Re: 100/5000 rear anti-roll bars

[AUDIDUDI@delphi.com]

>I have an 89 100 which I also find too cushy.  What is the least 
>expensive way of getting a little more stiffness so the rear behaves!

I haven't done a thing to my '91 (my parents are driving it at the moment
and are very happy with it save for the transmission's relentless hunting
between gears and locking/unlocking of the converter) but I've done a few
things to my '87 5000s and am reasonably happy with the results:

1) 25mm front bar from an '86 5000 Quattro (along with new rubber bushings
all around: they're cheap and make a surprisingly big difference in feel.)

2) 25mm (?) rear bar from Suspension Techniques that I bought for $25 out of
a wrecked car a while ago.  Last time I spoke with them, admittedly a couple
of years ago, they'd just discontinued all their Audi stuff due to a lack of
demand and *volunteered* to FAX me their blueprints in case I wanted to have
one made locally!  Amazing...

3) Boge Turbo Gas shocks & struts (I recently heard from someone they're no
longer available; if true, tis a pity since they're still working fine with
more than 70k on them and, picky as I am, I rarely seem to get more than 30
or 40k from Konis or Bilsteins and less than 20k from OEM)  
 
4) H&R "progressive rate" springs.  For most driving, they ride as soft or
softer than OEM but when you pick up the pace, they stiffen up quite a bit.
They also lower the car about 1.5" front and rear... 

5) 15x7 Dotz 5-spoke wheels with 215/55-15 Yokohama A-008Gs.  They don't rub
anywhere, look nice and were cheap ($449 plus shipping). 

As set up (I generally run stock alignment settings unless I'm autocrossing
the car -- it's quicker than you might think! -- in which case, I run -1.5
degrees of camber and a 1/16" of toe-out at the front), the car understeers
more than I'd like but the transient response is much quicker than with the
22mm or 24mm front bars I've tried ... overall, I think a 28mm front bar is
about the limit of what you can get away with and unless you can balance it
with a bigger rear bar (hence my earlier post), it will probably understeer
like a puppy on freshly waxed linoleum.  I won't know for sure until I try
one (assuming I ever find one) but since your '89 100 bar is probably 19mm
like my '91, even the 25mm Quattro bar is significantly (3+ times) stiffer
than what's on the car now and you'll find this makes the car considerably
less "cushy" when going around corners.    

I realize I've strayed a bit from your question about making your 100's rear
end behave but in my experience with Audis, big and small (5000 & 4000), the
rear end DOESN'T have that much effect upon the car's performance for street
use so long as it keeps the rear bumper from dragging ... racing, of course,
is another matter entirely but I suspect that wasn't what you were referring
to ... or was it?  I have some experience racing Audis and am happy to share
my knowledge if you're interested; just drop me a note by e-mail.

               __________________________________________________
                                                                 
                /| |_| |> | - |> |_| |> |  (AudiDudi@delphi.com) 
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               1981 4000; 1985 4000s; 1987 5000 & 5000W; 1991 100