Can't Wait Any Longer For My S4

Future owner Imola/grey alcantra(correction)

Cameron

Swaybars cancel the ability for the suspension to move independently between the sides of the car and are a band-aid for a properly configured suspension. If you need a stiffer suspension, get a proper suspension with higher spring rates and adjustable height/damping.

Don't bother with swaybars, the best handling car I've ever driven didn't have a rear swaybar.

Cameron

RobC

...

AvramD

I've heard this theory before. My uneducated opinion is that I like a some-what soft (i.e. not harsh) suspension, but I don't like a lot of body roll.

It sounds like people who make this claim define "properly tuned suspension" as "really stiff suspension." What's wrong with a nice ride that just doesn't roll alot? Or is there some way you can have minimal body roll, AND a non-harsh ride, without anti-sway bars?

Anyway, these are just my random thoughts, w/ suspensions, I don't claim to know what I'm talking about - only what I want.

Cameron

Properly tuned suspension in last car:

6-point GT-legal roll cage
Stiffened rear bulkhead
Custom-valved KoniSport-built coilovers
550/500 spring rates
Corners flat at 130mph.

That car had no rear swaybar for a reason. The cage stiffened the car. In Europe, the norm is tuning any track-going car without roll bars, even without a roll cage, because it puts lateral loads on the car that are not advantageous to handling on uneven surfaces. My opinion, after driving several S4's, is that the suspension has significant slop, so I see your complaint... but our targets for the car would be different.

For some stiffening, I'd go for coilovers with lower spring rates. Perhaps 375/325 or something in that range. Find a good tuner who can provide you with a spring exchange program until you have springs you like and who will provide you with good recommendations on spring rate, coilover height, and valving adjustment. This is the best way for a great street car like the S4 to have its suspension tuned in my opinion.

Cameron

Cameron

By "coilovers with lower spring rates" I mean, obviously, lower than were on my A4 as opposed to lower than stock.

I seriously doubt, with proper valving and well-chosen spring rates you will have any need for a stiffer rear swaybar though you may choose to retain the stock bars.

Cameron

jwiggins

After 2 weeks of street use and a customer telling us is S4 got squashed in an autocross event we faced the fact that it is WAY too soft for any type of spirited driving. We installed springs and sway bars from Neuspeed (direct bolt-ons from the 1.8) and swapped the tires for A032R's. I thought the extra weight up front (over the 1.8) was going to make it push like a mother. We were all surprised, especially the driver, that with identical tire pressures that we set on the 1.8 for track use the car under-steered just a tad at 10/10ths. Our BMW store brought a couple of new 3-series out to the track as well and it will suffice to say they were "impressed", as were some of their customers who came over to look at the Audi that had lapped them 3 times in a 20-minute session.

Steve S.

Ya baby....

For me...the first thing I am gonna change for street use is to replace the RE040 with SO-2 Pole Positions. Second, I am gonna either put coilovers (H&R or maybe the special Vortrag ones) or at least a spring shock combo. Mine will not be the 1.8T version though since the S4 weighs considerably more than a 1.8T. I will go a bit stiffer to handle the extra weight.

For track, I will be using the Kumho VictoRacers....ya baby!

Steve S.

Steve S.

I already spoke to Greg Woo about being a sway bar test pilot (at Neuspeed)

track rat

On track the S4 was lapping the 3 series cars. Were these stock 3 series (323 or 328?) and not M3s?