H&R Coil-Overs INSTALLED! (BWW & LONG........)
11-26-2003, 06:46 AM
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H&R Coil-Overs INSTALLED! (BWW & LONG........)
Very funny to see a thread posted (by Grapeking) while I was rendering the images and uploading them to my server.
I took the day off yesterday. Had a dentist appt at 9 downtown, the coil job was schedueled at 8 uptown. I was late. No worries, got there at around 9, the dentist was about to cancel me when I got back downtown closer to 10
I missed the installation process. Went home after the dentist. I was told the car would be ready around 2-3, I went into the neighborhood to hang out a Starbucks till it was done (figuring the car was at the alignment shop). I received a call (on my voice mail, stupid cell phone never works when you need it). I listened to the voice mail, there was a problem.....NNOooooo......I rushed right over instead of returning the call. The rears are done but the front is way too low and is touching the fenders. I could not put a finger in there, not even a credit card. I remain calm, with my heart in my throat and sweaty fists (as I think, do I have to pay this guy, do I have to py him to put the old stuff back on, will TireRack exchange used goods, WTF this sucks). I recomment he call TireRack and make sure the correct parts were issued. After a few minutes, my mechanic says, he might have had a brain fart and the front struts are reverse thread from the rear. We give it a try, per TireRack's suggestion and it worked! Indeed the threading was reverse. "First time I'd ever seen a reverse strut assembly" (I think thats what he said). No worries he said, everythings gonna work just fine.
<img src="http://www.carbonlord.com/Audi/Coil_Front.jpg">
<img src="http://www.carbonlord.com/Audi/Coil_Rear.jpg">
Happy as a clam, it's now 4ish and I decided to hang out and take some pictures as we spent the next hour and a half jacking the car up, taking off the wheels, adjusting the coil overs, putting the car down, measuring, jacking the car up, removing the wheels............this went on for an hour or so, with a total of up and down and removing all of the wheels at least 8 times to adjust the height. The mechanic is very thorough, I am very ****, we worked great together. We had the alignment schedueled at his friends shop at 4, so we were late. He cancelled the reat of his appointments and we drove the car around his lot to check for any rubbing, noises, anything. The dust shield on the rear brake was rubbing, a few slight bends by hand and it was fine. The car was fne, now ready for alignment.
<img src="http://www.carbonlord.com/Audi/25_1_2.jpg">
The ride height was 27.25 inches from the ground to the fender before. The height is now 25.5 all around.
<img src="http://www.carbonlord.com/Audi/Alignment.jpg">
This is the car on a Hunter alignment machine. The wheels all have this interesting device which is tapped on to each wheel. I suspect lazers pinpoint the toe-in, so I let them do their thing while I went to grab some dinner at a local Vietnamiese joint I frequent. Was supposed to take an hour or so to do it completely, and correctly.
By this time it is late, so I managed some night shots quickly.
<img src="http://www.carbonlord.com/Audi/Low_Night.jpg">
My first impressions after driving for some time last night are, I'm amazed at how well the ride feels, I expected a much harsher ride, which this is not despite how low I went. I went to a turn on ramp that usually leaves me sea sick and the car was completely flat, I mean completely, I don't even know if I'll need the H-Sport sway bar and if I do get it, will probably put it on the medium setting instead of firm for a starting point (plus I read a post here that some S4 owner might be having frame issues under the firm setting but just rumor). Regardless, the H&R coil overs run very smooth, there is no roll, no bobbing over bumps and I was flying, went to a divit in the road which usually makes the stock non sport suspension hickup greatly. With the new set up, I went over that bump doing 60 and did not even know I hit it. The stearing has been somewhat effected in the sense that it feels heavier at low speeds and takes slightly more effort then the over boosted stearing did to turn the wheel but turning radius and everything else is the same from what I can tell in the short time I tested everything. As I brought the car up to speeds greater then 30mph it was not noticable at all. I have a road trip to grandma's tomorrow for thanksgiving (quick hour and a half close to Wisconsin) which will tell me more as I gain more experience with the new set up.
Am I happy? What do you think! Thanks to everyone for listening to my babble, enjoy some pics!
<img src="http://www.carbonlord.com/Audi/Low_Gray.jpg">
<img src="http://www.carbonlord.com/Audi/LOW_Rear.jpg">
<img src="http://www.carbonlord.com/Audi/Low_Side.jpg">
I took the day off yesterday. Had a dentist appt at 9 downtown, the coil job was schedueled at 8 uptown. I was late. No worries, got there at around 9, the dentist was about to cancel me when I got back downtown closer to 10
I missed the installation process. Went home after the dentist. I was told the car would be ready around 2-3, I went into the neighborhood to hang out a Starbucks till it was done (figuring the car was at the alignment shop). I received a call (on my voice mail, stupid cell phone never works when you need it). I listened to the voice mail, there was a problem.....NNOooooo......I rushed right over instead of returning the call. The rears are done but the front is way too low and is touching the fenders. I could not put a finger in there, not even a credit card. I remain calm, with my heart in my throat and sweaty fists (as I think, do I have to pay this guy, do I have to py him to put the old stuff back on, will TireRack exchange used goods, WTF this sucks). I recomment he call TireRack and make sure the correct parts were issued. After a few minutes, my mechanic says, he might have had a brain fart and the front struts are reverse thread from the rear. We give it a try, per TireRack's suggestion and it worked! Indeed the threading was reverse. "First time I'd ever seen a reverse strut assembly" (I think thats what he said). No worries he said, everythings gonna work just fine.
<img src="http://www.carbonlord.com/Audi/Coil_Front.jpg">
<img src="http://www.carbonlord.com/Audi/Coil_Rear.jpg">
Happy as a clam, it's now 4ish and I decided to hang out and take some pictures as we spent the next hour and a half jacking the car up, taking off the wheels, adjusting the coil overs, putting the car down, measuring, jacking the car up, removing the wheels............this went on for an hour or so, with a total of up and down and removing all of the wheels at least 8 times to adjust the height. The mechanic is very thorough, I am very ****, we worked great together. We had the alignment schedueled at his friends shop at 4, so we were late. He cancelled the reat of his appointments and we drove the car around his lot to check for any rubbing, noises, anything. The dust shield on the rear brake was rubbing, a few slight bends by hand and it was fine. The car was fne, now ready for alignment.
<img src="http://www.carbonlord.com/Audi/25_1_2.jpg">
The ride height was 27.25 inches from the ground to the fender before. The height is now 25.5 all around.
<img src="http://www.carbonlord.com/Audi/Alignment.jpg">
This is the car on a Hunter alignment machine. The wheels all have this interesting device which is tapped on to each wheel. I suspect lazers pinpoint the toe-in, so I let them do their thing while I went to grab some dinner at a local Vietnamiese joint I frequent. Was supposed to take an hour or so to do it completely, and correctly.
By this time it is late, so I managed some night shots quickly.
<img src="http://www.carbonlord.com/Audi/Low_Night.jpg">
My first impressions after driving for some time last night are, I'm amazed at how well the ride feels, I expected a much harsher ride, which this is not despite how low I went. I went to a turn on ramp that usually leaves me sea sick and the car was completely flat, I mean completely, I don't even know if I'll need the H-Sport sway bar and if I do get it, will probably put it on the medium setting instead of firm for a starting point (plus I read a post here that some S4 owner might be having frame issues under the firm setting but just rumor). Regardless, the H&R coil overs run very smooth, there is no roll, no bobbing over bumps and I was flying, went to a divit in the road which usually makes the stock non sport suspension hickup greatly. With the new set up, I went over that bump doing 60 and did not even know I hit it. The stearing has been somewhat effected in the sense that it feels heavier at low speeds and takes slightly more effort then the over boosted stearing did to turn the wheel but turning radius and everything else is the same from what I can tell in the short time I tested everything. As I brought the car up to speeds greater then 30mph it was not noticable at all. I have a road trip to grandma's tomorrow for thanksgiving (quick hour and a half close to Wisconsin) which will tell me more as I gain more experience with the new set up.
Am I happy? What do you think! Thanks to everyone for listening to my babble, enjoy some pics!
<img src="http://www.carbonlord.com/Audi/Low_Gray.jpg">
<img src="http://www.carbonlord.com/Audi/LOW_Rear.jpg">
<img src="http://www.carbonlord.com/Audi/Low_Side.jpg">
