RE: Blau S4/S6 rear struts

["James A. Desveaux" <desveaux@ucla.edu>]

It's good to know definitely that the rear height of the TQW doesn't change
when those S4/S6 springs are installed.

A couple of additional points on spring rate differences.

1. The '91 20v uses stiffer springs, but certainly no stiffer than what went
on the S4 or S6s.  According to the folks at H&R (I checked on this a few
months ago), the standard rear spring rate for the '91 200Q (non-wagon) is
145ppi.  For the S4 and S6, it's 225-230ppi.  Frankly, I'm skeptical about
the accuracy of this.

2. According to Ned Ritchie, who kindly emailed me info on this when I put
'92 S4 struts on the front of my '91 200QW, there are differences in spring
rates between '92 and '96.  Basically, they went from what Audi called a
'sports' spring in '92 and early '93, up to VIN # WAUHP54APN019849, and
these springs (either front or rear) had 3 blue and 1 yellow stripe.  Part #
4A0 411 105J
Then, after complaints of too harsh a ride from S4 owners, they softened the
spring rate a bit and went to one with 2 blue and 1 yellow stripe and that
Part # is 4A0 411 105H.

Then, for the last S4s and early S6s, they went to a spring with silver and
violet stripes, Part # 4A0 411 105Q, then 4A0 411 105R, and finally 4A0 411
105S.

Ned got this from some fiche he had.  The dealers apparently do NOT have
this info, and to them, it's one size fits all.  So if you order springs for
these cars, there's only one type you'll get (unless one of these other part
#s is still available).

I called Blau to ask which springs they used, and they said they'd get back
to me, but they didn't.  I guess that since I already committed to the
harsher springs (they're fine), I figured I should match them with what the
factory produced for those cars.

- Jim