I have a 2000 A4 1.8T Quattro and I just got new H&R Sport springs. My mechanic says they will ruin my ride comfort and he wont install them. So I went to a local shop and they say I need struts too or they wont touch it.

Do I really need struts? My car has just over 120k miles, should I get them anyways?

Also, whats this I hear about a Sport Pack on these cars? My car seems really low already. How much could it really change with looks on 17" RS4 reps on stock springs?

 

It's a good idea.....think about it from a mechanical sense the assembly will be taken apart anyway so definitely do it. Financially, I understand the significant cost it adds. It sucks waiting til its financially viable but you will avoid having to pay a mechanic to take everything apart again.

Think about it......

 

Running signficantly lower springs than the ones that the struts were designed for usually accelerates the wear on the struts, as they are riding around preloaded. You're much better off using a strut meant for a lowering spring, since the strut piston has less travel with a lower spring, and the aftermarket strut is designed with this in mind.

 

both of these guys are correct, you should do the struts. but if you cant afford it plenty of people in the past have run springs without also doing the struts.

 

Very true - you can do it but you should go ahead and start saving for aftermarket struts for when your OEM struts wear out. And you will have to then swap the springs onto the new struts then too, which gets old fast when you have to keep going through that task repeatedly.

 

Thanks guys for the info. I will save for the struts then.

My other question is.. does anyone have a pic of an A4 with 17" rims (preferably B5 RS4 rims) with stock springs? I'd like to get my rims on, and I'd love to see what the car will look like. May just sell the springs and get coil overs down the road.

 

A member from here with 17s and stock sport suspension:





A car with H&R race springs on stock struts for supposedly 2 1/2+ years.



reference: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...t=28941&page=4

 

Thanks aledelic. The blue one was my inspiration.

Now I don't know if i have stock sport suspension, but how can I check?

 

The struts should be red if they are the original stock sport ones. Your car looks like it's on sport suspension in the picture you posted. Off topic but how much did you pay for your S4 grille? I'm thinking about getting one for ~$60 but still haven't decided if I want to yet. I'm getting tired of my RS4 grille.

 

Haha I bought the car a month ago and if that is in fact an S4 grille then I would be surprised. I did not put it on.

I kinda sorta knew about the red spring thing, but thanks for confirming that. I'll have to check in the morning.