Re: Suspension Upgrade on Audi 80

[bazooka!ti@altos.Altos.COM (Ti Kan)]

>I upgraded my suspension about three months ago with Eibach progressive
>rate springs and Bilstein sports at all four corners.  The wheels are the 
>stock 5.5x14" steels with Yokohama A509's.

I have an Audi 4000 (basically the same suspension as that on the newer
Audi 80), and have Eibach progressive rate springs, Koni shocks,
Suspension Techniques rear anti-roll bar, Audi turbo quattro coupe
front anti-roll bar, and custom fabricated front upper strut stress
bar.  The wheels are Ronal R8 15x6 wearing Fulda Y2000 205/50VR15s.

>One thing I have now noticed is
>the need for better bolstering on the stock seats.  I am sliding more
>because the car is pulling harder at turns. But still not badly enough
>to warrant a Recaro conversion.

Yeah, and this is the reason why I bought a set of factory sport seats
(from a 4000S quattro) to replace the original seats in my car.  The
additional bolsters are most needed with the vastly increased handling.

>My complaint is that the ride is much harsher than in the past.  It now
>has a boy-racer feel to it that I graduated from years ago.  Going over
>bumps is not a pleasant endeavor.  Where once it had a dampened feel
>(like the tires and suspension were soaking all harshness away) with a 
>soft "thunk" sound, it is now a direct-blow "bang" on even minor
>imperfections.

Well, you can't have the cake and eat it too, can you?  Your newfound
handling performance came at a cost -- loss of ride comfort.  There is
really no magic to this.  In the case of my car, I think the ride is
actually quite good (as good as stock) as long as the surface imperfection
is minor.  If the bumps get any bigger, then it gets harsh pretty quickly.
This is an attribute of progressive rate springs.  I suspect your Bilstein
shocks aren't helping either, since Bilsteins are reknowned for their
stiffness.  If you feel that the ride is too hard, definitely go with
softer shocks.  The shocks would have more to do with ride quality than
the springs do.  I think the ride quality of my car is quite acceptable
considering the tremendous gains in handling.

Happy motoring...

-Ti

P.S.  I n-e-e-d an Audi Avus.
--
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