i just picked up a 2001 A4 2.8 avant quattro a few weeks ago with 41,000 original miles on it. silver with a black interior. tiptronic, bose, xenons etc..

anwyays, i have always had BMWs up until this point and this past winter really made me want to get something thats more suited to all-year round use so i opted for an audi. plus the avant makes carrying stuff a lot easier than my M3.

anways, what suspension kits can i get to rid myself of 4x4 stance and make it handle better? a lot of people say H&R race springs on bilsteins is a good setup. is this true? can someone give me some feed back here? i dont want something so harsh that it will rattle my teeth out. and im not looking at going the coilover route since i wont be tracking this car.

my car also needs front brakes. i was going to go the cheap route and just get the autozone rotors and pads but i wanted some feed back.

is 5w-30 ok? i have a bunch of BMW oil left over and was wondering if it would be ok to run this for one oil change.

also, if anyone is in NOVA, then maybe ill see you guys around sometime?

 

Hi and welcome You won't regret the move to Audi. To address your questions, H&R race springs give a perfect 2" drop and can be used on stock struts. They're about $240 new at www.ecstuning.com - the ride is firm but nice and the handling improves a lot. I've run 5W30 year round and it's perfectly fine. For front brakes, upgrade to the A8 setup (the kit at ECS is $250 with blank rotors and $299 with slotting or drilling). I have them with Hawk pads and love them. And there are guys in the NoVa area on here - shoot a message to member CCA4. He's near you and knows about these cars and would be a good guy to get to know.

 

Coilovers don't rattle your teeth! I went from stock 4x4 stance to some ST Coilovers and my car feels better than stock. Lower, tighter, smoother and better road feel, I wouldn't go back to stock if you paid me.

Avants are awesome, definitely post pictures.

 

I'm new to the forum too. Can you tell me how I can post threads on the site?

 

Find the section with your model, and press the "new thread" button in the left corners of the page.

 

not sure if i want to stick with stock shocks. wont they just wear out faster?


the car doesnt handle as good as my M3 thats for sure, but at the same time it does? it has a lot of body roll but it doesnt. its weird lol

what kind of shocks do you recommend? i was gonna go with bilsteins.

 

Typically lowering springs wear stock struts faster but it doesn't seem to be the case on our cars. One of the guys on here who is local to me has the H&R Race springs on stock struts and has had zero issues. I also recall a post by another moderator (who worked several years for Audi as a technician) saying that in the years he worked there, he hadn't seen a single OEM strut failure attributable to lowering springs. If you do choose aftermarket struts, Bilstein and Koni are excellent.

I get what you're saying about the handling. Your M3 definitely feels faster through the turns and is likely stiffer. But the quattro Audis, while they do roll more, certainly hold on despite the roll - they actually corner quite well even with stock suspension. Aftermarket (or in some cases, S4) parts will make it even better.

 

If you want to stay with stock brakes I just got a set of Meyle rotors with Geomet coating, which is a great anti-rust coating, for $65 for the pair at MJMAutohaus. Delivery was quick and shipping was included.

 

Welcome to the forums.

You definitely won't regret the move to Audi.

The Bilsten/H&R combos are definitely pretty popular. Never been in a car with the setup so I can't say how it rides.

How much drop are you looking to get btw?

 

i want a drop where the car wont be so low to the point where driving it everyday will become a PITA.