A!Avantgarde wheels with 205/55/16 Hakka WR on the light forged OEM 
Speedlines and I immediately feel as if I ditched a pair of steel toed 
yellow construction boots in favour of a pair of light weight tennis shoes.

> So... What do you suggest for suspension components? I like firm but soft ride. 
 > Not too much body roll but without go kart feeling.

C'mon, Ivan, Audi does not build cars like that. For that you have your 
Other Bavarian Car™ in the garage. :)
Jocking aside, I am yet to see such a combination of handling and 
comfort of an aftermarket suspension for Audi. IME the only UrS4 that 
comes close in this respect to your 540i is Mike Zamikhovsky's Silver 
'94 UrS4 on custom valved Bilsteins w/ custom wound ABT springs which 
were purchased directly from ABT some 10 years ago.

As I told you before, I am not too fond of the combination of Eibach Pro 
and Bilstein Sport in my car. Their stiffness on the compression stroke 
is too high and on the rebound stroke is too low to my taste. I believe 
other listers expressed similar opinions. Subjectively speaking I like 
your combination of Bilstein with H&R better.

> 2.  What is the symptoms of bad steering dumpner? My car feels like it wants to turn left. 

A wobbling steering feel. Say, didn't you reconnect back the variable 
steering assist plug into the pump after I initially disconnected it in 
your car?  I personally feel that the early speed sensitive steering 
assist was waaaay overboosted. The same speed sensitive steering assist 
in my wife's Allroad works marvelously.
At any rate, the VW Fox damper is ca. 30 bux and fits our cars perfectly 
well. I've had it in my white car for a couple of years now and am quite 
happy with it.

The fact that your car pulls to the left has nothing to do with the 
damper. I'd say your alignment is screwed up.

> 4. Car pulls hard to the left on hard braking. It's got to be suspension as I rebuilt rear calipers and replaced front/rear discs/pads. Wear is normal, everything working ok.

It's the calipers. The left side binds (or the right side does not 
develop bull power). Swap the calipers left to right just for the hell 
of it. I bet a Platinum Russian Standard against a Joaquin's in a dusty 
plastic bottle from the bottom shelf that after such a swap the car will 
start pulling to the right.

> I'm planning to go ahead and replace all rubber pieces I find in suspension + shocks + tie rod ends + rear links.

Are the tie rod ends and rear Camber links shot? If not, why bother?
BTW Bilstein are great on their lifetime warranty promise. They replaced 
mine after 6 years w/o saying a word. I did produce the original 
paperwork from shox.com stating that I was the original owner though...

-- 
Igor Kessel
two turbo quattros