this is my first post on here, so hi to everyone.

I'm in the market for new dampers, the passenger rear is leaking - so this is the perfect excuse to get something better. I think the car will look better slightly lower as well, its on standard, non-sport suspension. Say 30-40mm lower, I think that is about 1.7 inches ?

I had a Mk2 (1990) Golf GTI 16v with Koni Yellow suspension kit, great around corners, but quite harsh when I was in a mellower mood. That was 15 years ago , I'm now greyer and bigger around my middle ... with wife + kid, so my priorities have changed.

I like the damping on a BMW 330i on standard suspension, could just about put up with the suspension on a M3. So probably something in between.

Car is a 2002 A4 Avant SE 130 oil burner, now with 20mm rear arb (originally 16mm)

from trawling the forums, the conscensus are :

1) from the S3 crowd, H&R springs + Bilstein Sprintline/B8 dampers
2) H&R springs + Koni Yellows
3) from a local suspension supplier,

Bilstein B4 + Leisure4 springs give a 10% uprated from standard
Bilstein sprintline + H&R springs give a ride similar to a M3

I am based in the UK, with the steering wheel on the right etc ... [:p]

My budget is no more than 750USD not including fitting charges.

Any one any comments ?

Thanks

I think the FSD would give you better performance than Koni yellows at full soft, while being similarly compliant. I myself run my Koni yellows at 50% stiffness, which yields a ride that's at times jarring (I'd think it's similar to the harshness on an M3). Bilstein sport shocks (not sure what's Sprintline) are definitely on the harsh side too.

Koni FSD ? I don't know much about them, tirerack.com seems to be impressed with them. My last experience with Koni yellows wasn't too good in logevity terms, the rears leak within 2-3 years. The fronts lasted 120000 miles plus.

Bilstein
B4 - Standard +10%, twin tube
B6 - Sport, standard spring height, monotube
B8 - Sprintlines, as sport but for shortened springs, mono tube

then theres the coilovers, pss9, 12 etc

The main problem is one person's comfortable ride could be bone jarring to another ...

The only thing I can reference it to is what I have had experienced before.

I am after less compression, more rebound and a design which offers less friction/stiction, so that it can react to bumps more readily, but still cope with low frequency bumps. Oh and keep it's performance for at least 60000 miles without serious degradation - tall order, probably.

the FSD shock is too long to be used with lowering springs, OEM or OEM sport only. I ran the FSDs with eibach pro-kit springs, and while the ride was good, it wasn't optimal.

thanks for your replies guys

OEM sport(1BE) ride hight is ~20 mm lower than OEM non-sport(1BA).