just curious guys wat would be involved in converting a 4x4 octi estate to rwd is it just a case of disconnecting front shafts and welding rear coupling ?

Its haldex system so as the book says "when front wheels lose grip, the rear wheels will attempt to come in" So im not sure welding would be the answer here. Best option i believe is to get the haldex blue system, which turns it into permanent 4wd iirc.

Bit pricey but worth it, craig robbo has one fitted to his sleeper but not a sleeper

Here:http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HALDEX-UPGRADE-CONTROLLER-/300784813136?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item46082c0450

Edited 14 October, 201213 yr by Lofty79

the blue is not perm 4x4, the octy is not perm quattro unlike most audis.

i cant see the point, just buy a rear wheel drive car like a 3 series touring, it wll pee on the octy even stock, as its designed and setup as a rwd, and is rather good at it

the blue is not perm 4x4, the octy is not perm quattro unlike most audis.

i cant see the point, just buy a rear wheel drive car like a 3 series touring, it wll pee on the octy even stock, as its designed and setup as a rwd, and is rather good at it

This ^

RWD octy is a stupid idea. The bias is all wrong.

Its haldex system so as the book says "when front wheels lose grip, the rear wheels will attempt to come in" So im not sure welding would be the answer here. Best option i believe is to get the haldex blue system, which turns it into permanent 4wd iirc.

As far as I'm aware, it is permenant 4x4 its just the bias that changes, normally around 85% front 15 % rear, but tge haldex allows the bias to change upto something like 90% rear if required.

to clarify my post above

Its around 90/10 or 95/5 split from what i remember, whichever it is there is a split with pretty much all power going to the front (like a fwd car) to optimise fuel economy afaik in normal operation, then when slip is detected there is a bigger torque split towards the rear.

However, its not true permanent 50/50 4x4 like a quattro or a subaru and witthout modification won't perform as such.

Well perform as such or not I was the only one parked out side my daughters nursery last winter when ice and snow stopped everyone about a mile away including those with true permanent 4x4 but a lot has to be said for how you drive a car regardless of how many wheels drive you. :0)

thats due to the haldex working as it should, snow and ice equals slip, so it splits the torque towards 60/40 or 50/50 depending on the controller.

The reason a lot of 4x4s can't drive well on snow is their tyres. Seen loads of big 4x4 bmws crash in snow due to their huge low profile sport tyres which are useless in this type of weather and down to ignorant drivers who think their 4x4 can do anything as its a 4x4 bmw afterall.

I would take a fwd with snow tyres over a 4x4 with sport tyres in the snow any day of the week!

Not to mention the width of the tyres. A big footprint is always a bad idea in the snow.

Hence why piddling little skinny tyred 2CV's were always great in it.

It could be done by getting someone like Hewland to make a custom gear train to replace the standard diff and Haldex, getting new, adjustable front wishbones, top mounts and fully adjustable coilovers, then spending several weeks doing test-driver pounding round a track (consistency is more important than best lap time) until you get the handling re-balanced.

Or you could save several grand by buying a cheap 3-series as a trackday car.