A4.B5.DIY.Susp.SuspOptions
From QuattroWorld Wiki
Suspension options for the B5 A4
Stock
Stock A4 and S4 are essentially the same design with different spring rates and shock valving. The three B5s (A4 1.8T, A4 2.8, and S4 2.7T) all have a different total vehicle weight. A heavier car will need a stiffer spring to achieve a set ride height, where a lighter car will need a much softer spring to achieve the same ride height. The S4 is the heaviest, A4 2.8 being second, and the A4 1.8T being the lightest. While the parts will physically all interchange with each other (assuming quattro/FWD is the same) and work, they won't work well if used on another model.
OEM Sport
Same as above, just lower and stiffer across the board. Sport package shocks are easily identifiable as they are painted red from the factory. The Sport springs will be physically shorter than the regular ones too. Both were offered from the factory.
Aftermarket lowering springs and shocks
There are a handful of different companies that make them, one of the most popular combo's is a Vogtland spring paired with a Bilstein shock. They must work as a team. Once again, while it is possible to put a lowering spring on a vehicle with OEM shocks, it's not a very good idea. The internal working parts of the shock were not designed to work in that range. This usually leads to a crappy ride and early failure. An aftermarket shock/spring combo works well, and are reasonably priced. The main drawback is not being able to adjust the ride height, also known as a "static drop". Ride height will be set by the manufacturer, not the user/installer.
Aftermarket coilovers
These use a threaded shock body and adjustable lower spring cups. These allow you to set the ride height, and in turn, stiffness to your liking. Many people have found that 25.5" from ground to top of wheel arch is the 'sweet spot', I personally like mine lower, and stiffer than that. This is arguably the best option, and most expensive. There are a bunch of different companies and levels to choose from. The cheapest being Vmaxx, marketed as a low buck, street only coilover. The most expensive being Stasis Engineering Ohlins Motorsport coilovers and Penske, marketed as the best that money can buy, while they surely will work(great) on the street...they are really more for the dedicated track or racecar.
Choosing
The first step in choosing a suspension should be figuring out what the car is used for. If it's a daily driver, on crappy roads, that will never see a track, I'd say OEM Sport suspension is best. It provides a slight drop in ride height and greatly improves handling. If you want a low cost option, lower ride height than factory sport, and don't plan on tracking the car, then a spring/shock combo might be the ticket, but in the end, you'll just wish you saved up the extra few hundred dollars and gotten a good set of coilovers in the first place!
I personally recommend Startup Racing's Gran Tourismo coilover kit. It's the best of both worlds.
Sway bars
As for the sway bars, there were two options for all three B5's. Regular OEM was a 24mm(i think) front bar and a 14mm(i think) rear bar. OEM Sport and S4 sways were 27mm(i think) solid front bar, and 19mm( i think) rear bar. There are a few upgrades you can do, but the only ine worth mentioning is the Hotchkiss H-Sport Anti Sway kit with metal rear drop links (factory S4).
It's the best, don't even bother wasting your time with the other crap.
Originally posted by Hillbilly
