[V8] Suspension

[QSHIPQ at aol.com]

Ok, late in the game here, I was out frying a turkey in the Catskills....  
Yes, the 28mm swaybar is available (BTOT) and you need the bigger cast inner 
retainers and the bushings (you need 5 parts from the dealer).  A 30mm upgrade 
(aftermarket) was available years ago, I've seen exactly 2 in 12 years (I own 
one of them).   The easiest thing to do is order the 28mm parts, since that's a 
dealer available item.  It is interchangeable with the 5ktq/200tq bars (BTDT). 
 If you have an ABH, you are supposed to have a 28mm bar, but I too have seen 
most without it.

The rear bar from the 92 S4 and the later quattro wagons is also available 
and will fit the type 44 with some brackets welded on.  I personally find no use 
in it, since you can massively increase rear spring rate, and leave the rear 
bar absent.  IME, the rear bar (2 x 87 5ktq) tends to lift the inside wheel 
sooner than just using a stiffer rear spring.  IMO, a better setup on the type 
44 is to run a linear rate spring in the back.  This really reduces rear 
wagging, and is cheaper than trying to mount a rear bar.

WRT rear bars in general, my claim is, you are starting at the wrong end of 
the car.  The type 44 and C chassis cars need more front bar FIRST, then fine 
tune with the rear bar (or none at all).  

Lots of folks do lots of interesting things.  I advocate that the type 44 and 
the C chassis cars can be made to handle quite well without a rear bar.  
Getting the rear bars installed so that you have a complementary suspension isn't 
a drop and swap.  Get a couple books on suspension design, and go to town.  
Right now, I've seen very little for the big quattros that is great.  It doesn't 
take much to get 'better', since audi tuned this big pigs quite soft.  But 
before I'd add a rear bar, I'd sure advocate that there might be other (possibly 
better) ways to get to the same end.


HTH

Scott Justusson
91 v8


In a message dated 11/28/2003 1:05:12 PM Central Standard Time, 
charlie at elektro.cmhnet.org writes:
The V8 Quattro uses essentially the same springs, shocks and sway bars
as the '92 - '95 S4/S6 cars.  Sure, there's differences in stiffness
and bar diameters, but everything will interchange.

I've got a pretty complete rundown of Eibach spring kit part numbers and
Bilstein Sport shock part numbers at this web page:

    http://www.elektro.com/~audi/eibach/

Watch Eibach spring kits.  You have to look at the part numbers
actually on the springs to know what you've got.  There were three 
kits (early, middle, late) that had the same part number (1529.140) 
and contained different springs.  Read the Eibach web pages above.

The 3.6L V8 had a 26mm front sway bar.  Although I've heard that the
4.2L cars had a 28mm sway bar, my '93 4.2L had a 26mm front bar.

My '95 S6 also has a 26mm front bar.  The Family Album lists a 28mm bar,
if you change it you need to also change the rubber bushings.  You do 
not want to use nylon (or any solid) bushings, the suspension design
needs some compliance.

The '92 S4 had a rear sway bar, but it can't be retrofitted without
changing the rear suspension crossmember.  However <!>, guys over on the
S-Car list have designed an adjustable rear sway bar that's a lot stiffer
than the '92 bar.  The bar and installation kit ain't cheap, and is only
available when Hap McGuire feels like getting another batch produced.

There's also a lot of people on the S-Car list who have installed much 
bigger front brakes.  Some of those cars are running in the 400 HP range,
and there's a lot of carrying on about aluminum flywheels, 6 speed 
transmissions - see http://www.elektro.com/~audi/01E/

Hope this helps a bit.

    - Charlie