RKA

Back in September I decided I wanted to upgrade my factory sport suspension on my 1.8TQM. I wasn't looking for anything dramatic, in fact, I wanted something that would not give me a harsh ride, and still dial up the "fun quotient".

My search led me to the KW coilovers (list $1850). Many people on Audiworld believe coilovers are the ultimate suspension set up. I consulted PES about the coilovers vs. the shock/spring combo, and they agreed that this was the best way to go. For those who are not familiar, the KW's are unique in that they allow the rebound on the shock to be adjusted. This is not a stock-like ride, but there are certainly stiffer and harsher set ups out there.

I asked to have the shocks set to a softer setting since this car was not going to be tracked on a regular basis. Overall, the rider quality was definitely harsher than stock. There was some bounce on the front end under certain conditions. I later learned that the spring used is the same spring used on the S4/A6/A8. In other words, a very stiff spring! All the coilovers had to be removed from the car, and the rebound was dialed up about ½ turn (1.75 turns from full soft for those interested). This set up proved to be very fun in the twisties. Squat, dive and roll were virtually eliminated. The downside of this suspension was that it was harsh enough to begin causing rattles in my car. It wasn't anything severe, but I can imagine 50K miles with this suspension taking it's toll on the body of my car. The part I really objected to was the firmness on the highway. The stock sport suspension makes this car a very capable highway cruiser. The KW's were so firm at this setting that I found the car uncomfortable for even short (1/2 hr) trips on the highway (speeds over 70 mph). The body of the car would track every vertical movement in the pavement relentlessly. That might be an asset on the track, however, on the street, it's an entirely different ballgame. After several weeks, it was clear to me that I was not going to warm up to this set up, and I looked into other options.

Based upon the opinions of many people on AW, I tried the Eibach Pro-kits springs (which are reported to be the same as the Eurosport springs), and the Bilstein shocks. I picked these up from shox.com for about $650 delivered (not sure what list price is on these). Price wise and quality wise, these are in an entirely different league from the KW coilovers. At less than ½ the price of the KW's, I was a little skeptical. Alas, my skepticism was unfounded. The best way to describe this set up is as a "level 2" factory sport suspension. The factory sport suspension makes some compromises in performance to retain that last bit of luxury. This set up gives up a small amount of luxury to regain that little edge in performance. On some occasions the ride gets a tad harsh, but I suspect it wouldn't be anything that anybody on this forum would object to. It also sits low enough that the front splash shield has about 3.5 inches of clearance from the ground...a little low to be marketing this to the general populus. Squat, dive, and roll are still present, however largely reduced. Turn in seems to be a bit better, and the car is stable at speeds in excess of 100 mph without any float (stock sport got a little floaty over 80 mph). The car is very confidence inspiring with this set up, but it still drives like a $30K luxury car. I would recommend this set up without reservation to anyone looking to upgrade their factory suspension for street use. People living in urban snow belt areas may want to think twice about upgrading at all. The factory sport suspension was designed with these elements in mind...the Eibachs/Bilsteins were not...it may become a tad harsh for you.

One last note about the KW's. I didn't have the time, patience, or money to continue adjusting them until I found just the right setting. After the first adjustment, it became clear to me that they weren't what I was looking for. That doesn't mean the KW kit is not an excellent kit, just that it requires some patience to get them dialed in right. I would like to extend a special thanks to Gary, Mike, and Tony at PES. They really tried to make this work for me, but as I stated, it just wasn't what I was looking for. If you are considering coilovers because "everybody" says they are the ultimate set up, consider carefully what you want (and don't want) from your car after you upgrade. Everything is relative, especially the words ultimate, and coilovers in the same sentence.

Sorry for the length...I really wanted this to be detailed enough to help some folks out, so if you've fallen asleep I'll buy you a cup of coffee if you're around the Philly area!
-Raj

cpayne

Great Review RKA!!! Thank You

What are your thoughts on the "stock" sport suspension and the Eibach Pro-Kit spring combination?

Thanks

cp

All4Wheels

Very nice write-up! Thanks--I will definitely reconsider my coilover plan.

RKA

If you are referring to stock sport vs. Eibach/Bilsteins, well, with my chipped car, the stock sport had a lot of squat and dive. In addition, I found that it got floaty at high speeds, or on rural backroads. The only plus was that ride compliance was excellent. The Eibachs & Bilsteins cured all that at the expense of a little bit of comfort. This is all stuff I covered with you in our many e-mails though. :-)

The reason I am confused is that I though you might be referring to my post further down about using stock sport shocks and Eibachs. I can't really add much to what was said down there.

cpayne

Oppps...didn't recognize your RKA address...thx

CraigB

Thanks...great info! I'll keep my H&R Sport/Bilsteins.

Asneaky4

I have been doing some research and was strongly considering the coil over solution.. I will take a look at the available options again. I am pretty sure I would like to duplicate your setup and maybe add a sway bar. Thanks again for your detailed post.

98 2.8 30V G2 SS

britoki (Brian T)

I agree completely that the eibach/bilstein combination feels quite good and can be thought of as "sport suspension version 2". The combo is still much softer than a BMW 3 or Z3 sport suspenion.

I would like to see if anyone has an opinion on what is "sport suspension v3". I wish I had something a little stiffer (about bmw ride quality), but higher. I was thinking H&R coilover would be the best for me since I could raise it a little. Eibach/Bilstein is a pretty good height, but it's lower than advertised (about 1.7" front, 1.6" rear), and will bottom on a speedbump with 3 or more people in car.

Dead

..just not threaded bodies for adjustment. We come to think of coilovers as a shock/spring combo that offers height adjustment when in fact we should call these ride height adjustable coilovers.

I also have the KWv2s(2.8q) and am quite happy with them . I had Eibach Pro-Kit/Bilsteins before.
I also had the luxery of having Rajs experience to draw from when making adjustments and the fact that I was not paying someone to remove them each time.

Unless you want that adjustability then the Eibach/ Bilsteins would be the way to go.

I also have a 2.8q so they may be a bit stiffer with the 1.8.

Good write up Raj, kept me in suspense as to the outcome. ;-)

Al Pollack

Great write-up, Raj. I would have gone through the same sequence, had i decided to go with the KW's. I find the eurosport springs more than enough for my driving habits. I'm sure you're going to save some people alot of money. I'm not saying the KW's are a bad product, but, they might not be exactly what people are looking for. Again, thanks for the informative post.... That's what this forum is all about.

Al
99.5 1.8tqtsc "Bullwinkle"