Going from SS to SS+ [REVIEWED p5!]

[neilparf]

Brilliant back to back comparison. I've never driven SS but after driving a sorted DRC system with SS+ it's undeniably razor sharp...

[stu]

Brilliant back to back comparison. I've never driven SS but after driving a sorted DRC system with SS+ it's undeniably razor sharp...

Thanks

The only thing sharper I've owned was that Z4 coupe. Well, for the first six months anyway! It was a demo car for the dealer and (unknown to me) they'd set it up so it was like driving with a hair trigger steering wheel! It hated driving in a straight line and was psychotically fast turning. Highly entertaining (if tiring) and I didn't know any better. An alignment fixed all that. Still left me with the terrible ride quality though.

[stu]

Thanks very much everyone for your help in getting the SS+ sorted.

EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!

(sorry: Lego Movie won't leave my head )

[marc1]

Stu, what an awesome review. I now have the SS+ rear ARB ready to go on my car, so I'm hoping for slightly less body roll and increased turn in. I'd up rated the ARB's on every Audi I've had and it usually has a great result. I was a little reluctant to adding aftermarket parts to the B7 RS in fear of spoiling it for 90% of the driving done and making it overly stiff / harsh. Hence, like yourself I was looking at SS+ options. Really sounds like you are happy with the changes overall. It would be interesting to see whether the air you experienced was due to increased speed as a result of a more capable ride.

One more thing though... WE NEED PICTURES!!!

[stu]

One more thing though... WE NEED PICTURES!!!

Spot the difference:





Probably more useful as a photography case study!

[docurley]

The first picture is the SS+

[marc1]

Cheers Stu. I agree with Doc, the too one looks ever so slightly lower. Probably not as much as I thought it might though. Probably a result of the brand new rear dampers and the re-pressurised system.

[stu]

The sunny one on top was last year (SS). The darker one at the bottom one was last night (SS+).

[docurley]

Very strange, maybe they need to bed in.

[neilparf]

The sunny one on top was last year (SS). The darker one at the bottom one was last night (SS+).

SS+ will take a while to 'bed in'. My tyre to arch distance is appears to be less than that...

[stu]

The biggest difference in the photos is the lighting and lenses. The SS+ one was done with a 20mm pancake lense (40mm equivalent) - not the right tool for the job. I think I was playing with a zoom last year - you can tell from the wheel rims, positions of the calipers in relation to the rims and the distant A pillars.

I could have measured floor to arch before and after but that wasn't an objective and I forgot it might be helpful for the discussion afterwards.

Are you sure these will bed in more? This is 1k miles post installation.

The workshop chief reckoned the difference woukd be about a centimetre and I think he's right. It was quite funny seeing it before the extended drive - the newly pressurised DRC make it look like an all-road! By the time I got the keys back it was as you see now.

Stating the obvious here, but if anyone has any hangups about ride height then this isn't the upgrade for them. Go KWv3 (or similar).

Edited a few times for clarity! Hard work on an a 5 inch screen(!)

[RIV]

Stating the obvious here, but if anyone has any hangups about ride height then this isn't the upgrade for them. Go KWv3 (or similar).

SS+ is too high on the front, KW is the only way to go IMO

[stu]

Stating the obvious here, but if anyone has any hangups about ride height then this isn't the upgrade for them. Go KWv3 (or similar).

SS+ is too high on the front, KW is the only way to go IMO

Yup, many folks would agree, and the photos thread is testament to that.

[neilparf]

Stating the obvious here, but if anyone has any hangups about ride height then this isn't the upgrade for them. Go KWv3 (or similar).

SS+ is too high on the front, KW is the only way to go IMO

Agree. The SS+ is indeed a great ride, but the height at the front compared to the rear is odd. Audi should have sorted that. Having said that, visual aside the SS+ is a great ride.

KWv3's for ride married with constant front and rear ride height is the only way to go to circumvent any ride height concerns. I had Sync's (Kev's) Bread van next to mine for a while on my drive a while back - the difference at the rear was marginal, but the front looked odd on mine compared to the constant height on his. However, it was laden with Granary Batch Loaves ready for delivery (joke )

It is one area though I'd like to keep OEM - I'm gay like that...

[neilparf]

The biggest difference in the photos is the lighting and lenses. The SS+ one was done with a 20mm pancake lense (40mm equivalent) - not the right tool for the job. I think I was playing with a zoom last year - you can tell from the wheel rims, positions of the calipers in relation to the rims and the distant A pillars.

I could have measured floor to arch before and after but that wasn't an objective and I forgot it might be helpful for the discussion afterwards.

Are you sure these will bed in more? This is 1k miles post installation.

The workshop chief reckoned the difference woukd be about a centimetre and I think he's right. It was quite funny seeing it before the extended drive - the newly pressurised DRC make it look like an all-road! By the time I got the keys back it was as you see now.

Stating the obvious here, but if anyone has any hangups about ride height then this isn't the upgrade for them. Go KWv3 (or similar).

Edited a few times for clarity! Hard work on an a 5 inch screen(!)

The workshop chief is right. 10mm. That's what Audi state also in the sales brochure (Sports Suspension Plus. Firmer spring and shock-absorber settings than standard and approx. 10mm lower than standard).

x2 new front DRC recently saw my system drained and re-pressurised by Camberley Audi - after the test drive by the Tech he told me it would settle further - not wrong - I collected it and it looked like it was on air and fully pumped! It did settle a fair amount. I really do think that a another few miles will see it settle more...

Agreed. This is not the upgrade for constant ride height front to rear - that's KWv3 or alike, like you say...

5 inch you say - to most ladeeez that's huge...