As some will know i parted company with the Fab RS and got myself an Audi A4 S line avant 140 and after some teething troubles its all sweet as a nut now ....all except the lovely S line suspension!!...you feel every pebble on the road!!

Now what ive been thinking is changing the suspension or changing the wheels and tyres to get rid of the 18's (235/40/18). Audi themsleves reckon this is the way to go and to replace them with some 17's and stick some 225/45/17 on there.

But would it not be better to replace the suspension with some coilovers instead? Now unfortunatley it cant be both wheels and suspension due the costs. Theres a crowd over here doing good deals on JOM coilovers at the mo.

Does anybody have any words of wisdom to help me out?

Cheers in advance

Kit

Surely putting something like coilovers on the car is going to make the suspension more harsh, rather than softer.

Cant imagine putting smaller wheels on a car myself, but it would certainly make things a touch softer.

The fact that Audi themselves admit that the lower-trim 17s give a better ride is surely telling?

Aye but arnt coilvers ajustable? Think the germans like the S line suspension with all the smooth roads but not over here!! I also dont want to ruin the look by the wheels and tyres not filling the arches thus making it look a bit kack!!

K:)

Anybody?

K:)

I also dont want to ruin the look by the wheels and tyres not filling the arches thus making it look a bit kack!!

K:)

But surely with the smaller wheels and bigger tires the rolling radius will be maintained and therefore they will fill the arches to the same degree?

But surely with the smaller wheels and bigger tires the rolling radius will be maintained and therefore they will fill the arches to the same degree?

Very true, but with a higher sidewall the gap will look bigger.

The reason manufactures have gone for larger diameter wheels is mainly just aesthetics (not many cars require the extra clearance for larger brakes) this unfortunately come at a cost with the comfort, 16" alloys will improve the ride but not look as good as 18"'s.

The only other option is to try and find out the rating for the sports suspension fitted and fit something a little softer (or better still something that is adjustable, so you can tailor it to your needs).

How about putting 17's on it and then some eibach pro line springs? Would that do it?...If i cant find a solution then im afraid it will be going!! :( But like most things in life it comes down to money!!

K:)

If you dont like the ride now, whatever you do DON't go with coilovers - it'll be worse, especially if you go for something cheap and nasty. The only adjustability you'll have with cheap coilovers is the height - not the bump/rebound or spring rate..

Smaller diameter wheels with a higher profile tyre is the simplest change and easily reversable and will definitely improve things, but its a shame to lose your s-line 18"s as they are much nicer visually.

Get your dealer to price up springs and shocks for an SE model as this rides much softer than the sline.

Also, check out aftermarket OE spec replacements for the SE (eurocar parts etc). however the SE will ride a little higher than the s-line which you may not like?

Consider eibach pro springs which should ride at a similar height to the oe Sline springs, either with the existing dampers, or something like bilstein b4 which is an OE replacement.

Check out an Audi forum - this is a common complaint with the s-line models. You may be very lucky and find someone with an SE who wants a lower/firmer ride so you could swap?

HTH.

Aye but arnt coilvers ajustable? Think the germans like the S line suspension with all the smooth roads but not over here!! I also dont want to ruin the look by the wheels and tyres not filling the arches thus making it look a bit kack!!

K:)

Yes, for values of adjustable that mean you can go harder than the coilover set's base setup on its highest ride setting, lowest pre-load and softest damper setting. This does not mean that they will be softer than the OEM suspension for the same basic car.

So doing a wee bit of calculations it will cost about 800 euro for some SE shocks and some eibach springs fitted!!...now that to me is a good whack of dosh!!

front shocks 110 euro + vat @21%

rear shocks 80 euro + Vat

Eibach springs 150 (sterling)

Labour 200 euro

800 notes!!

Think i might be suffering a rough ride for a good while at those prces!!

K

What tyre pressures are you running?

I ran my previous car (golf gti) a few psi lower than the factory recommended pressures with no ill-effects but a positive benefit to the ride - it won't make it a magic carpet but it'll help..?

You could try the 17" wheel option very easily/cheaply - check out ebay for some OE audi 17" wheels - these are usually not very expensive as most people seem to want to upgrade to 18/19". If you like the 17"s then sell your 18"s - should be cost neutral or maybe even a profit for you. If you don't like the 17"s then just chuck them back on ebay for no loss..

Think il try and find someone who can loan me a set of 17's first to see how i get one before i see about buying a set!!

Cheers

Kit

It's fairly widely known that the S-Lines don't ride all that well. I don't think the damping rate from the shocks is good enough personally.

But as you say, it can be pricey trying to solve it. Trying some 17s out first would definitely be a good idea. This is the easiest and probably cheapest solution if you're then happier with the ride after you've tried them.

If not, then look at just changing the dampers - Koni FSDs spring to mind, as do something from Bilstein.

Steve