Bollinger

I'm not saying Audi is lying about changing the steering rack, but IMHO it's mostly just talk. Stiffness is a huge marketing term right now.

Cars were available without the 605 relay in other countries before. And people here have pulled them and reported better steering feel. So IMHO the current rack does pretty well at providing feel as long as you turn the boost down. CAR has recommended for two years now not purchasing the optional servotronic.

If the stiffening makes things even better, great, but I think for the most part we are just getting what they already had in other countries.

Capt Ron

Bushings?

eharleq

The steering is overboosted. Servotronic has had this problem since it was developed. The boosting is not related to the "feel" as far as most performance drivers are concerned.

The sense of the road surface is due to the tires, rims, sizes of both, and the orientation of the steering axes. Audi and VW use a "virtual link" that helps when a front flat happens, but eliminates a laege percentage of what is typically called feel. The placement of the arm links are to blame.

My multi-link front gives me very little feedback, although it handles superbly.

beerguy

My 2000 S4 had "steering feel". My 2001 A6 2.7t does not.

Stoney

<font color="red"><i>Audi and VW use a "virtual link" that helps when a front flat happens, but eliminates a large percentage of what is typically called feel. The placement of the arm links are to blame. </i></font>

I'd like to know more about the effect of linkage/suspension design on steering road feel. Interesting that there are tradeoffs, such as between blowout stability and road feel. I had often wondered about such effects tradeoffs.

Bollinger

Virtual link was developed by Audi when Audi went to FWD with the 200 (is that right?). The virtual link works to resist any pulls from the wheels being transmitted back to the steering wheel.

Its original purpose was to reduce the steering wheel feedback of torque steer. It does this quite well. As mentioned by eharleq, the link should help reduce the pull to one side when you get a blowout also (this is new to me, but makes sense). Hearing that it reduces road feel is new to me also, but doesn't surprise me knowing what the link is supposed to do.

Stoney

Thanks!