Should I lower my 98 A4 avant q 30v? I did not get the sport package when I bought it (regretfully) and now I am becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the cornering (and aethestics) of the car in stock form. <p>I've seen adds for replacement springs that claim to lower the car by anything from 1.25 to 2 inches. They claim to improve handling and looks without deteriorating ride quality.<p>Any experiences and advice much appreciated!

I have a 98.5 1.8TQT sedan non-sport. Funny thing is, the 15" 8-spoke wheels have really grown on me. But, there is that annoying wheel gap that just doesn't look right. So, what I am thinking about is, getting a set of OEM sport suspension parts from Clair or someplace. Since this will lower the car by only about 3/4", the ride quality should remain pretty good and the annoying wheel gap should improve, along with the car's handling. Anyone else have a thought/suggestion?

All of those thinking about lowering... First off the bad things that i have experienced with lowering my car (97 accord 3inchs, A4 2.2inch) If you lower your car too low your gonna have a stiffer ride, and the ride quality is usually diminshed... you also gotta watch out for dips driveways that are too steep, and those annoying speed bumps.. The good things that come from lowering your car: It looks A lot better!, and it handles a lot better... some people tell me that u get more power to the ground and you can stop faster... anyways I say if you want to lower your car you should... also if you decide to lower your car more than 1 inch like say 1.5 or 2<br>i would recommend aftermarket shocks as well.. they are well worth it.<p>k

I had the sport suspension on my car and loved it but i noticed that the car had a tendedcy to float during freeway driving. <p>I ended up getting the H&R race bilstein sport set up which i love alot but if you are looking for a comfortable ride look for the sport package springs and mate it with the Bilstein sport struts. this will help alot. the sport spring will drop the car about 3/4" but with the bilstein struts you can lower it much more in a .5" incraments. the sport springs are very comfortable and the struts will get rid of the float.<p>if not purchase the Eibach or H&R sport set up with Bilstein HD struts this will improve ride alot but will not sacrifice comfort.<p>My set up is good very comfortable but at times i wish it would be a tad smoother. i have 18" rims and the tires are set at 32PSI this provides me the comfort that i am looking for. when my car was not lowered i was runing 36PSI on my tires now that it is lowered 36was over kill.<p>I hope this helps out...<p>JC M.<br>

If you've gotten so disappointed as I did then go for it. It may cost you a little more than the sport package option but I feel it's worth it. Get some H&R sport springs and 17" or 18" wheels! Bilstien shocks if the car is over 3 years otherwise the stock should do....my opinion.

I've run (ran?) the H&R coilovers on my car now for almost 2 years now (26,000 miles) and i've been fairly satisfied with the improvement in the car's handling. I also had the non-sport package, and especially on the freeway i noticed that the car tended to sway quite a bit, which was uncomfortable. <p>With the coilovers i'm quite happy - the asthetics are much improved, and the car corners much much faster (i run S-02's on 18" wheels). However, like k said in another post below, you do have to be careful about driveways, potholes, and (in los angeles at least) opening your doors into high curbs, and other roadway hazards. Also, you may find a few more squeaks and rattles in your car as time goes on, but it's not too bad. <p>Actually while the car corners much faster on the coilovers (i can take the sunset blvd loop-onramp onto 405 southbound at a solid 50mph no squeaks), i found the cornering quite amusing with the stock suspension and Conti tires - they squealed like a pinched pig, and you just hacked away at the steering - what could be more entertaining then that? =)<p>HTH,<br>Edmund Louie<br>98 A4Q 30V<ul><li><a href="http://members.xoom.com/Eddy450">My A4 Page</a></li></ul>

I too had the non-sport suspension. Just yesterday I upgraded to the sport springs and shocks which I purchased slightly used from the classifieds. The installation took us about 8 hours (working at a leisurely pace) and I must say that highway comfort is indentical. Handling in the curves is immensely improved. The car is slightly lower, but not to the point where speed bumps or driveways pose much of an obstacle. The looks are much improved, even with the stock 15 inch wheels (I really like the design as well, btw).<p>The next step from here would be to get Bilstein shocks. As someone mentioned before, you can adjust their height before installing to get just what you want. They keep the car even flatter, especially reducing the dive experienced when braking. Unless you want to use your car as an SUV, you should at least have the sport suspension setup on an A4. It's a world of difference.